• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Real Meal Deal
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Eco Living
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Eco Living
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Eco Living
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    About

    Hi, my name is Claire, welcome to The Real Meal Deal, my sustainable recipe blog to help you on your Eco journey. Whether you're new to the concept of eating sustainably or this is something you've nailed, I'm confident you'll find many helpful tips and inspiring recipes.

    profile picture of Claire in her kitchen.

    About Me

    I'm a Home Cook, with a passion for the environment! I've got three teenage children and cooking tasty, nutritious family meals for my husband and kids is super important. As a Mum, I also want to cook and eat sustainably and make good food choices that minimise our environmental impact. I love creating great family meals and I'm keen to share with you just how easy and delicious it is to eat in an environmentally friendly way.

    logo for the real meal deal globe with fork to the left and knife to the right

    What You'll Find at The Real Meal Deal

    • Easy no-fuss family-friendly recipes.
    • Helpful tips on how to cook more sustainably.
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Tips and recipes to use up leftovers.
    • Recipes that use everyday ingredients.
    • Shortcuts!
    • Tips on reducing food waste.
    • Ways to easily reduce meat.
    • Budget Recipes
    • Ways to incorporate Fairtrade ingredients
    • A non-judgemental relaxed way of cooking.
    • Eco Living Tips beyond the kitchen.

    We're all at a different places when it comes to eating a sustainable diet. That's why you'll find Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes as well as Fish and some Meat recipes. I've also included Snacks (did I mention I have three teenagers).

    Eating in season is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and is often cheaper too so I've included an easy way to browse recipes by season

    • Spring Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Autumn
    • Winter Recipes

    Most of the recipes include easy adaptations for different diets as well as suggestions for substitutions, since using up what you have is a great way to reduce food waste.

    What is a Sustainable Diet?

    A sustainable diet simply means choosing foods that have the least impact on the planet and the lowest carbon footprint. For more detailed information on this, see my How to Eat and Cook Sustainably post.

    Around 30% of all the world's Greenhouse Gas Emissions come from food. Making changes to our eating habits is easy and can have a significant impact. Lots of small changes all add up.

     

    My Food Philosophy

    I love this quote by The Zero Waste Chef, Anne-Marie Bonneau. She says

    "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly"

    And that’s precisely where I’m at. Living life sustainably is a journey. The Real Meal Deal is all about trying to make that journey as easy as possible. When it comes to writing recipes, my approach is always ‘What’s simple but still tastes good?’ There are no weird ingredients, nothing you’ll buy, and only use once, and nothing that is in any way complicated. Just easy family-friendly stuff we can all manage in our busyness.

    A sustainable way of eating is not only good for the planet, it's good for our health too

    FAQ's about The Real Meal Deal

    Why have you included Meat Recipes on your site?

    People are in different places when it comes to sustainability. For some, moving away from Beef and Lamb which have the highest carbon footprints is a first step. Chicken and pork emit lower levels of greenhouse gases and are good alternatives. Many of the meat recipes are useful for using up leftovers. If food waste was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world so sharing handy recipes for minimising food waste can help.

    I don't have Organic or Fairtrade ingredients - can I still make the recipe?

    Yes of course! I like to highlight when an ingredient is available as organic or as Fairtrade so you can make a choice but everything can absolutely be made with non-organic and non-Fairtrade.

    I have an ingredient to use up - can you help?

    Yes, just click the search icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen and type in your ingredient. You'll then see a collection of recipes that all use your ingredient.

    Featured in

    Some of the publications my recipes and blogs have been featured in.

    logos of brands that have featured content by the real meal deal.

    Popular Recipes to get you started

    Why not get started with some of my most popular recipes?

    • buttered slices of fruit tea loaf
      Moist Fruit Tea Loaf (Fat Free)
    • creamy chicken leek and mushroom pasta in bowl topped with fresh parsley
      Creamy Chicken Leek and Mushroom Pasta
    • two bowls of garlic shrimp in tomato sauce topped with creme fraiche
      Spanish Garlic Prawns in Tomato Sauce
    • bowl of creamy salmon pasta with creme fraiche no cream topped with parsley and lemon zest
      Salmon Creme Fraiche Pasta

    Let's Connect

    You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube, or just drop me an email and I'd love to chat or answer any questions.

    Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, so I’m pleased you’re here. I hope you feel encouraged to make a difference and enjoy some good cooking too!

    Claire xxx

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Claire I want to inspire you to Eat and Live Sustainably. I love to cook and I've loads of easy recipes to help you on your way.

    More about me →

    New Recipes

    • roasted sweet poato and red pepper soup in bowl topped with parsley and chilli flakes.
      Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
    • bowl of bean chilli topped with soured cream
      5 Bean Chilli (Vegan)
    • granola flapjack bars on plates and wooden board.
      Easy Granola Flapjack Recipe
    • easy chicken mince tagine served with couscous
      Easy Chicken Mince Tagine
    • couscous in a bowl served with pomegranate seeds
      Fruity Moroccan Couscous Salad
    • banana flapjack squares on board
      Easy Banana Flapjacks (Oatmeal Bars)
    • baked haddock fillets on plate with lemon wedges.
      Simple Grilled Haddock Fillets
    • cheese biscuits served with chutney grapes and cheese.
      Easy Baked Cheesy Bites Recipe

    Budget Recipes

    • baked pasta dish on blue background
      50 Cheap Meals and Recipes for Students
    • vegan mixed bean hungarian goulash topped with fresh parsley
      Hungarian Vegetarian Bean Goulash
    • pork meatballs in tomato sauce served with spaghetti
      Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Pasta
    • creamy tomato and mascarpone risotto in bowl topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves
      Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto
    • Creamy sausage and vegetable pasta baked in oven and portion removed.
      Creamy Sausage and Vegetable Pasta Bake
    • baked tuna pasta topped with melted cheese
      Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake
    • Sweet potato chilli with soured cream and flatbreads and rice
      Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chilli
    • bolw of red lentil and mushroom bolognese served over parpadelle pasta
      Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

    Green Fair

    • gardeners hands holding a globe on black background
      Green Eco Sustainability Fair -A Guide
    • writing notes at a table with coffee in background
      How to organise a Green Eco Sustainability Fair

    Footer

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    certified carbon literate official logo certification

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 therealmealdeal.com

    therealmealdeal.com is a subsidiary of martincarterassociates

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. We NEVER sell your personal information.
    .
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT