It’s been a while since I’ve put together a Healthy Haul post, not because I haven’t been making healthy purchases, more because we haven’t gotten together for a RMS shoot for some time. Finally we were all in the same place yesterday (at Charlotte’s to be precise, lots of ideas discussed, much coffee drunk). So here it is, the best of the last couple of months, including a cookbook I can’t say enough nice things about and the smoothies I’m verging on addicted to…

Happy Hippy, from £3.75 for 100g, Lush

On cold dark winter mornings when I need a little extra boost to get me out of the house this shower gel does the trick. It’s an uplifting blend of grapefruit, lots of grapefruit (pink grapefruit juice, grapefruit peel AND grapefruit essential oil) and bergamont oil, which is supposed to clear the mind of anxiety and boost mental clarity. It certainly makes me feel more awake, lathers well and the name makes me smile. Buying on repeat.
You can buy it here

The Food Doctor Apple & Walnut Wholesome Bar, 95p

I grabbed one of these at my local Tesco (where they’re 80p, but you can’t seem to buy them there online) when I was feeling low on energy after an early morning yoga class and still had to negotiate the tube before arriving at the office to start the working day. It’s full of natural stuff including dried apple, raisins, linseed, walnuts, papaya, amaranth and millet and is high on fibre but doesn’t contain wheat or refined sugar. Just the right amount of filling for those times when I need a snack as opposed to a whole meal (post exercise, mid-morning, mid-afternoon). It’s healthy but still yummy (although one online reviewer said it tasted like budgie food, which I’ve never tried so can’t confirm or deny) and more portable than, say a pot of hummous and some carrot sticks.
You can buy it here

Innocent Super Smoothies, £2.35, Waitrose

My busy schedule during January and February has left me feeling under the weather from time to time. Innocent’s new Super Smoothies have helped. Antioxidant is a zesty blend of kiwi, lime, wheatgrass and flaxseeds with vitamins C, E and selenium. Defence is a smooth mix of mango, pumpkin, echinacea and flax seeds with vitamins C, D and zinc. I can’t decided which I like best so I alternate. (There’s another one, Energise, that I haven’t tried yet). Do they work? I haven’t succumbed to a cold all winter, so yes, I reckon they do.
You can buy Antioxidant here and Defence here

A Modern Way To Eat, Anna Jones, £17, Amazon

This veggie cookbook has quickly become one of my fave cookbooks full stop (it was a birthday pressie, so I haven’t broken my resolution to cook from cookbooks I already own, as opposed to buying new ones). Everything I’ve cooked so far has been easy to do and the results have been nothing less than lick-the-plate delicious. Special shout out to the dhal with crispy sweet potatoes – a crowd pleaser for visiting friends, works equally well heated up in the microwave for a work lunch. Especially useful are the pages that take you through the process of making soups, salads and pestos, giving you options for every stage and so allowing you to get creative. For pesto, for example, start with a nut, add a herb, then some acid kick, followed by some oil, then finish with an accent/flavour. There’s a handy guide to what’s in season when, suggestions for how to cook those weird vegetables you haven’t a clue what to do with and a timed plan for making a veggie roast dinner. The styling and photography are scrummy, I basically want to own all the props. Looking forward to trying all the spring recipes shortly.
You can buy it here

Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Mat in Seaglass, £35, Amazon

I like practicing yoga on my own yoga mat. Other people’s feet? Ew! But carrying a rolled up yoga mat around London can be a bit of a pain, not to mention downright dangerous on a bike, even though I like that when I wear my mat bag cross body style I feel a bit like Katniss Everdeen. I spotted a couple of people in class last year with foldable mats in various colours, which they put over one of the studio mats, for extra padding. On closer inspection I spotted the Manduka frog symbol, liked what I read about them online and asked for one for Christmas. It’s lighter than your average mat, folds up small, is grippy so great for all those warrior type poses and, bonus, it’s earth-friendly too, being as it’s made from biodegradable rubber and is free from toxic chemicals and dyes. Oh and I like the colour (seaglass) a lot too.
You can buy it here

What healthy buys have you made lately? Anyone else own A Modern Way To Eat? What are your favourite recipes so far? What food and drink is getting you through the winter months? Do share below!