Recently, Holland and Barrett challenged me to take on their health and well-being challenge. I found myself in a moment of panic, picturing myself eating rabbit food and salad in place of my usual home-cooked comfort food and meals-out at restaurants. Just how would I cope?!
However, I was feeling rather adventurous and determined (and, let’s face it, I do need to shift a few pounds stones!), so I decided to accept the challenge.
At this time of year, lots of people are striving to improve health and fitness by switching certain foods for healthy alternatives. With this in mind, Holland and Barrett have hired nutritionist, Nichola Whitehead to create a meal plan incorporating whole food products from Holland and Barrett.
The goal of the plan is not to lose weight, but to ‘feel’ healthier on the inside. Whole foods have a range of benefits in comparison to processed or refined foods and there’s a considerable amount of evidence to suggest that they can improve the way we feel – you are what you eat and all that!
The plan involves eating whole foods like manuka honey, coconut oil, cacao powder, linseeds, chia seeds, oats, quinoa chips, goji berries, dark chocolate drops, cashew nuts, bran crisp breads, no-dairy desserts, rice cakes, Oatly milk and green tea to create nutritionally balanced breakfasts, lunches and dinners, in addition to morning and mid-afternoon snacks.
So, I began Holland and Barrett’s 7-day meal plan today and I’ll be following it over the next week. When I’ve finished, I’ll update you on how it went, provide you with details about the foods I ate and the recipes I tried and suggest ways to incorporate healthy alternatives into your diet.
Wish me luck!
Good luck with your weeks plans, I use a lot of these products on a regular basis since trying to eat a vegan diet and I feel so much better because of it. There are so many fantastic dairy free alternatives too x
Those quinoa chips are amazing.
Also, make sure you make a chocolate dessert with the chia seeds – it’s amazing.
One shop I never go in is Holland & Barrett I think it is because it is the unknown, so I will be watching for your follow up post to see how well it went
Good luck with your plans! Sounds like a great challenge
Good luck on your weeks adventure (sounds better than challenge haha) look forward to seeing how you do 🙂 x
oh wow good luck I look forward to hear about all the things you make and how it goes
Thank you Emma. I shall look forward to sharing my thoughts (and weight loss progress) with everyone 😀
This sounds like a great challenge – good luck!
Thanks Heidi 🙂
I’m looking forward to seeing what you made of the plan. I’m trying to make some changes myself.
Yes, I’m getting along okay with it but some things are definitely easier to eat than others, haha. I will look forward to writing the update next week 😀
Wow! Good luck, I look forward to reading about how you get on.
Thank you.
What a fab idea for a challenge, can’t wait to see how you get on x
Thanks 🙂 It’s nice to be doing something a little different to my usual restaurant reviews.
Good luck, It looks like some great healthy foods in there.
Thanks Vicky. I was sent a lot of products!
Good luck with your challenge I hope it gets better and makes you feel good! Fingers crossed!
Thanks Ana, I will look forward to writing my update next week 🙂
Good luck! I would love to take on a challenge like this as its no different than the way I eat now anyway! I’ve got nearly all these ingredients in my pantry! It’s not hard – honestly. Good luck 🙂
Aww, well done you! I must admit, my diet is pretty unhealthy most of the time. This challenge is really helping me to think differently about food though.
My mum loves Holland and Barett. She goes in almost every week.
I don’t go in much, but I am enjoying this meal plan so maybe I will end up going there more in future!
Ooh I am looking forward to seeing how you get on with this, I love the sound of the Quinoa chips x
Thanks Rachel. I haven’t eaten them yet but I’m keen to try those!
All the best for your 7-day meal plan challenge. Almost every item on the list of whole foods are my favourite food items. Cheering you on! Would love to find out what you cooked and the outcome of the challenge. 🙂
Thanks Daphne! I’ll be writing a post next week about how I got in, and will also be featuring some of the recipes on my blog 🙂
Good luck with this, I really need to do something like this but im not sure whether I would be able to stick with it so im looking forward to see how you find it
Thank you! It’s been hard, I’ve had a few restaurant reviews pop up this week so I hold my hands up and say I haven’t been able to follow the plan 100%, but I’ve been good enough besides that 🙂
Good luck with the challenge, looking forward to hearing how you get on with it 🙂 x
Thanks hun x
You will survive it! Great challenge and products you got!
Thanks Jessica 😀
I need to lose a stone and a half, but I really love the idea of trying to feel healthy inside, not just lose weight
Ooh there are some interesting looking products in your photo – I’ll look forward to hearing how you get on!
Good luck with this! I’ve got the chia seeds myself and I need to get the cacao powder
Thanks Nicol, the chia seed pudding is definitely worth a try!