Stocking up the Larder - Whole Food Haul

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm nearly 14 days into my recent clean eating-athon and there's no sign of me slowing down just yet. It must be the sunny weather and bright mornings which are helping me in having more of a pep to my step, a cheery disposition and the sheer willpower and commitment that is required when you opt to eat clean, consume only whole foods and vote to make all of your meals from scratch. I am freaking loving it! At the end of my first week, there was six pounds less of me. SIX whole pounds less of me!! I've never had results like that in my life. Just goes to show what you can achieve when you put your mind to something and get your junk off the couch.

I am consuming more fruits and veg then ever before easily surpassing the recommended daily amount of five per day. Easily. There are days when I've consumed close to 10, but when you are eating them with every meal, it's easy to do and now it feels normal. Its wonderful. I'm full of energy and the three o clock slump seems to be a thing of the past. I'm yawing less through out the day if not at all and my skin and nails are radiant and strong. In fact, I've never seen my nails in such good shape. Prior to this they had ridges, were weak and would break easily. Clean eating is the business and its been less than two weeks!

Clean eating also requires lots of preparation, research and a bit of moo-lah to start off with. There are many out there who will attest that living this lifestyle can be expensive and yes, some investment in some items is required. Coconut oil for example  (used instead of olive oil in cooking) can be pricey at up to £20 for a (rather large) jar, but if you shop around you might find a two for one deal like I did in Holland and Barrett . However, it lasts months and months so you ultimately you get alot of bang for your buck.

Back in January I did my first whole foods shop and now nearly seven months later I'm running low or completely out of some basic items, so a trip to the awesome 8th Day Veg on Oxford Road was a must earlier this week. Maybe it's a sign of old age, but whole foods and health shops really excite me these days. I love popping in to the likes of 8th Day Veg or Holland and Barrett and having a snoop, plus it's really difficult to just buy one item. My recent whole foods haul was of course, no different. I definitely spent less than my first initial shop, but tried (really tried) to limit myself to just buying the items I needed and not just lusted after!

This time round I spent about £22 and bought the following:
- Red Split Lentils - Used in soups and healthy curries, this mega bag will last me months!
- Wholewheat Pasta - Again, another mega bag for some pasta dishes and salads.
- Almond Milk - My smoothie staple, used instead of dairy and delish with porrige too!
- Milled Chia Seeds - Something I've been wanting to get my mits on for ages - added to smoothies
- Almond Butter - Mmmm, I love this stuff! Perfect with apple slices or on a ricecake
- Organic Jam - Contains zero preservatives. Zero!
- Organic Tomato Puree - To make those pasta dishes even more clean
- Organic Thai Curry Paste - More clean eating = more cooking = more experimenting in the kitchen
- Organic Herbs - Rosemary and Paprika. I used the Rosemary last night and it was the most fragrant I have ever smelled and tasted. The difference compared to regular / non-organic Rosemary blue my fragile clean mind!

£22 is quite alot to spend on such a small amount of products, but these items are to build my larder of clean ingredients. They are key in the foundation of many meals and so, go the distance and for me, are worth the investment. I'm hoping to share some of the clean snacks and meals I've been creating.

Do let me know in the comments if this would be something you would be interested in.