Former Made in Chelsea star, model and entrepreneur Millie Mackintosh was in the headlines this week, after a photo she posted of herself on Instagram sparked controversy online.
Former Made in Chelsea star, model and entrepreneur Millie Mackintosh was in the headlines this week, after a photo she posted of herself on Instagram sparked controversy online. The photo of Millie at a swimwear shoot showed her in a bikini, looking very slim, but toned and not unhealthy.
However, after husband Professor Green shared the photo, calling Millie his ‘#thinspiration,’ Millie was slammed online by healthy eating charities and body image websites, calling her a bad role model for younger women.
Speaking on Loose Women last week, Millie defended her photo, insisting she has always endeavoured to be an inspiration for healthy eating and keeping fit in the correct way. She agreed that the #thinspiration tag has become a negative one, which is why she prefers to use tags such as #fitspiration and #strongnotskinny to promote her healthy lifestyle.
Millie also talked about her passion for food and cooking, and encouraged everyone to check out some of her healthy recipes and regular meals she enjoys. So, of course, I hopped on Instagram and did just that.
Cauliflower Pizza
Millie is a real fan and friend of healthy eating guru Madeleine Shaw, who recently taught her how to make this cauliflower pizza. Making pizza bases from root vegetables is all the rage right now, as they’re gluten-free, low-fat and cook quickly in any normal oven.
One of the original recipes for this is from the Hemsley sisters – private chefs and healthy eating afficionados. If you want to give it a go, check out their book!
Easy Kedgeree
Millie likes to make herself an easy kedgeree for dinner, a great meal as it’s light and full of protein and flavour. Smoked fish is normally used but it can be a vegetarian dish if you want to.
This BBC recipe is a standard template for a delicious kedgeree, but swap the butter for oil and basmati rice for brown rice if you’re on a real health kick.
Healthy breakfast
Millie certainly isn’t encouraging girls to starve themselves because she’s advocating breakfast as an important meal of the day. Porridge is still one of the best ways to start your day, as it’s full of fibre to give you energy, and will keep you full until lunch time to prevent snacking.
Mix up your porridge toppings to keep it interesting – use summer fruits when they’re in season, and add nuts and seeds for extra texture and nutrients. If you like something sweet on your porridge, use a little maple syrup or agave nectar instead of sugar – you won’t notice the difference, trust me!
Be healthy and happy
I think it’s clear that Millie Mackintosh is not trying to force girls to stop eating or exercise themselves to death. Like all celebrities she is in the public eye, and therefore expected to set an example for those that look up to her. But Millie is by no means promoting anything other than a fit lifestyle.
Many of us might only ever dream of a body like hers, but that’s life, and she certainly works hard and enjoys food regardless.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.
All images courtesy of Camilla Mackintosh on Instagram
