LUCY Watson has been whipping up a storm in the kitchen since quitting Made in Chelsea and slammed any notion of "diets" and "starving herself" as she launched her vegan cook book.
The West Londoner used to be a vegetarian, yet switched her eating patterns to completely steer clear of any animal-based products - including eggs and dairy - two years ago.
Yet for the 26-year-old, her dinner choices hinge on a passion to protect animals, not cut calories.
Since leaving the E4 show the self-confessed foodie has spent the bulk of time in her kitchen creating everything from Oreo Freakshakes and Chocolate Fudge Cake to picture-perfect Buddha bowls and a chunky Ultimate cheeseburger.
And Lucy insists she's not missing out when it comes to her favourite carb-filled pasta treats and huge desserts.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online as she launched Feed Me Vegan, she revealed: "I'm a big foodie - I've never been one that's ever done diets.
"Food is - you live once, you want to eat good food, you want to eat food you enjoy.
"You don't want to be starving yourself or restricting yourself."
She added: "When I went vegan I was doing such a positive thing for animals and anything else, I wasn't having to make any sacrifices.
"You can literally have anything you want, really."
Attempting to prove her point, the pretty brunette insisted eggs could be substituted with anything from bananas to vegetable oil - with the replacements still creating a stonking Chocolate Fudge Cake.
With Feed Me Vegan dedicating chapters to sweet brunch plates and stunning desserts, Lucy told us her former co-star and boyfriend James Dunmore enjoyed plentiful taste tests.
The loved-up pair recently moved into a new home together near Wimbledon.
And while James isn't vegan or vegetarian, Lucy gushed he was "supportive" of her lifestyle choice.
Lucy told us: "He's really respectful.
"When he's with me, he wouldn't want to eat too much meat.
"Yet when I've been baking, he's like 'can you just stop' because I will be cooking full on cakes and stuff and saying 'eat some' and he says 'no, I can't, stop'.
"So I have to eat it all on my own. It's pretty good."
Meanwhile, she may have more mouths to feed if she sees her "dream" of opening a vegan cafe a reality.
She told us: "Yes, it's definitely something I've thought about and it's a goal of mine to be able to do that.
"It would make sense for sure. There's not really that many places in London."
And the screen star, who was a MIC stalwart for four years, also teased a return to TV in the future.
The fashion and jewellery designer added: "I always get people saying why aren't you on the show, why aren't you coming back and who knows, I might be on TV again in the future.
"We will see. Who knows what will happen."
This cake is so incredible that I really can’t tell if it’s vegan or not. It tastes exactly the same as a non-vegan one! Having experimented with vegan baking, and knowing how cruel the farming industries can be, I now don’t understand why people bother using eggs in recipes at all. They are completely unnecessary. If you love chocolate cake as much as I do (i.e. a lot) then this recipe will not disappoint.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6), and grease and line two 20cm round loose-based cake tins with greaseproof paper.
Stir in both the sugars and the cocoa. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it just comes to a simmer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, vinegar and oil. Mix well.
Divide the cake batter between the prepared tins.
Put the tins on a baking sheet and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If there is cake mix on the skewer, return the cakes to the oven for 5 minutes more. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and put on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the fudge icing, melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat.
Put the butter in a bowl and add the icing sugar and salt. Cream them together using an electric whisk. Pour in the chocolate while it is still warm so that it combines well into the icing. Flip one cake over onto a serving plate so that you have a flat surface. Working quickly, spread one-third of the icing onto the cake. Top with the second cake and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.
If you leave it too long the chocolate will set and it will be harder for you to spread the icing.
Decorate with some fresh strawberries and a drizzling of melted vegan chocolate.
This cake is lovely and moist, so it will last for four or five days in the fridge.
Feed Me Vegan by Lucy Watson is published by Sphere, £16.99.