Anonymous asked: Hi Ruby! Your such an inspiration! :) I was wondering how you shop for all your ingredients you cook with. Do you buy in bulk and organic? I try to buy organic but it's so expensive. I want to start making fresh healthy meals, (I have fresh herbs growing in my backyard) but I don't know where to start! Can you give me some advice? Thanks!

Hello! Thank you my friend, that’s lovely of you to say :) I actually still live at home with my parents and so they do majority of the grocery shopping. We usually discuss what meals we want to cook for the week and what ingredients we want in the house before they head to the supermarket. We don’t always buy organic produce but luckily both of my parents are big on buying good quality food and so I can generally count on always having fresh fruits and veggies and grains and proteins and whatever else in the house. I think it’s so wonderful that you have fresh herbs growing in your backyard! I’d love to do something like that, fresh herbs are so great to have handy. In terms of starting to cook healthy, I think it’s easiest to start with the basics. Think about ways to naturally enhance the flavour of your dish, using spices and aromats and fresh herbs etc. Think garlic, ginger, basil, paprika, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cumin etc. (the possibilities are endless AND exciting). Focus on lean proteins, wholegrains and lots of fruit and veggies. Think things like natural/greek yoghurt, eggs, chicken, oats, wholemeal breads, quinoa, beans, tofu, brown rice, spinach, broccoli, seeds etc. and make sure you’re still getting your heathy fats in the form of olive oil, avocado, nuts etc. (never be scared of them, your heart will thank you). In terms of cooking processes, baking/poaching/steaming require less fat than roasting or frying, which is something you might want to keep in mind (but don’t let it dictate all of your meals). Think about what you’d love to eat for your meals and then experiment with ways to improve the nutritional quality. Once you begin playing around with flavours and ingredients and trying things out you’ll get the hang of it and you’ll love it! Also make sure you eat a lot of peanut butter or you might die!! I hope I’ve been of some help, I’m probably not as knowledgeable as you think I am haha. Good luck :)