Where and when do I shop?
Well, as you can imagine, I am incredibly passionate about where my food comes from. I think we have put too much trust in to major corporations to feed us and have become so disconnected from where our food comes from, how it is grown and how it ends up on our plates.
Living in a busy city, I like to set aside Saturday mornings to do my weekly shop. This is my number 1 priority for the week, where I choose nourishing food for myself and my husband. If I am in London, I always make time to shop at my local farmers market.
This is where I buy most of my produce from. I know that all of my produce is seasonal, organic and fresh. I don’t trust big supermarkets to supply my food as most conventional fruit and vegetables have been sprayed with chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides and fungicides which kill off key nutrients. I also like to support local farmers that grow organic produce and raise animals free range and organic. This way, I know I will be getting far more delicious and more importantly – nutritious food. The remaining produce is usually from my local organic bulk shop, Planet Organic or Whole Foods.
Where do I shop?
I purchase 80% of my produce from ‘Growing Communities Farmers Market’ whose mission is to provide affordable, sustainable products, services and decent livelihoods, rather than generate excessive profits for others. They champion ecological food and farming and aim to build a strong community to make fresh, seasonal and local food affordable to those in the community. I always ensure I bring cotton bags to store my produce so I am not using single use plastic.
Key staples
This changes every season. At the moment it consists on spring fruit and vegetables
- Mixed green salad bag: I add these to lunches. This usually consists of rocket, mustard leaves, lettuce & spinach.
- 2 bags of greens such as kale, spinach or chard: I chop these and add to a zip-lock bag and store in the freezer to be added to smoothies during the week.
- 1 small bag of mushrooms: I am obsessed with seasonal mushrooms by ‘The Mushroom table’. I usually buy Lion’s mane mushroom as this is great for energy, brain and nervous system health.
- 1 bunch of herbs: I usually buy cilantro, parsley, sage or thyme. I will add these to infusions, soups, salads or stews.
- Organic chicken breast: This is a great source of protein. I always buy chicken breast and boil, steam or add to stews. I buy from Galelio farm, which is a small organic farm in Warwickshire.
- 1 jar of kimchi: I am obsessed with fermented foods, especially the Kimchi by Pama Raw food. The cabbage is organic and the taste of this kimchi is to die for. Kimchi is great for gut health, mood, immune system and is delicious! I love to add to scrambled eggs, salads or with avocado on toast. My dog is obsessed with the Kimchi 😉
- Seasonal fruit or vegetables: At the moment I am patiently waiting for spring produce. I am buying cauliflower to make cauliflower pizza base, jerusalem artichokes, carrots and pears. As the seasons change, mother nature will bring me produce such as tomatoes, peppers and berries.
Cupboard/fridge staples
- Coconut oil and organic ghee: This is the only oil I will cook with as it does not change structure when being heated.
- Gluten free oats: When I am on the go, I love gluten free oats with almond milk, seeds and berries.
- Mixed nuts and seeds: I like to buy these from bulk shops as it is more affordable and can reduce waste from unnecessary plastic. I always have almonds, walnuts, pecans, chia and flaxseed stored in glass jars in my fridge for snacks and to add to porridge/smoothies/salads.
- Herbs & spices: I love adding these to all of my meals. Turmeric is an addition to eggs, curries, stews and lattes.
- Garlic and ginger: I add grated garlic and ginger to most things I cook. It’s full of antioxidants and adds an incredible taste to most dishes.
- Vivani 99% chocolate: I used to have a massive sweet tooth. Thankfully I have trained my taste buds to crave real, whole foods. I love the taste of dark chocolate with almond butter or dates.
- Almond butter: I add almond butter to crackers, sliced fruit, porridge or just eat it straight out of the jar!
- Coconut water: I always have bottles of coconut water to add to smoothies or to drink for extra hydration
