I couldn’t cook so my waistline paid the price

HANNAH BRUNNOCK, 22, a medical student from Newport, South Wales, bought the first Pinch of Nom book last spring after joining a national slimming club where fellow dieters raved about the recipes. It meant she swapped a typical student diet of takeaways and pizza for healthy meals cooked from scratch. She says:

SITTING down with my parents, watching them tuck into a meal I’ve just cooked for them myself gives me a real sense of pride. My mum’s ms a brilliant home cook, and sets the bar really high — to hear r her praise what I’ve made ade feels great.

I left for university y five years ago, able to cook just one dish: spaghetti bolognese. And I rarely even attempted that. Instead, like so many y students, I lived off ff takeaways and pizzas — on the rare occasion I did cook for myself it was always rice or pasta with sauce ce from a jar. Unsurprisingly, my waistline i tli paid id the price.

Last year I got fed up with being overweight, having gained more than 4 st, and joined a slimming club.

Someone there suggested I join the Pinch Of Nom Facebook group for some easy-to-follow recipes. I didn’t look back. People posted pictures of how the recipes had turned out for them — the food looked brilliant and I felt inspired.

I bought the book in May; the first recipe I tried was breakfast apple and cinnamon pancakes and I was delighted with how they turned out.

I took pictures and showed them to everyone, even posting them online — the feedback was so positive. That inspired me, and I still go back to that recipe when I want something that feels a bit special for breakfast.

Another winner has been Diet Cola Chicken. I make that, and also Creamy Garlic Chicken, for friends.

I never used to have the confidence to cook for other people — the idea of the food I made being judged always put me off. But now I love getting friends over or cooking for my family: I can’t wait to hear what they think of my latest creation.

Pinch Of Nom has opened up a whole new world for me: cooking has become a talking point now, and I don’t feel like I’m on a diet because I’m eating the same as everyone else.

The weight has dropped off, and I’ve gained a new skill — and thanks to the Pinch Of Nom Facebook group I also feel part of a community of people who love to cook as much as I now do.