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Davina McCall
We’re huge fans of Davina here at Lakeland and – we’re delighted to say – the feeling is mutual! A keen home cook and long-time Lakeland fan, Davina is just as passionate as we are about good food and healthy eating, and it’s this shared enthusiasm that has led to her teaming up with us to design an exclusive range of kitchen prep products.
Davina approached us about designing a range together, and we were delighted to work so closely with this busy mum of three and role model. We worked carefully together and went to great lengths to design products that really work and fit seamlessly into our busy lifestyles – like us, she’s no fan of unnecessary gadgets or costly, complicated contraptions that just end up cluttering the kitchen. Having the right tools for the job is key to successfully preparing healthy, tasty meals for all the family, and every product in this new range has been developed with this in mind. In addition to being well thought out, every piece in the collection looks the part, in a fresh design with bright splashes of colour, is of the highest quality and, more importantly, is competitively priced.
I wanted to make sure that we had great quality products at a really good price and we've done exactly that
Davina’s Recipes
Inspired by Davina to get healthy?
Find lots of her recipes at https://blog.lakeland.co.uk/recipe-category/davina-mccall-recipes/ Why not share your results @lakelanduk #MyDavinaDish
I wanted to bring out a range of products that could show you that you can be super busy and be healthy at the same time
Davina’s Smart Carbs
Eat carbs and still lose weight! Davina’s latest collection of family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes replaces refined white carbs and white sugar with slow-release ‘smart’ carbs, helping you to eat more healthily. With recipes for everything from soups and salads to snacks and full meals – and a few sweet treats too – this 5-week plan helps you reduce both calories and carbohydrates so you can look good and feel great too.
Get Fit With Davina
If you're wanting to take more steps to a healthier lifestyle, why not check out Davina's health, fitness and weight-loss programme at GetFitwithDavina.com.
Featuring personalised daily workout videos and a complete nutrition plan designed to help you get fit, lose weight and keep it off.
Copyright © Davina McCall, 2016. Extracted from Davina’s Smart Carbs by Davina McCall. Published by Orion
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Davina McCall
“It’s often easier to be healthy rather than unhealthy once you make a few changes”
Sugar-free recipes for baking, and ways to be just a bit healthier, are high on our customers’ 'most wanted' list. Little changes that are easy to stick to and will make a difference... so we knew who’d be able to help. A busy mum of three and an ardent Lakeland customer, Davina McCall has a really refreshing, down-to-earth approach to cooking for her family, and after cutting refined sugar from her own diet, she's been inspired to write her new book, Davina's 5 Weeks To Sugar-Free. So it was no surprise to us that on the day we met her, after introductions to the team, she put the kettle on and made the brews – our kind of lady! And before Davina donned her apron ready for baking, Lakelanders Kelly and Steph sat down with her and had a good chat about all things sugar, her hectic lifestyle and, of course, her love of Lakeland.
In the foreword of your book you say:
“I’m a sugar addict”Yes, because actually I think it is a modern day affliction - a sugar addiction. I sort of said it as a joke, but the more people I speak to, I realise that it is quite a serious thing and you will do quite a lot to try and get a bit of sugar late at night. I’ve rummaged through my kids’ drawers and gone through their special chocolate stashes, thinking ‘Oh I’ll replace it, that’s fine’. So sugar became something that I needed. It felt more than just a mental thing, it felt like a physical need and sometimes I’d get the shakes and that’s not healthy.
So is this what inspired you to write 5 Weeks To Sugar-Free? Because you felt you were reliant on sugar?
It started really because my sister got cancer and the nutritionist told her to cut sugar out of her diet, as they say that the sugar encourages tumours to grow, and I was horrified by that. I went online and looked up the refined sugar in everything like ketchup and baked beans – those are the hidden sugars. You expect it in a cake or a biscuit but other food, processed food or low fat food, there is loads of sugar in it and I started thinking, I’m eating a lot of sugar without even realising it. I used to go to bed every night and think, Well, I’ve just eaten two rows of milk chocolate on the way to bed and I’m brushing the milk chocolate out of my teeth; why have I done this? I didn’t even really want it. So I talked to somebody at a publisher’s and said, ‘I really want to try and kick it but I think we should find a tool for people to do this’. They said, ‘Why don’t you write a cookery book? We’ll hook you up with a great chef so you can do it together, you give her your favourite recipes, she comes up with a sugar-free version of it and you cook it and tell everyone how your experience was.’ I said ‘Can we do that? Is that a thing?’ And so we did! I really enjoyed the process, I tried lot of new ways of cooking which I hadn’t tried before and I approached lots of different types of food which I was terrified of, things like spelt.
