Pea and mint dip

You only get one body—it’s with you for life, and it’s your responsibility to care for it as you would any other precious thing you own. Your body has already carried you through so much, and even if you haven’t always prioritized your health, change is always possible. You’re never too far gone, and it’s never too late to see results. Sustainable change takes time, and patience is key, but even two weeks of mindful choices—nourishing your body and cutting out harmful foods—can bring noticeable shifts in energy, mental clarity, and even weight loss.

Store-bought dips are often packed with thickeners, foaming agents, and preservatives to extend shelf life and bulk up the product. This homemade version, however, is rich in peas, which are loaded with vitamin K and folate—essential for heart health. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin C, giving your immune system a natural boost. Simple to make and packed with goodness, this dip is a delicious, nutrient-dense addition to your table.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh or frozen peas

zest and juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons tahini

1 clove garlic 

¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil 

salt and pepper 

Instructons:

If using fresh peas, skip this step. If you are using frozen peas, add them to a large bowl with boiling water, just enough to cover them. Let them blanch for about 3 minutes. Once ready, drain and add them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the water and set aside. 

Place the lemon zest and juice, tahini and garlic into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the peas, mint, olive oil and salt and pepper and blend until smooth or until you have reached your desired consistency. You can leave it a bit chunky but make sure it’s well combined.

Serve as a dip with freshly chopped vegetables or on toast with sliced tomato and black pepper. I keep this in the fridge as a go-to snack and it is great to add to your meal prep. It’s high in protein and will keep you fuller for longer!

-Melissa

Easy vegetable pasta

Comparison is the death of joy and looking at what others are eating, their body shapes and their lives will only make you unhappy and exhausted. It causes you to lose your special shine because you feel less valuable based on a flawed system determining success and worth. You matter, just the way that you are. Gaining health, self worth, good self esteem, energy and happiness in your life is something that you deserve. 

If you want to be healthier then you need to take control of the aspects that you can control. It’s that simple. Don’t overcomplicate things and break your victim mentality through thought swapping. When you hear a negative comparison pop up in your head replace it with something that you are grateful for. If you repeat this three times a day for a week you will start to feel things change. Practice patience with yourself.

Everyone needs a good pasta in their arsenal. Whenever you eat something that is classified as an indulgence such as a pasta, not only can you substitute the pasta with a healthier option, but you can also load it up with as many veggies as possible to keep the balance. Eating more vegetables reduces the risk of chronic diseases and provides the body with vital nutrients to maintain homeostasis.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

• 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 medium-size aubergine, cut into small cubes

• 2 cobs sweetcorn

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 250 g buckwheat pasta

• salt

• 4 kale leaves, stalks removed and leaves torn

• zest and juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or grated Parmesan)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 handful fresh parsley leaves

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Heat the coconut oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the paprika, oregano and aubergine cubes and stir well.

Remove the kernels from the sweetcorn by slicing down the length with a sharp knife. Add the kernels to the tomato mixture and stir well. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted water as per the packet instructions. Once ready, drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water, and set the pasta aside.

When the sauce is ready after 20 minutes, add the pasta and gently mix in along with the torn kale leaves, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.

Serve the pasta in a bowl, drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and topped with parsley and the remaining tablespoon of nutritional yeast.