Interview: The Mother Hen Speaks
This week I talked to Kathryn Hendry who is a mummy and lifestyle blogger from Belfast. You can find her blog at The Mother Hen. Kathryn tells the raw truth about being a mum to her three boys. I feel exhausted for her!
Kathryn is a regular on Instagram and is one of the most genuine bloggers out there. Kathryn recently had a lifestyle change in Autumn 2017 when she decided to become a vegan. I wanted to interview her and ask her how she does that with young kids and how difficult it is to be a vegan family in Belfast. Have a read and tell me what you think.
I really enjoy reading your blog, Kathryn. What can people expect from reading The Mother Hen?
That’s great to hear, thank you. What you can expect from reading The Mother Hen is my honest thoughts on my journey through parenthood, the good days and the tougher days (I’m outnumbered Mum of 3 boys) I also write about mental well-being/ self care which is incredibly important to me and my lifestyle.
I see you have recently decided to embark on eating vegan. How are you finding it and are your boys going vegan? Is it easy/difficult to find in restaurants and/or shops?
Since October 2017 I have been following a vegan lifestyle and I am absolutely loving it. It has reignited my love of cooking, I have been experimenting with new foods and flavours that I have never thought of trying before… it’s exciting! Finding vegan foods and restaurants has been surprisingly easy. There are alternatives for everything plus more and more shops and restaurants have vegan options now. Demand is high as more people are following a plant based diet. I found the PETA website a great resource they have tons of information on there, from accidentally vegan foods, best vegan cheese to vegan options at restaurants. My boys and husband are vegetarian however they enjoy various plant milks and vegan cheeses, our dinners in the evening are vegan friendly too.
Do you have any awesome vegan recipes that are family friendly?
Our family love this Lentil Spag Bol. It’s a favourite of ours. Our go to that everyone enjoys.
“My eldest boy has a packed lunch but a vegetarian option for him at school dinners is plain pasta and a sprinkle of cheese, and that simply is not good enough.”
28% of NI kids are obese, isn’t that shocking? What do you think is the main cause of this? Do you think the government should more to help families/schools or do we — as a population — have to take responsibility for our kid’s meal choices?
I didn’t know that statistic it’s very surprising! I think the government should do more. I think offering information from the weaning stage is vital. There is no information or support. A great way of doing this would be to offer out healthy, budget friendly recipes at the weaning stage or even a cooking class for Mums and Dads starting the weaning journey, then right from the start people are informed of healthy choices and they can also see the eating healthy doesn’t mean expensive, healthy choices are purse friendly. I also find the school dinner choices to be quite shocking my eldest boy has a packed lunch but a vegetarian option for him at school dinners is plain pasta and a sprinkle of cheese, and that simply is not good enough.
As a mum of 3 boys are you worried about this obesity rate? What will you do to make sure they don’t become that 28%?
I definitely would not want the statistic to get any higher and I think it’s important to act now. I will continue to make sure my boys are offered a healthy, balanced diet. To talk to them about food and especially my eldest I encourage him to read the traffic light system on packaging so he knows what’s he is eating. I explain to them that they can have treats and enjoy them but they have to eat healthy too it’s all about balance. I also think encouraging them to find a sport that they are passionate about is important too.
Thank you so much to Kathryn of The Mother Hen for agreeing to be interviewed. You can catch up with her on:
The Mother Hen blog with some lovely recipes too
