Foodie Friend: Lou Ellis -Lunch Lady Lou
Today I am very excited to have Lou from “Lunch Lady Lou” here on our blog.
Lou was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 21 and her amazing story of kicking cancer’s butt and also transforming her own health through eating whole foods and nourishing her body is truly inspiring.
Her experiences sparked a passion for health and wellness and she decided that she wanted to help others improve their health and lifestyle which led to her train to become a health coach at IIN, Lou also wanted to find a way she could provide her wholesome quality meals to busy people who do not have the time to cook- this is how “Lunch Lady Lou” was born: a lunch delivery service providing fresh nourishing meals in Sydney CBD.
Lou says “I can relate to back to back meetings, 8am meetings, lunch time meetings and unreasonable deadlines. I know too well how the day ‘gets away’ and somehow your lunch hour, becomes 10 frantic minutes of running through a food court or the closest cafe to find SOMETHING edible. And most of the time as we all know that quick meal Knowing very well it won’t nourish you, it barely does the job and “ooops my clothes feel a little tighter than they did last season (how does that happen when I’m eating salad?!?). I’ve decided to change all that.”
Make sure you check out Lou’s website as she has her weekly menu (which is delicious) and on top of that Lou has very kindly offered all of my beautiful readers a special offer of $10 salads (including free delivery to Sydney CBD) or $50 for 5 salads (including free daily delivery to Sydney CBD). All you need to do when you order is quote ‘Amy Innes’ to be entitled to the offer. Offer is valid until the 29th Of August.
Lets get to know Lou:
-Why did you decide to study at IIN?
I had a health wakeup call when I was 21. I didn’t really respond to it straight away. I have always made healthy lunches but for me it was the social lifestyle choices I made that affected everything. But I slowly made changes that I was comfortable with.
Over the past four years my interest in nutrition and getting back to peak health has increased day by day.
I first heard about IIN in 2012 when living in London. I had just quit my job to go travelling with no return ticket and at the time I was very confused about which direction to take my life. I always knew that there was more for me to conquer than sitting behind someone else’s desk. When I decided to return home from my whirlwind adventure, I started my business Lunch Lady Lou and I knew I wanted to be able to offer my clients more than just healthy lunches. But healthy lunches with meaning, thought and created with the best intent.
IIN seemed like the perfect place to begin this new journey.
-What is your goal once you complete your studies with IIN and how do you plan to help people?
My goal is to help busy women make conscious, healthy food choices. Take the burden out of their working week by delivering them balanced, colourful and healthy meals that taste great.
-What do you eat on a typical day?
As I’m always in the kitchen cooking for others, I’ve learnt the art of speedy food prep. I cook in bulk on the weekends or whenever I can and draw from that throughout the week. I also keep an army of spices and herbs to brighten and bring instant flavour to any dish. Breakfast – a green smoothie or bircher muesli + fruit Morning tea – fruit and nuts or an egg with crackers Lunch – one of my salads from the Lunch Lady Lou menu Afternoon tea – my salted almond mousse or homemade dip with veggies Dinner – I recently bought a new cast iron pan and it sauté’s THE BEST veggies ever. So lately I’ve been throwing some cabbage, carrot, tomato in a pan with olive oil and garlic. I usually simmer with some chicken broth that I try and keep frozen in small portions. I’ll then add meat or fish or nuts and an egg. And if I’ve cooked up a batch of rice or grains over the weekend I’ll add a small amount of that in too.
–Could you please share your favourite go-to snack on a busy day?
My salted almond chocolate mousse.
-What is your number 1 tip for living a healthy lifestyle.
Always be prepared. That goes for home, work, special occasions. Stock your work draw full of food that excites YOU. Set aside time on a Sunday and prepare for the week. If you’re new to batch cooking, start by making one pot of brown rice and take note of how much less time you’ll spend in the kitchen during the week. Build on it from there.
Salted almond chocolate mousse
Ingredients
- ¼ cup natural yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- ¼ tablespoon maca powder (optional)
- ¼ – ½ tablespoon raw honey/rice malt syrup/maple syrup
Process
- Put everything in a bowl
- Mix together until combined
- Serve Optional: sprinkle with extra cacao powder/cinnamon/fruit/bee pollen/chopped date
Dairy Free Option: Use Coconut Yogurt
You can find Lou and her amazing business here:
WEBSITE: lunchladylou.com
INSTAGRAM: @lunchladylou or www.instagram.com/lunchladylou
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/lunchladylou
I cannot wait to give Lou’s recipe a go, sounds delicious!
Happy Friday.
Amy x
P.S I am also an ambassador for the amazing Institute of Integrative Nutrition so if you have any questions about the course, please feel free to send me an email at [email protected].
