DAILY TELEGRAPH
Of all the delicious food types in the world, model Elyse Knowles has only really craved two since being pregnant — carbs and old-fashioned bottled tomato sauce, the type you find at a typical Aussie barbecue.
Both were a lifesaver during her morning sickness.
“I live at the bakery. They know my name. A fresh loaf of sourdough or a Vegemite scroll got me through those early days,” Knowles says.
While at dinner, she was feasting on plain pasta with a generous squeeze of bottled tomato sauce.
“It reminded me of being a kid, when you would put tomato sauce on everything, but it was all I could stomach,” she says. “Also, I felt too sick to get off the couch to cook, so I would get Josh to make it for me.”
Last month Knowles, 27, announced she was expecting her first child with partner Josh Barker and is glowing now she is into her second trimester at just over four months.
The model says she has suffered the typical queasiness that characterises the early weeks but was “feeling much better and alive now.”
“It’s been challenging trying to hide the pregnancy. I definitely had a few work commitments where I would have to puke on the side without anyone knowing,” she laughs. “But I’m so grateful to have this bub in my belly.”
The pregnancy news has also brought joy to the Former Block couple’s family. “Even our grandparents are so thrilled. It’s given them something positive to look forward to and talk about. It’s been nice to give them a little bit of light in the day.”
A TYPICAL MENU IN A DAY WITH ELYSE KNOWLES
Breakfast: Sourdough (locally baked) with homemade pesto, avocado and scrambled eggs.
Morning Snacks: Two Good Yoghurt (the vanilla flavour is my favourite!) with some fresh blueberries, almonds and sunflower seeds. I love making things crunchy.
Lunch: A smoothie … or more bread haha
Afternoon Snack: Some crackers
Dinner: This meal differs every night as I love to cook. At the moment I’m loving roast potatoes with salmon and salad.
Now she’s feeling better, Knowles says her diet has returned to normal a little more. “I was feeling bad and so I couldn’t down vegetables, but now I’m able to focus again and really pick foods that fuel my body.”
Knowles is an advocate of shopping from and supporting local industry, and it’s why she’s partnered with Two Good Yoghurt which helps support Australian farmers. “I don’t work with anything I don’t believe in,” she says. “I’m all about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I always buy as much of my food as possible from local markets and farmers to try and give back.”
Knowles is also an environmental advocate and says she is proud of speaking up, even if in the past she has been told to keep her mouth shut. “I’ve definitely felt the pressure to not speak my mind or told to stop saying things but I’ve got to the point now where I think, if you don’t like me, don’t book me,” she says. “I’ve been in this industry since I was 10 and there were times I couldn’t have a voice, because I was one girl in a sea of 200 trying to book a job. But I’m proud to have a voice now.”
However, her biggest advice when it comes to leading a healthy life is not food related. It’s to get outside.
“Enjoy nature. Get some fresh air. I know that’s hard at the moment and there a lot of people who can’t do that, but even appreciating the birds flying past. Nature has cured me many a times,” she says. “It’s important to appreciate what we have in this country.”