Ella Mills talks to Psychologies about rejecting perfection, embracing realism, and why she’s on a mission to make wellness relatable, accessible, and affordable for all
Ella Mills – who created the Deliciously Ella plant-based food empire – gets why the stranger aspects of wellness tend to hit the headlines. ‘I completely understand that – I really do,’ says Mills, 32. ‘What’s interesting to talk about tends to be slightly weirder, wackier, or more out there – it’s fascinating.’
And, yet, she also appreciates that these wild stories don’t give wellness the best name – and that taking care of yourself doesn’t have to involve spending hundreds of pounds a month.
‘A lot of the conversation around wellness is focused on the niche; on the things that feel wildly out of reach, for all sorts of reasons – the financial impact, but also the practical implications of getting up at 3am every day and doing four hours of wellness before you sit at a desk or start a shift. That doesn’t feel relatable in any shape or form,’ says Mills.
Meanwhile, the simpler ways to take care of yourself aren’t quite as widely covered – and Mills realises that it’s harder for ‘a carrot, a lentil, or a chickpea’ to hit the headlines. But whether it’s eating one extra portion of veg a day or trying meat-free Mondays, it’s unbelievable the impact small changes can have, she believes.
Mills also advocates a move away from the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset that seems to permeate the wellness industry. ‘It’s okay to go out and have pizza and a beer, and then the next day to batch cook a lentil bolognese for the week, or to just take your beef bolognese that you’ve made forever and do half lentils, upping the fibre and reducing the environmental impact,’ she adds. ‘It’s not going to have to mean eating kale from here on in. I think that’s too much of our association, and we need to shift that.’
While meat substitutes and vegan cheeses don’t necessarily come cheap, the base elements elements of a plant-based diet can be significantly better for your bank balance: ‘Because, obviously, if you’re replacing your animal protein with something such as a lentil, that lentil is a lot cheaper.’
It’s been nine years since Mills exploded onto the public stage with her debut cookbook, Deliciously Ella (Hodder & Stoughton, £22), becoming the poster child for plant-based eating – and going on to become a bonafide brand, launching food products and restaurants.
And things have changed a lot since 2015, says Mills: ‘Now, we’re gently starting to shed some
