Wholesome, healthy eating- Woolworths #startswith

So for those of you not in the know, Woolworths SA currently has an online challenge called #startswith. The challenge is a seven week balanced living challenge on Facebook where each participant chooses their individual goals For the challenge, I chose my personal goals to be healthy eating as well as living a more consistently active lifestyle.

Even though 2017 has been a great year for me in terms implementing healthier changes to my life, I think a challenge or event like this really gives you the opportunity to set some new goals and also be encouraged by the wider community around you. Healthy eating for me always seemed synonymous with low calorie intake. But lately I’ve been realising that this is not necessarily the truth. Healthy eating is about wholesome, natural food that nourishes your body.  As said by Woolworths:

LIVING WELL STARTS WITH EATING WELL

So I have been really challenged this past month to include some healthy foods in my diet that I don’t usually eat. I’ve been really inspired by Max from Sugar Free Sundays (things are a bit busy right now for me to bake as I am in the process of relocating but soon I WILL bake some of her recipes!). She speaks a lot about balanced macros and getting a good dose of protein, fats and carbohydrates in per day. I really love how her approach is one of wellness and balance! Reading her posts on Instagram made me realize again that a healthy fat intake is really important. This is especially for satiety which can help prevent over eating.

Healthy eating means making changes

So I took a long look at my cupboards and fridge. Not enough fresh fruits and vegetables,

whole grains or protein. Protein is something I struggle with in meals because one doesn’t always know how to include it! I actually purchased some Whey Protein from Nutritech and have been included it in my oats with a dollop of nut butter. So previously where I just had oats (Although healthy, as it’s just carbohydrates I used to get so hungry!) now I have protein, fats and carbohydrates in my breakfast. And believe me, I stay fuller for so much longer which has eliminated mindless snacking.

I thought I’d make this post to show you some of my meals so far on this journey. I’ve also started eating quinoa after reading so much about it’s incredible benefits. You can read more here.  Quinoa is really delicious and there are so many yummy recipes available online to give you inspiration. Take a look at my Mexican quinoa bowl with red kidney beans. 

For my lunches I’ve tried to incorporate more salads with seeds, nuts and lean protein to ensure I’m getting in fats and protein in my lunches too. My motto is colour, colour colour! The brighter the plate, the better. I think before I often thought healthy eating meant having to spend lots of money, but actually that is not always the case. By eating good, filling meals I am also spending less on snacks as well as on-the-go purchases. There are good vegetable specials at all supermarkets, especially Checkers who sell lots of reduced veg daily (And it’s always perfect if you cook it within a day or two!)

Also now if I’m on the go and need to buy some food quickly, instead of munching on a high carb snack, I’ve started purchasing sushi from Spar. Salmon is very high in nutrients and the avocado gives you some healthy fats! At my Spar the lunch special is R39,99. 

Healthy eating means consistency

I think the one thing that has really been challenging me is changing the term “diet” to “lifestyle”. We only have one body and it needs to last us a long time! I’ve made a commitment to myself to stop these fad diets and start living a lifestyle that is healthy and consistent.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of the meals I’ve been eating in October. What ways have you made your lifestyle healthier? Let me know in the comments!

For those of you wanting to join the challenge, it’s not too late. You can go visit the challenge here

xx