Ellie Bullen is a dietitian and nutritionist with a passion for plant-based eating. She is the creator of the hugely popular online platform and Instagram account, Elsa’s Wholesome Life, where she shares her delicious, colourful recipes and inspires people to live healthier lives by eating more from the earth and less from a box. Ellie is also the founder of the popular online store, The Wholesome Store, where she sells her own clothing range as well as fashion, baby, skincare and kitchen goods. Ellie lives on the Gold Coast with her husband, Alex, their son, Bowie, and cute pup, Oat. 

I had the opportunity to chat with Ellie about her upcoming book release, life as a Mum, and what's she's currently loving cooking in the kitchen. Enjoy angels!
Alexz, xo.

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Thanks so much for chatting with us Ellie, and congratulations on your third cookbook release. It must be an incredible feeling! Can you tell me a bit about what inspired you to create Simple (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen?

I am currently in this new season of life, motherhood. So of course life is a lot more chaotic, and I have a lot less time to cook in the kitchen, and that really inspired the theme of this cookbook, simple recipes for busy families.

There is also a focus on baby and toddler friendly recipes too which was inspired by cooking for my son, Bowie.

Was the process of creating this book different to your previous two?

Yes, each book has been slightly different, for this book we worked on it for most of 2021. I say we, because I also changed up my work flow for the creation of this book by hiring a little team; a project assistant and assistant food stylist/photographer to help make this book possible. My previous books it was just me, and lots of assistance from my husband, Alex. However these days with a toddler and business to run I definitely needed a little team to make it possible. 

What recipe/s have you been your go-to recently?

It is currently winter so I have been loving the blueberry and coconut brekkie crumble, it’s so yummy and leftovers are delicious for dessert too (warmed up with icecream!)

I absolutely love the toasties and pastries in this book, maybe that is my pregnancy cravings talking, but they’re just so delicious and something I cook quite often. 

And lastly, it's soup season, so I am always craving the delicious soups in this book, like the luscious green fennel soup and simple pumpkin soup.

As a Mum, business owner, youtuber and social media personality, I can imagine your schedule is a little crazy! Can you talk me through what a typical day in the life looks like for you?

A regular day during the week, often starts with a big morning cuddle from my son, Bowie. He wakes up around 6am and usually comes into bed for a huge snuggle which is my favourite moment of the day. 

Going out for our morning coffee is something our family does ritually, every day. We generally use this as an opportunity to get outdoors for a walk with our dog, and son. 

Then we come home and cook breakfast and eat it as a family. I find having meals together really helps our son with eating more of his meals (he can be pretty fussy).

Most days of the week we will then head into the office/warehouse where I am generally doing work such as emails, ordering and designing products and working alongside our team to get ready for product launches. 

Of course some work days are spent at home in the kitchen with my assistant, creating new recipe content, shooting for brands, or vlogging. 

And other days we have family days where we might head out to the beach, the park, catch up with friends and family etc. Which is what I love most about my career and lifestyle - the flexibility to spend more time with my young family.

After work, our family usually goes out for a bike ride or walk which we find is a great way to wind down and reconnect as a family.

We then prepare and eat dinner together, and do our night routine with Bowie to get him to bed around 7pm, and finally my husband and I will spend a couple of hours on the couch together, watching something on TV. 

Has your relationship with food & cooking changed after becoming a Mum?

Most definitely. I feel like it has been a big challenge for me. Not only remembering to have healthy food always prepared for our son, but also dealing with fussy eating along the way. 

In terms of my own personal relationship with food, having previously struggled with body image issues and orthorexia, since becoming pregnant and then becoming a mother, I have developed such an amazing appreciation for my body and self, which has really improved my relationship with food and helped in the healing process immensely. 

And last but not least, what is one tv show/song/place you are currently obsessing over?

Well I recently watched Elvis at the cinemas, so that soundtrack has been playing on repeat in my ears!

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Ellie's new cookbook, Simple (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen is now available to purchase in-stores and online.