Nina is the blogger behind Naturally Nina. She inspires people to live healthy and happy lives, covering topics from nutrition and fitness to plant-based eating and mental health! We chatted to Nina about her blog, lifestyle and inspiration.
Tell us a bit about you and your blog.
I live in Western Australia and am a clinical Nutritionist (BHSc) with a passion for all things health, wellbeing and plant-based nutrition. I love sharing these passions with the world through my recipes, food creations and evidence-based nutrition information with the hopes to educate, inspire and empower others to nourishing their body, mind and soul with wholesome food, self love and an active, healthy and balanced lifestyle.
When did you start blogging and why?
I started my Instagram account about 3.5 years ago after discovering my love for creating healthy recipes and how much fun it was to decorate my food and take photos. To me, it’s just as much a creative outlet as it is a way to share my passions and knowledge with the world!
Where do you get your recipe inspiration from?
From everywhere and anywhere! I’m terrible at following recipes and always end up changing them to suit me. I’m inspired by my mum’s cooking and my childhood, other Instagram accounts, blogs, magazines and cookbooks or just from dreaming up some new ideas (whilst walking my dog or out and about usually!)!
What are the biggest challenges and greatest rewards of being a food blogger?
Challenges would have to be the time, energy and effort that goes into my Instagram and blog, especially as a practicing nutritionist – it can be tricky to find that balance and keep up with my never ending to-do list. Also, when you’ve made a wonderful new recipe but the lighting is awful, that’s no fun!
The greatest reward is the joy that I get out of it and all the amazing people I’ve been able to connect with. I receive so many messages every day from people saying I’ve helped or inspired them in some way, or that my stories, captions or recipes have helped them overcome their own struggles and allowed them to life a more fulfilling life. That just means everything to me!
What are your interests outside of blogging?
My other passion is sport. I’ve been a competitive athlete since high school, starting with swimming and triathlons, and now CrossFit and weightlifting. Training is a big part of my life that I absolutely love. I love feeling strong and pushing myself, as well as the amazing people who I’m surrounded by at the gym.
Other than that I’m also a real nature-loving gal. I love exploring, going to the beach, running, doing yoga or swimming, as well as spending time with my family and friends, traveling, cooking and baking (of course), and reading.
How long have you been plant-based and what inspired you?
I’ve been vegan for over 4 years now! I have always been a huge animal lover and have been vegetarian since primary school. It was actually through social media that my eyes were opened to the vegan lifestyle and I was so inspired by everything that I learned. After watching ‘Earthlings‘ I knew going vegan was the right choice and I made the change overnight – and have never looked back!
What’s an ingredient that you just can’t live without?
Oh that’s a tough one! But I’m going to choose cinnamon. I just love this warming, sweet spice and I add it to absolutely everything from oatmeal and smoothies to baking, curries or just sprinkled on fresh fruit. Roasted pumpkin with cinnamon is next level! It also has some amazing antioxidant and blood-sugar balancing properties.
What’s your go-to breakfast?
At the moment, my favourite is Bircher Muesli which is just oats and buckwheat soaked overnight in nut milk with vanilla and chia seeds. Then I add some plant protein if I’ve trained in the morning, plus of course plenty of toppings such as fresh fruit, coconut yoghurt and nuts or nut butter. So wholesome and super good!
You serve up some pretty delicious dishes in our Coconut Bowls! What is your favourite thing to eat out of your bowls?
Definitely smoothie bowls or nice-cream! Not only do they make them look pretty but I’m convinced that smoothie bowls taste even better in a coconut bowl!
What is your favourite thing about your Coconut Bowls?
I love that they are made from recycled coconuts, meaning that they’re eco-friendly, ethical, sustainable and helping reduce waste and have a positive impact on the planet. And of course, they’re also gorgeous and make any food look Instagram-worthy!
We are so excited to have one of your recipes included in our cookbook ‘Vegan Bowls’. Tell us about the recipe you chose and what it means for you to be apart of the book?
My recipe is one of my favourite breakfasts to make on cold mornings. It’s warming, satisfying and such an energising start to the day, that also happens to taste like a warm chocolatey dessert! It’s packed with the perfect balance of complex carbs, plant protein, healthy fats and a whole lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to nourish your body and help you make the most of the day ahead!
It means so much to be part of the Vegan Bowls cookbook as nothing fills my heart with more passion and joy then spreading the message of good health and compassionate, conscious living through a plant-based diet. What better way to do that than with a collection of delicious, wholesome recipes that show people how easy, fun and enjoyable it is to eat plant foods!
To learn more about Nina: @naturally_nina_ or www.naturally-nina.com