VEGAN BLUEBERRY PANCAKES WITH CHERIE TU

Cherie Tu is the ultimate LA girl. Known for her cooking Instagram Thriving On Plants, this 22 year old queen has created and sold many cookbook and E-Books filled with thousands of healthy and nourishing plant based recipes!

Take one look at her Insta and you'll begin to drool almost instantaneously!

Cheries switch to veganism was the catalyst to showing all just how simple and delicious vegan cooking can be!

The lovely Cherie has shared one of her favourite recipes with us & it has quickly become an office fav!

Cherie wears the baby blue Archer Bike Shorts & Tyler Crop.

This epic pancake recipe is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and oil-free, yet still so incredibly moist and fluffy!
With a burst of warm and sweet Blueberry goodness, you'll be hooked from the first bite!

Serves: 2

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 10 min

Procedure:

• In a bowl, combine the Almond milk, Banana, Lemon juice, Lemon zest and Vanilla extract & mix until well combined.
• Add in the Buckwheat Flour, Baking powder and Cinnamon and whisk until smooth then gently fold through the Blueberries.
• Cook on a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden.
• Serve with Coconut Yogurt, Maple syrup & more fresh Blueberries.

A few cheeky q's with the queen herself

What spurred on your passion for cooking and sharing on Instagram?

I honestly started blogging as a hobby to document all of my cooking adventures while on a plant-based lifestyle! I went vegan from a very young age, so I sought to the online community for support and inspiration. Cooking has always been a passion of mine, so I guess I simply wanted to find a platform where I could share all of my creations and help others cook amazing meals at home too!

Why do you think it is so important to fuel your body with nutritious food?

Eating an abundance of nutritious foods helps give your body all the energy you need to power through your day! Whilst there are also several other aspects to a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition is such an essential part of everyday life which is why it’s important to prioritise it. I’m very much in tune with my body so I can literally feel the difference when I eat well vs days where I don’t. If you are very physically active and also exercise or train, your body needs good food to help with recovery!

Why did you choose plant based?

Initially I was drawn to a plant-based lifestyle due to the health appeal. I genuinely loved the look of all of the delicious vegan meals people were sharing online and decided to give it a go. I wasn’t actually eating much meat to begin with so I thought it would be a great experiment to see how I felt cutting it out completely. Ever since, I’ve learnt so much along the way in terms of the environmental impacts of animal agriculture and realising that I want to be vegan for the animals, in other words for ethical reasons. I just tell people, you do you! At the end of the day, whichever aspect that resonates the most with you is what will keep you on this lifestyle.

What does self care look like to you?

Taking the time to really nourish my body inside and out. Not only by hydrating my body and eating nutritious foods, but by also caring about what I put on onto my skin on my face and body. In general, for me 2020 has been about creating realistic and healthy habits that help contribute to both my mental and physical well-being. I like to tell people to remember that self-care is very personal to each and every individual! Doing what makes YOUR mind and body happy is the best form of self-care for you.

What does your morning routine look like?

I’m not going to lie, I’m not really a morning person (yet). I’ve been a night owl basically all of my life but it’s something that I’m working on! At the moment my mornings are pretty chilled out. I wake up, drink a glass of water, do my skincare routine, brush my teeth then I jump onto my laptop to sort through my e-mails. I generally don’t have breakfast until an hour or two after I’ve woken up (surprisingly I don’t wake up with a big appetite) so I tend to sip on protein shake first before making myself a bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie later on. The rest of my day basically involves recipe developing, photography and editing!

What do you think makes you a Lahana Active girl?

I absolutely love that Lahana Active is all about confidence, inclusivity and empowering women. I’m all about supporting and uplifting other females in the community so I love that our values align. Not to mention, I’m literally in love with every single piece from the Lahana Active range! They’re bold, beautiful and incredibly flattering, forever in love with this brand!

Much love Cherie!

Thanks for sharing x