It sounds scary
It does sound scary! It sounds severe! Maybe it goes back to school and spellings but it sounds severe. Even things like barley and pulses, different things which I thought, Oh no, I can’t cook with things like that.
Your book isn’t about being sugar-free, it’s about being refined sugar-free
Yep, it’s so important for me to reiterate that I’m kicking refined sugar. The point is, it’s a 5-week plan and the last week is completely sugar-free, so no honey or maple syrup. Obviously people will look at it and see the recipes for the brownies and say, ‘Oh, there’s honey in there’ and I get that, but if you actually read the book you’ll see that it’s a 5-week plan to sugar-free because it’s trying to help people wean themselves off.
Why do you think people struggle to cut out sugar?
People’s relationship with sugar is sometimes an emotional one, so they think, ‘it’s my friend’. I mean what do you do when you’re really sad? You eat a piece of cake or chocolate. It’s an emotional response to something painful, and sugar is something that’s looked after me when I’ve been sad.
So what is the difference between a refined sugar and a natural sugar?
Well, a natural sugar is one that is naturally occurring, so something like maple syrup. You do have to be careful with maple syrup because there are lots of things called syrup out there which are just sugar. So you do have to look at the packaging and make sure that it’s just pure maple syrup.
What is the simplest piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to pursue a healthier lifestyle?
I think the quickest way is to go brown. My kids love pasta and we went to wholewheat pasta 3 years ago. I thought they were all going to be up in arms about it but they didn’t even notice the difference! I don’t think we can expect people to go straight from a processed diet to no sugar – it’s too much to ask. It’s about baby steps. It’s also about changing your cupboard. If it’s notthere you won’t eat it!
You said that this is 5 weeks to sugar-free, and in the last week you go completely sugar free: is that maintainable?
I try to maintain that and I’m not always sugar-free – like yesterday I fancied a black tea with honey so I had some honey in my tea. That doesn’t bother me in the slightest as I think, look, I’m not back on refined sugar. I’m not interested in it any more and that’s why it’s maintainable: because I don’t crave it any more.
Are you a Lakeland customer?
Oh my God – I love Lakeland! You inspire me to do things I don’t normally do because everything looks so nice! You know how kids have a favourite catalogue and they circle everything that they want and leave it around? I have the Lakeland catalogue and circle everything that I want and leave it around for Matthew to find and buy me.
And does he take the hint?
Yes!
Davina’s Smart Carbs
Eat carbs and still lose weight! Davina’s latest collection of family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes replaces refined white carbs and white sugar with slow-release ‘smart’ carbs, helping you to eat more healthily. With recipes for everything from soups and salads to snacks and full meals – and a few sweet treats too – this 5-week plan helps you reduce both calories and carbohydrates so you can look good and feel great too.
Get Fit With Davina
If you're wanting to take more steps to a healthier lifestyle, why not check out Davina's health, fitness and weight-loss programme at GetFitwithDavina.com.
Featuring personalised daily workout videos and a complete nutrition plan designed to help you get fit, lose weight and keep it off.
Copyright © Davina McCall, 2016. Extracted from Davina’s Smart Carbs by Davina McCall. Published by Orion
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Sugar Free Recipes
Chicken and Roast Vegetable Tray Bake
Shepherd’s Pie
Power Balls
Banoffee Pie
Maple and Pecan Tarts
Davina’s Smart Carbs
Eat carbs and still lose weight! Davina's latest collection of family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes replaces refined white carbs and white sugar with slow-release 'smart' carbs, helping you to eat more healthily. With recipes for everything from soups and salads to snacks and full meals - and a few sweet treats too - this 5-week plan helps you reduce both calories and carbohydrates so you can look good and feel great too.
Get Fit With Davina
If you're wanting to take more steps to a healthier lifestyle, why not check out Davina's health, fitness and weight-loss programme at GetFitwithDavina.com.
Featuring personalised daily workout videos and a complete nutrition plan designed to help you get fit, lose weight and keep it off.
If you’ve been inspired to make any of Davina’s sugar-free recipes, share them @lakelanduk #MyDavinaDish
Copyright © Davina McCall, 2015. Extracted from Davina’s 5 Weeks to Sugar Free by Davina McCall. Published by Orion
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Exclusive to Lakeland
Personal Blender
Mix up a delicious, nutritious blended drink in this great value blender. Once it’s ready, just pop on the sipper lid and away you go. Instructions and recipes included.
Crinkle Cutter
Great for making home-made vegetable crisps, sweet potato chips and crudites.
