Hi there, I’m Helen,

Welcome to my website where I show you how nourishing, easy and delicious a plant-based diet can be.

I’m the recipe developer and content creator behind everything you see here on helenridgeway.com

I live just north of London in the UK, but grew up in Scotland. I’ve always loved cooking and first learned how to cook from my mum. I became plant-based in 2016 and my focus quickly turned to veganising all of my family’s favourite dishes. I like to cook everything from scratch and my primary focus is on quality ingredients, minimal processing and organic, whole foods where possible.

I love desserts and I’m passionate about showing you that being healthy doesn’t have to mean that you have to miss out. Some of my most popular recipes on social media are 5-6 ingredient no bake bars!

I’m currently in my final year of a 3-year Nutritional Therapy course at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and once qualified will be able to share more nutritional information with you all.

Puffed Quinoa Easter Eggs

These puffed quinoa easter eggs are such an easy way to make homemade easter treats. With only 6 ingredients and dairy and gluten free, they are very simple to make too. And if you don’t have the egg shaped silicone tray, you can just freestyle the shape...

Giant Cous Cous salad

Believe it or not, this giant cous cous salad with lime and pistachio is ready in less than 15 minutes. By the time you cook the cous cous then all the other elements are ready and you can just assemble everything in a large serving bowl. The flavours all work...

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

If you are looking for a fun activity over Easter, that the kids can get involved in, then making these peanut butter Easter Eggs is one to add to the list. It’s actually quite easy to make. And if you don’t have the egg shaped moulds, you can easily shape...

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How long have you been Plant-based and what made you make the change?

My mother died of cancer in 2013. After she died, I started to read more and more about the correlations between diet and health and wanted to look at better and healthier ways to feed my family. My own health was also suffering at this time and after much research, my husband and I went vegetarian in 2016 and plant-based shortly afterwards. I’ve also done lots of reading on animal welfare and the environmental impact of my food choices. This was also very important in my decision to change.

Why did you start sharing your recipes?

In early 2021, friends and family encouraged me to start sharing recipes on Instagram. At that time I had less than 100 followers! It took 2 years of regular posting to get to 10k and it really took off from there. I now have over 400k on Instagram.

Do you have a culinary background?

No I don’t. I’m a self-taught cook but I think this makes my recipes more accessible and easier to follow. My food is for the home cook and the recipes are straightforward for you to follow along at home.

Are you a qualified nutritional therapist? And do you take on private clients?

I’m currently in the final year of a 3-year course to become a Nutritional Therapist at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London.

Once qualified I will take on private clients both in person and online and I will provide more details of this in due course.

Do I have to be a plant-based to enjoy your recipes?

No, definitely not! Many of my social media followers are not plant-based but follow for healthy recipes. I want to appeal to everyone whether you are fully plant-based, want to cook meat-free once a week or if you just like my no-bake desserts! I’ll never preach to anyone about their own choices (and I would hope to receive the same courtesy in return).

What are your views on Ultra Processed Foods (UPF)

I try and avoid it where possible. If I don’t recognise an ingredient in a product, then I won’t have it in my kitchen. I rarely use ‘fake’ meat products as I find the ingredients are not what I would use at home. I try to cook everything from scratch using simple, whole foods. I try and also buy organic, if I can, but understand that this can be expensive and focus on the Dirty Dozen lists first.

Are your recipes all gluten-free?

Many of them are yes, but not everything is gluten-free. I personally avoid gluten, but my family do not. I try and provide a mixture of recipes for everyone to enjoy.

Are your recipes all sugar free?

I don’t use processed sugar in my recipes. However, I do like to use more natural sugars such as dates. You will see that it is one of my most common ingredients! I also use dark chocolate which I try and buy refined sugar free and always at least 70% cocoa.