Donna and Tora want you to have a, “joyful relationship with food.” As authors, health coaches and fitness professionals, these fit ladies know a thing or two about creating healthy recipes but that wasn’t always at the forefront of their minds. Donna (pictured left) struggled to lose weight while Tora (right) fought her own demons and battled an eating disorder that once left her at just 81 pounds. After finding the strength to help themselves, they vowed to help others. Donna & Tora.com is their love-child blog.
More about Donna and Tora –
Why did you start your food blog? We started off just having a few recipes on our healthy living blog, but the recipes were by far the most popular things we wrote about so we kept going! We love food but also want to stay slim and be healthy, so we set out to find recipes that were easy to make and, “upgrades” of the things we love. For example, our recipes are all gluten-free and sugar-free, but we don’t want to feel deprived so we find delicious alternatives instead.
How would you describe your approach to eating/health? Our philosophy is “health is a lifestyle, not a life sentence,” so we are firm believers in eating healthy food and also having treats – we actually plan treats into our week so we don’t end up with such severe cravings that we go and pig out. We’re always upgrading, but we make it fun as we go.
Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? Great question! Donna used to be a smoking, drinking, dieting disaster and I used to be extremely fit but very unhealthy. Donna’s real passion for healthy food has grown since we started our business, while I had a wake-up call in my early 30s that I needed to start eating healthy food, and my passion for healthy food has grown ever since.
What is your favorite ingredient to use in the kitchen? The current favorites are cashew nuts (because we are trying all sorts of dairy-free recipes that use cashews instead), cauliflower (addicted to cauliflower mash) and coconut oil (such a brilliant oil).
Has blogging changed the way you view food and cooking? Yes, it so much more fun that it used to be! We have started a video series called “If Donna can cook it, so can you” which can be pretty funny as Donna is not a natural cook. It inspires people to try cooking, which in turn inspires us to keep trying new recipes.
Favorite recipe to date? Veggie Bake! This has been transformed from a semi-healthy vegetable dish to an uber-delicious version that even kids love. It’s also the first “If Donna can cook it” videos we did.
Three recipes you’d like to share with our readers?
Naturally Naughty Chocolate Cheesecake
Marvelous Moroccan Salad
Adzuki Bean Burgers
More Foodie Goodness –
Donna and Tora are featured in our series of spotlights on healthy food bloggers. Be sure to check back next Sunday to meet another healthy blogger in our midst.
Also Read:
Anne-Marie Nichols from This Mama Cooks