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If there’s one thing Zoe Bingley-Pullin is passionate about, it’s food. From child-friendly dishes for fussy eaters to healthy twists on indulgences, the trained nutritionist and television chef’s enthusiasm for produce and recipes is palpable.
Her new book, Falling in Love With Food, is a celebration of everything she has learnt along the way. But like all of us, she has a hectic schedule, and sometimes has to eat on the run.
‘I’m a busy mum who knows that the work-life balance doesn’t exist,’ says the vibrant mother of Emily, two. ‘If I am grabbing something on the run, I will grab the best quality produce I can, I will go to a corner store [instead of a fast food chain] and get a hamburger for the quality – you want to avoid processed food to get nutrients and fibre.’
The host of Good Chef Bad Chef swears by having a fresh vegie juice every day. For Zoe, the consistent motivator is that her daughter (above) is watching everything she does.
‘The key to getting kids to eat well is to follow your lead and have a positive relationship with food,’ says Zoe, who also works with daycare centres to help write nutrition plans. We have lots of positive dialogues around food. If Emily doesn’t want to eat something I don’t force her to eat it.’
As for superfoods, Zoe is a huge fan of freekeh, a Middle Eastern grain.
‘It’s nutty, it’s delicious, and full of B vitamins,’ she says – although she is more a fan of a ‘superdiet’ than superfoods. I am healthy because I put a hell of a lot of fruit and vegies in my diet. I can have my red wine and my chocolate and I can have a bit of sugar.’
Meal Plan Hacks!
Meal planning doesn’t need to take hours – a rough idea can save time and stress. My hacks to streamline mealtimes are:
• Write down which proteins you will have on what day/night and add them straight to the shopping list. Do the same for complex carbs and you already have half your meal sorted.
• When the time comes, add vegetables or salad to your meal
and you’ll have a healthy dish in
no time!
• Pick three snacks such as nuts
and fruit, yoghurt and berries and crackers/carrots and hummus and have these on rotation.
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