3 (easy) diet changes you can make in these crazy times

By: Chan Fang Lynn

1. Eat more whole foods

A whole food means things that have not been processed - as few ingredients as possible. Those ingredients should be immediately recognisable, too (like, they don’t sound like they’re a chemical).

I fell in love with the idea of a whole foods, plant-based diet when I visited Bali. Have you seen their whole foods offering there?

Pictured (bottom left dish): Vegetarian Tempeh Rendang at Duatiga Cafe, Canggu, Bali

Every element on the dish is composed and articulated. It all comes from the most humble of ingredients - whole grains (rice, oatmeal etc) & vegetables! 

Exchanging processed for REAL, natural whole foods - bit by bit - is doable.

Especially when the options are so crazy good nowadays. They are so tasty and leave you satiated, with no food comas or crashes. Once you try it, and experience how light and amazing you feel, you're inclined to want to try more!

Which brings me to my next point.

2. Plant-based options are DOPE AF. Try it.

Literally, someone came to pick up their dips yesterday said “OMG all I’ve been doing is scrolling Instagram in search for new eats!”

Well sh*t, me too! And boy, are the options endless. From crazy dessert boxes to pita wraps as big as my face, Singapore’s got it all.

Back in January, I was invited to a Straits Times plant-based taste test, and one of the items on the menu was a plant-based cheese. A plant-based Camembert to be exact.

Pictured: Our Plant-Based Gourmet Platter, featuring Loaded Gun Kitchen Ménage à Trois & 4my Plant-Based Camembert & Bespoke Bread Roasted Garlic Sourdough.

I have experimented with nut milk alternatives since I was 22, but plant-based cheese? Damn, that's some sorcery right there.

This plant-based Camembert from 4my is part of new platter offering from Loaded Gun Kitchen - it even has a rind!

Made from fermented cashews, it has an ever so slightly nutty, yet very buttery texture to it.

Even better, we can report that the producers of the cheese have been doing a lot of R&D and the cheese - compared to just last December - is now at its very best!

And look, I don’t aim to preach - but it’s just a fact that the dairy industry is causing a lot of devastation to our planet. Combine health reasons with avoiding animal cruelty and avoiding supporting the dairy industry, and you’ve got reason enough to just TRY. 

EXCITING products make being plant-based easy, fun, and totally cool! When they taste great, you’ll reach for those alternatives more and more.  Why wouldn’t you, right?

Check out our Plant-Based Gourmet Platter here. Trust me, it's dope.

3. Cook more. And enjoy it! 

Get down and dirty in your kitchen. Now is the time. Where you gonna go seriously?

When I cook more, I am in touch with my food more. This is a switch I made last Circuit Breaker, and it stuck. It served to deepen my connection with what I was eating, which ultimately made me feel good physically and mentally.

In Phase 2, I’ve come returned to geeking out in the kitchen again. With the dips, of course! They help add BIG FLAVOUR to very simple things I'm making, such as grilled eggplant or even pasta.

In one of my customer’s words (you know who you are - you guys are such darlings seriously) -

“My baseline requirement for cooking is to avoid killing anyone/myself in the process”.

YES TO THAT.

Developing my dips and spreads came from realising that they are part of how I like to cook. Simple, fuss-free, and nobody gets killed.

So here’s a little something I put together (again, without killing anyone) with Loaded Gun’s Miso Cashew Cream, to go with my favourite plant-based Camembert.

What WFH lunches are you cooking up nowadays? ☺️

Pictured: A simple WFH meal, featuring a grilled eggplant, Loaded Gun's Miso Cashew Cream, 4my Plant-Based Camembert, pasta & salad.

So there you have it, 3 very simple habits you can build over time, and there's no better time to start now - since we're pretty much all stuck at home.

Till then, stay home & stay safe peeps!

Peace out,
Lynn