I’m so excited to be doing
this with LakelandKitchen Scissors
Strong, scallop-edged stainless steel blades cut through tough kitchen tasks with ease and the herb stripper is great for woody-stemmed herbs like thyme. Suitable for left and right-handed use.
Grater
Super-sharp, stainless steel grating areas make short work of citrus zest, breadcrumbs or raw vegetables, and the detachable base holds gratings until you’re ready to add them to your recipe.
Y-shaped peeler
With an easy-to-grip soft-touch handle, stainless steel blade and handy eye-removal hook.
Paring Knife
With a comfortably chunky, soft-grip handle, non-stick coated blade and safety sheath.
Garlic Press
Making short work of crushing garlic cloves whether you’ve peeled them or not, this clever press has a cleaning tool tucked inside to help you get every bit of garlicky goodness out of the holes.
Davina’s Smart Carbs
Eat carbs and still lose weight! Davina’s latest collection of family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes replaces refined white carbs and white sugar with slow-release ‘smart’ carbs, helping you to eat more healthily. With recipes for everything from soups and salads to snacks and full meals – and a few sweet treats too – this 5-week plan helps you reduce both calories and carbohydrates so you can look good and feel great too.
Get Fit With Davina
If you're wanting to take more steps to a healthier lifestyle, why not check out Davina's health, fitness and weight-loss programme at GetFitwithDavina.com.
Featuring personalised daily workout videos and a complete nutrition plan designed to help you get fit, lose weight and keep it off.
Copyright © Davina McCall, 2016. Extracted from Davina’s Smart Carbs by Davina McCall. Published by Orion
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Smart Carbs Recipes
Veggie quinoa risotto
Spanish Chicken
Pork sliders and quick apple coleslaw
Thai prawn and coconut soup
Chocolate and banana tray bake
Davina’s Smart Carbs
Eat carbs and still lose weight! Davina’s latest collection of family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes replaces refined white carbs and white sugar with slow-release ‘smart’ carbs, helping you to eat more healthily. With recipes for everything from soups and salads to snacks and full meals – and a few sweet treats too – this 5-week plan helps you reduce both calories and carbohydrates so you can look good and feel great too.
Get Fit With Davina
If you're wanting to take more steps to a healthier lifestyle, why not check out Davina's health, fitness and weight-loss programme at GetFitwithDavina.com.
Featuring personalised daily workout videos and a complete nutrition plan designed to help you get fit, lose weight and keep it off.
Copyright © Davina McCall, 2016. Extracted from Davina’s Smart Carbs by Davina McCall. Published by Orion
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Davina’s top tips for healthier living
1.Sleep – lack of sleep is detrimental to everything. Your mental state your metabolism and your body so ban the ipad from bed. And the phone you cant get away with that either! And sleeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!
2.Plan ahead, it's when you've got the least time you make unhealthy choices, when you know you're going to be busy cook meals in advance that can be heated up quickly!
3.Shop ahead, never shop when hungry! Plan your meals for the week, and shop after you have eaten. Make a list and stick to it, that way no naughties will sneak into your basket.
4.Never miss a meal, it's important to feed your body regularly to keep your metabolism going, eat small, healthy portions, but eat regularly.
5.Eat food from every food group, If you've had a carb heavy lunch, have protein and veg for dinner, you also need healthy fats in like almonds in your daily diet - it's about choosing the right types of carb and fat, not cutting them out.
6.Make meals fun, cooking and eating should be enjoyable, I love courgetti or crinkle cut Sweetpotato, if it's fun you're more likely to stick to it.
7.Swap refined sugars for healthy alternatives like agave, honey or my fave maple syrup, naturally good and really tasty!
8.Never go on a 'diet', whenever I used to say 'I am on a diet' I would start craving food after the first 5 minutes! Make healthy choices but the word 'diet' is banned!
9.Don't buy low fat, processed foods, why, because they have hidden ingredients like refined sugars to make them taste better, making food from scratch might take a little longer but the benefits are certainly worth it.
10.Variety is key, get experimenting, there are so many healthy recipes out there to try, use them as a guide, but experiment with ingredients to create your own new favourites.
11.Healthy eating has to be teamed with a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise is so important for your metabolism and health.
12.A little of what you fancy is better than a lot, if you're craving something then have a little bit of it, the more you're thinking about that chocolate bar, the more likely you are to eat the lot - or is that just me?!
13.'Smart Carbs' are good carbs, research what you are eating and understand the nutritional value they provide for your body, smart carbs like spelt are good for you and yummy too!
Be the first to know!