Fearne Cotton - Cook Happy, Cook Healthy

CONTENTS

Welcome to my kitchen. Its full of people, drenched in noise, and a bit of a mess. Its the engine room of our house where everyone congregates at breakfast time, for catch-ups over cake and tea, and to create a bit of clutter whilst cooking as a family.

In the last five years my life has changed a lot. At 29 I was a single girl who worked long days but loved going out to gigs most nights. Id eat out in the evenings or sometimes skip dinner altogether for a few gin and tonics. It was most definitely a chaotic food routine.

Now I find myself a 30-something wife and mum of two children and two stepchildren. Ive reached a point where I want my food to make me feel GREAT, and to have fun whilst making it. For me having a family means eating together and having fun cooking and baking. I still love going to gigs and I adore my job but keeping myself, my family and my friends fed and happy is of paramount importance.

As with a lot of modern families, everyone in mine has different tastes and needs around meal times. For those of us who are parents, there can be a lot of ingredient-juggling and sometimes theres little time to prepare and eat good nutritious meals together. I havent eaten meat since I was 11 but in my twenties I decided to start eating fish to help get more protein in my diet. I now love to cook fish but have no desire to eat meat again. My husband Jesse eats a mainly pescetarian diet but does enjoy the odd burger now and then. I cook the kids meat because I want them to decide for themselves when theyre older how they choose to eat. My mum is vegetarian but my dad loves a sneaky bacon sarnie, whilst my friends all vary from vegan to carnivore. We all want and need different things, and often there doesnt seem like theres enough time to consider everyones requirements.

At weekends or quieter times cooking doesnt have to be a crazed rush. I find cooking and particularly baking the most cathartic of hobbies and adore coming up with mad concoctions with my stepdaughter Lola and son Rex.

Cooking and baking come in two different forms: for necessity and for fun. Either way, whatever Im cooking at home, I like to do it in a healthy way where possible. This doesnt have to be boring or overly expensive, but it will make you, your family and friends feel so much better.

I try to keep away from refined sugar as much as I can and I try to reduce the kids intake where possible. This isnt always easy but replacing some of their sweet treats with delicious alternatives using natural sweetners is so much better for them in the long run. These days there are so many wonderful ways of making something sweet without touching the devilish white stuff, and eventually you will stop craving the naughties in favour of the healthier alternatives. I want to know EXACTLY what Im putting in my body and I use as many wholesome, natural and vitalising ingredients as I can. Processed food can DO ONE! Your body doesnt like it on the day youve eaten it and it certainly doesnt like it long term. Most of the food you put into your body should have ingredients that make your skin glow, your hair shine, your body feel energised, your eyes bright and your kids and friends happy.

This book is full of delicious recipes for any time of day, from breakfast on the go to special nights in and rowdy Sunday lunches with your nearest and dearest. Preparing your food from scratch will take a bit more planning than rushing out to buy a floppy sandwich at lunchtime, but by investing the time in making your meals, it will give you a day where you feel full of energy and alert. Itll work out cheaper in the long run too.

When youre busy with work, family and life in general, it can seem impossible to find this time and I suggest lots of ways to cook smart, whether thats making dishes in batches that can be frozen or giving tips for leftovers. Getting the whole family involved will make dinner time more fun and you will teach your kids an understanding of good food.

Happiness is definitely a big part of this book. If youre eating things that benefit you physically it will most definitely improve your mood too. In this day and age, when life is so fast-paced, it can be easy to forget how intrinsically linked the body and mind are. We often view them as two separate entities working alongside each other at different rates. Your mind, body and soul are all one big melting pot of wonder that makes YOU who you are, so lets keep them ALL happy. Eating well means your body will be happy, your brain will be happy and YOU will be happy. Isnt feeling full of joy, contentment and happiness what we are all striving for? I believe good, nutritious food has a lot to do with this. Being on a restrictive and bland diet to lose weight will never make you happy. Eating lots of fried, sugary and processed foods for a quick buzz doesnt offer long-term happiness and worrying about what youre eating the whole time will dull any sign of joy in a second. We are all joy seekers so lets get in the kitchen, cook happy and cook healthy, and feel the love.

In addition to fresh ingredients, here are some pantry essentials I use every day and couldnt live without. If youve never heard of quinoa, dont know your gojis from your chias and think maca is a member of The Beatles, dont worry. Cooking and baking with these ingredients doesnt have to be scary, its just different. Most of these foods are available to buy in your local supermarket, or you might consider buying them in bulk online, which tends to work out cheaper in the long run.

One major change Ive made in my own diet over the past few years is to cut out refined sugar, and this has had a knock-on effect on how I cook and in particular how I bake. Getting rid of refined sugar from my diet wasnt necessarily easy but once I was in the swing of things I noticed so many positive changes in my energy levels, focus and mood. I had dabbled in giving up a few times over the years but after the birth of my son, Rex, I wanted to feel light and active again. For me, giving up sugar was the answer. Fear not though, this doesnt mean you cant have divine treats. Once youve got your head around why each ingredient is so gorgeous for your body and mind, youll never look back.

NUTS, SEEDS AND DRIED FRUITS

NUTS

As I dont eat meat, nuts play an important role in my diet as they are full of protein. They are the handiest little pantry fallback and I often grab a handful to keep me going when Im on the run. I use them for almost everything from scattering them on salads, as a flour alternative in cakes and even to make a milk substitute. My favourites are almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts, and I always buy the unsalted kind.

CHIA SEEDS

Ive come to love these nutritious little gems, which contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other seed. They can be used to make energy-boosting breakfasts, help bind cakes together like an egg or be sprinkled in a smoothie. Theyre packed with antioxidants that help your body and your brain.