Meet the Author – Hungry Healthy Happy’s Dannii Martin

To celebrate the release of blogger Dannii Martin’s stunning debut cookbook, Hungry Healthy Happy, we caught up with Dannii on how it all started with her hugely popular blog, her favourite recipes and the foods she couldn’t live without!

Dannii, tell us a bit about Hungry, Healthy, Happy and how the blog started? 

The blog started as a way for me to keep track of my healthy eating and to keep me motivated. My friends and family started noticing the changes that I was making and they wanted me to share my recipes, so it made sense to have them all in one place on the blog. I actually started the HHH Facebook page before the blog and because of the popularity of that, I thought there would be a call for a blog too. I also wanted to show people the ups and downs of getting healthy and weight loss, not just the sugar coated version that most people show.

Huge congratulations on the release of your new book Hungry, Healthy, Happy. What inspired you to write the book?

I was inspired by the fact that there really wasn’t anything else like it out there. There are so many healthy eating books, but so many of them are restrictive and overly complicated. They are trying to convince people that they have to give up whole food groups to be healthy and that you need to shop for strange ingredients in order to make a healthy meal. I wanted to show people that they could still enjoy all of their favourite meals, but by lightening them up a bit. I also wanted to show that being healthy is so much more than what we eat, which is why I think it is important that the book includes things about emotional eating and how to stay motivated. I think that deep down we all know how to be healthy, but we lack the motivation. 

Do you have a favourite recipe from the book?

The healthier chocolate bars are my personal favourite and we make them every week – they are very popular with kids too.

Photography by Jacqui Melville

One of the recipes I have had great feedback from readers about is the Mediterranean Cod Bake, everyone loves it.

Photography by Jacqui Melville

What food / ingredients couldn’t you live without?

I would have to say, avocado, dark chocolate, kale, olive oil and feta. That pretty much makes up my diet. 

What advice would you give someone looking to lose weight or trying to eat more healthily in general?

Set yourself realistic goals and take it one day at a time. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s, as everyone goes at a different pace. When you are having a bad day, just remember why you started!

Hungry Healthy Happy by Dannii Martin, photography by Jacqui Melville is out now! Published by Jacqui Small (£20). More information on the book can be found here.

Check out Dannii’s fantastic blog Hungry Healthy Happy www.hungryhealthyhappy.com. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.