ABUNDANCE ABUNDANCE ABUNDANCE
I'm a wholefood dude. While it seems the majority of the population gets their kick out of watching the Kardashians have meltdowns on repeat-- I get my high out of grocery shopping.
Nothing makes me feel happier than coming home to a fridge and pantry full of fresh, healthy, whole produce from farmers markets or even the local grocery store.
I'm a firm believer in that willpower will only get you so far when it comes to forming healthy eating habits... if you have shit food in the house, you're probably gonna eat it. I try (with that in mind) to really keep my kitchen full of the good stuff. To be honest, when junk food is placed in front of me, the temptation never arises anymore. Maybe in a hunger games deserted island situation I might waver... but all in all I choose food as fuel over satisfying tastebuds and ONLY tastebuds.
This post is nothing short of a disclaimer as well though-- my kitchen bench does NOT always look like this! Back in 2016 I made a video series about $50 a week survival on a healthy vegan diet, and I know what it's like to not be able to afford abundance that looks good in an instagram post. I get it. However one's trash is another's treasure. What some people value in fancy cars I value in organic produce. What some people see in wealth I see in health. And what some people want in material things I seek happiness from within. I CARE about what I put in my body, and haven't purchased new clothes in nearly 12 months.
So yes, I'm both a minimalist AND a health nut-- what I find to be a powerful combo where my body and wellbeing is concerned. What I'd like to share a lot of on this blog is how to develop the tools to live a sustainable, healthy, low cost, ethical and pleasurable lifestyle that isn't short of ANYTHING we want in life. A simple peek into my shopping basket is just the beginning!
This was a typical weekly haul-- a lot of the basics such as rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes... I already had stocked up at home. So if you're runnning low on those items you'll probably need to get some as they form the STAPLES of most of my meals-- where the fresh produce brings it all to life. Let's have a look shall we?
From left to right, top to bottom
1- Dried shiitake mushrooms I like to buy fresh mushrooms, however these last a lot longer and are much cheaper at either Asian Grocers or bulk shops. Soak them then boil, awesome in asian soups or for making the base of a veggie stock
2- Pad Thai Noodles ALWAYS prefer brown rice noodles or vermicelli, however I couldn't manage to find them ANYWHERE this day! So white rice noodles are fine in my diet, I just make sure to load up on fibre and nutrients from fresh veggies and legumes to eat with them
3- Veggie Stock I buy this from Woolworth's. It is oil and gluten free, however does contain yeast extract which I usually like to avoid as an ingredient. Fairly low on sodium if you don't overuse it, and it's really tasty as a base broth for noodle soups.
4- Canned Beans Analissa beans and Macro organic are packed in BPA free cans, and are easy to use for quick meals in under 10 minutes. Beans and legumes are such an amazing source of fibre, nutrients such as iron and protein, and are incredibly filling to bulk up plant based meals. I buy my tinned beans from Woolworth's ALWAYS as they are salt free, unlike Coles. Favourites are lentils, cannellini, kidney and black beans
5- Shallots Spring onions or shallots are such a ZING to add to foods. I use them Japanese style sliced thinly and sprinkled on pure buckwheat noodles with tamari and steamed veggies. Cheapest and freshest are from local markets.
6- Pasta Sauce I rarely use this as it is SO high in sodium, and I much prefer a homemade tomato sauce, but for quick meals I really love this spicy pepper one by Dolmio. It's cheap, and I combine it with pure passata (salt free) to dilute the salt content and create a less INTENSE flavour-- my tastebuds have adapted to subtle flavours through eating a whole plant based diet.
7- Sweet Potatoes SO cheap from a local market. I usually grab bagfuls of them for 99c per kilo. I love them whole roasted, steamed in a brown rice risotto, or steamed seasoned and then thrown into the over to make healthy fries. I've also recently created an AMAZING sweet potato breakfast pudding-- which I will share soon!
8- Blueberries Nothing beats fresh berries. Organic is best (as they spray the shit out of them), but these ones were HUGE and so tasty!
9- Fresh Fruit I won't list them all, you know what grapes and pears are, but my fruit 99% of the time comes from markets as it's cheaper and tastes so much better than anything from a supermarket. Melons, lemons and mangoes are ALWAYS a priority!
10- Tamari A great alternative to soy sauce. I don't reccommend the one pictured, but I love a good bottle of tamari. Basically a gluten free and lower sodium soy sauce.
11- Soy Milk
This isn't your average bottle of vitasoy. Soy milk from Asian grocers is thinner, sweeter and tastes like silken tofu as opposed to being rich and creamy. It's lower in fat and is really refreshing, but won't do much for recipes.
12- Frozen fruit A more cost effective way to get your antioxidant hit-- everyone can cram a bag of frozen berries into their weekly diet! Smoothies and baking come at me.
13- Enoki Mushrooms These aren't my favourite, but definitely are a fun addition to recipes! Cheapest are from the Asian store, don't pay five bucks for them at Woolworth's!
14- Chinese Broccoli My favourite green veggie.
15- Coconut Sugar The best sweetener in the world! Gives everything an amazing caramel flavour to desserts and is slightly salty so I use it to caramelise oven roasted carrots etc.
16- Avocados​ Do I need to explain this?
17- Fresh herbs I love coming home to a bunch of basil or parsley on the bench in a vase-- who needs flowers? You can't make pesto from flowers!!
18- Frozen veggies Freezer staples. Full of fibre and nutrition!
So that was my haul alongside a 6pack of coconut water (which I carried over one shoulder to the car) which forms the base for some amazing nutritious meals during the week! I hope you enjoy these food posts (whoever you are) and would love your feedback if you feel like connecting with me by leaving a comment. Also follow me on Instagram for daily updates! Talk soon! xx