Keeping My Healthy Promises

Disclosure: I received a box of Wholesome Pantry snacks from ShopRite to facilitate this post. I received no other compensation and the opinions contained herein are my own and reflect my experience with the products. Your own may differ.

I don’t like to say I make New Year’s resolutions. Rather, I prefer to call them promises to myself. It’s been about a month and so far, so good. That’s why I feel like it’s a good time to share how I approach “resolutions” and share how I am doing on my top two promises for a healthier me.

Promise #1: Be More Consistent With Exercise

Since January I’ve stepped up working out. I went from consistent to occasional to non-existent back to occassional over the course of the past few years. I wasn’t happy about that. So at the start of this year, I dug deep, found my motivation, and have gotten more consistent with exercise. It feels good and it’s truly becoming (once again) a part of my routine.

I find I do better when a goal is a bit looser. In order for me to stick with something, I need it to be a flexible challenge. If I had said “workout 5 times a week”, chances are as soon as I missed a few days I would lose motivation. You know what, some weeks I only exercise three times, other weeks it’s more. Because of the promise’s built-in flexibility, I’m not as hard on myself if I just don’t get it in one day.

Promise #2: Go For Healthier Snacks

At the end of last year, I was starting to slide into some old snacking habits. My body was feeling it. Yuk! Listen I’m not going to deny myself a snack, but I know I can do better. It’s part just stocking up on better, healthier options and being better about portion control when it’s something more indulgent.

This is where Wholesome Pantry comes in. At the end of 2016, ShopRite launched an in-house line called Wholesome Pantry. Wholesome Pantry items are free from 110 preservatives, additives, or colors and they have a bunch of USDA-certified organic goods too. You can learn more about it on their website: https://www.shoprite.com/wholesomepantry/.

Every Sunday afternoon Renato and I do “Martini and A Movie.” He’s the one having the martini; I’m just along for the snack and the movie which is usually something obscure, influential, and foreign. So, maybe I’m really there more for the snack. Anyway … This Sunday we tried the Wholesome Pantry Organic Crushed Pepper and Truffle Oil Popcorn. Popcorn can be a good snack choice as long as it’s not slathered in oil or too much fat. In this case, it’s just 120 calories for 3 cups, which is a decent serving. And I mean, you have to have a little popcorn when you watch a movie! It wasn’t very truffley, but I loved the pepperiness.

The Wholesome Pantry Organic Energy Mix has been super handy for winter hikes. A couple of handfuls when we take a break halfway through has been just right. It’s a nice mix of sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, and dried apples. I definitely plan to bring some along this weekend as we hit a few coastal nature trails on a hunt to see a Snowy Owl.

And, I have been putting the Wholesome Pantry Organic Pecan Halves on my post-workout yogurt all month. It’s a nice dose of healthy fats and protein, perfect after a good sweat. It’s exactly what I need to keep me full until lunch. Speaking of a good post-workout snack, I used the pecans and the Wholesome Pantry Almond Butter in homemade energy bars. (Recipe coming to the blog soon!)

Reasonably priced product lines like Wholesome Pantry make stocking up on healthier snacks easy. I find that I won’t crave unhealthy snacks like chips if they aren’t around. Out of sight, out of mind right?

I know that I am only one month in, but so far I’m doing pretty well in keeping my healthy New Year’s promises. How are you doin’ with your resolutions/goals/promises?

Photos by Renato Ghio