Welcome to the Veggie Crush Blog

By Monika – Founder of the only crush you need

Hi! I'm Monika, founder of Veggie Crush - the only crush you need - and I'm super excited to share with you the very first (of hopefully many!) interesting and helpful blog posts. Since it’s our first entry, I wanted to start with something more personal and share a story that I hope will give you whatever you need - whether it's a bit of hope, motivation, or just an interesting insight into something real and important.

🌱 Why Mental Health Matters to Us

In May, we’re focusing on mental health awareness as our main theme. It’s such an important topic, and a lot of what we do as a company aims to help people feel better - and that very much includes your mental health. We want you to be happy, healthy, and your best self.

Life is not easy for anyone, though. And hopefully, by sharing my story - we get to connect on a level way beyond meal prep. So please hear me out.

💔 The Hardest Time of My Life

At the end of 2023, I went through the worst time of my life.

I’ve faced many challenges before, but what happened in 2023 was so unexpected that it felt like the world had fallen on my shoulders. I started experiencing strong pain that I couldn’t explain, and after a few days and a visit to A&E, I was told I needed an emergency lung surgery.

The documents said they suspected a lung tumour, and whatever was in my lung was large and pressing on other organs. I knew the surgery would be invasive and painful, with a recovery time of a year - if I made it.

This isn’t just a story about surgery - it’s about how this event triggered an avalanche of challenges I had to face as a single mum and a business owner. I had bills to pay and people relying on me, but I had to be strong, physically and mentally, even though I was in constant pain and worrying.

The surgery, although it went well, was far more invasive than we planned. And let me tell you - they only tell you after that it's one of the most painful surgeries you can go through.

🧍‍♀️ Trying to Stay Strong

I’ve always been someone who picks herself up and powers through, no matter what. But this time, I couldn’t speed up the recovery. I couldn’t move my arm for a month. Walking, breathing, sleeping - even basic activities were almost impossible. The exhaustion was 10 times worse than COVID.

Seeing how painful my recovery was, and after consulting with doctors who said I wouldn’t be fit for work for a long time, I made the difficult decision with my solicitors to close the Veggie Crush store - before we started accumulating debt.

That decision, combined with personal heartbreaks and the effects of medication, led me to completely break down. Being on morphine for months affected my cognitive skills - I couldn’t read or write. I lost my appetite and lots of weight, and couldn't taste food for months either. And for someone working in the food industry, it was not easy.

Despite all that, I had to carry on as normal even though I felt like I’d lost everything I’d built and the problems were piling up.

🚨 The Red Flag Moment

I held it together – until I couldn’t.

The real red flag came when I was driving and felt completely detached. It felt like an out-of-body experience where you don’t really care what happens – whether you drive into a tree or not. That moment scared me because of course I wanted to live, but somehow my body and mind were failing me and were harder and harder to control and keep together.

That’s when, for the first time ever, I went to the doctor to talk about my mental health, and I was diagnosed with heavy depression and prescribed medication.

💊 Asking for Help Was a Turning Point

I had never taken this kind of medication before, but I knew there was nothing to lose and I needed help. And guess what - I was so grateful I asked for help. I felt better already after the first week.

Within a few weeks, I gained back control (somewhat) and was able to work again, even if just a little. It was the first step to figuring out what’s next.

There were a lot of signs pointing to walking away from the business - I mean, what could I do?

But it’s when I was so vulnerable and needed help myself that I saw the most how much we [Veggie Crush] can help others. So many people could benefit from a tailor-made meal prep service designed to support people with different health and lifestyle goals - including people recovering from surgeries just like me. I knew I could use my experience to be even more empathetic towards our mission and focus on service for others.

I didn’t give up, and I’m so, so glad I didn’t.

I gave myself a year to fully heal - mentally and physically. That’s why there were no big moves in 2024. I knew I had to do the work to get back to the right place.

I realised that asking for help is a strength - not a weakness. I was able to stop the medication and continue feeling good enough to face the challenges.

Now? I’m in a great place and look forward to the future. I’m grateful for everything - especially the hard parts.

💬 A Message for You

Everything really is temporary. The hard stuff, the messy seasons, the moments where you feel stuck - they do pass. What matters most is how we support ourselves through it.

My goal has always been simple: to help people feel good. Whether that’s through the food we make, the way we show up, or the stories we share. And if you're going through something right now, please remember - you don’t have to do it alone. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you're choosing to keep going. And that takes real strength.

And yes - don’t forget to eat your veggies. They're more powerful than you think.

Veggie Crush is here to support you - one meal, one step at a time.

What’s one thing your body or mind is asking for right now - and will you give it?

With so much love,

Monika 💚