Pinterest food hacks are an absolute essential for making good tasting food for cheap!

Here are a couple that I could not live without.

I must confess to you, the reader, before I go on, I am not overly concerned with the exact measurements of the ingredients however, I shall try to list some quantities. Personally, I tend to just 'go by eye' as I'm not the most avid baker in all the land but still like to make an effort with healthy and simple home cooked recipes. 

First off, I'd like to highlight a few of the healthier recipes I often use:

Firstly, I enjoy making my own breakfast bars in order to avoid the insane amount of sugar that is often added to ready bought bars. 

Ingredients: 

2 cup oats 

1 cup dates 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

Directions:

Allow the dates to soak in boiling water for 10 minutes, then pour out MOST of the water but I find it easier to blend the dates with a little water. Once the dates have been blended, add the peanut butter and blend again! Then, with your oats in a bowl, pour in the date and peanut butter mixture and bind all of the ingredients. Place the contents of the bowl in a lined baking tray and allow to chill in the fridge before eating! I have got this recipe down to a fine art and so I can get these bars made and chilling in the fridge in 20 minutes flat! Highly recommend this recipe for those days when you just don't think you can resist those sweet cravings. 

Another sweet but healthy(ish) alternative I really enjoy making is banana and chocolate oat cookies. These take a little longer than the first recipe but the extra time spend cooking these will all be worth it! 

Ingredients: 

2 overly ripe bananas 

3 cups of oats

50g of dairy free chocolate 

tablespoon of chia seeds  

any other nuts/seeds of choice 

Directions:

Mash the bananas in a bowl (if your bananas are overly ripe this step will be a hell of a lot easier!) then throw in all other ingredients and mix! I tend to just use my hands to create cookie or protein ball shapes and then cook them in the oven for 15ish minutes on 150ish degrees (see what I mean with not being overly exact with my baking?!) Depending on how soft you want the cookies, adjust the time and temperature. 

As a main, I really enjoy avocado pasta, call me a stereotypical millennial with my avocado talk but I haven't seen this recipe all too often! 

Ingredients:

1/2 Avocado 

Few drops of lemon juice (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Chilli flakes (to taste)

1 serving of  pasta 

Directions:

I boil my pasta and then take 1/2 a ripe avocado (depending on the size of the avocado this measurement may need to be adjusted) and blend it with all of the other ingredients which should be added in amounts to taste. The consistency should be a thick pasta sauce and simply pour over the pasta and then re-head over the stove in order to warm the pasta and sauce and you're done and ready to eat!

I am very much a self confessed mindless eater and would quite happily eat, eat and eat, which is why healthy eating has become quite an integral part of my life given the volume of food I like to eat. A snack that I can't stop eating is roasted chickpeas, these take slightly longer to make but can be made in bulk and stored!

Ingredients:
Chickpeas
Seasoning to taste
Vegetable oil

Directions:
  Drain the chickpeas and drizzle over a teaspoon or two of oil. Ensure all the chickpeas are covered and season to taste. Personally, I keep it simple with a mixed herb, paprika and black pepper. Cook in the oven on 200 degrees celcius for 35-40 minutes.

So, that concludes a few staples that I eat multiple times a week, not only for how easy they are to cook but the ingredients are also incredibly cheap!

Thanks for reading!