My #BantingBrunch with Wellness Warehouse

Before you go… Oh but I don’t bant, so this post is definitely not for me… Don’t run away!  I’m definitely not going to be telling you to give up carbs, especially with all the winter comfort foods I’m planning on indulging in over the next few months. 😉

This post may be about banting friendly products & ideas, but to me it’s actually more about great quality produce that’s good for you & does no harm – something I think we should all be paying more attention to when doing our weekly grocery shop.

So let’s get down to it…

The lovely folks at Wellness Warehouse recently invited me to a little Banting Brunch session where we learnt about some banting basics, but also how to look out for products like dairy, meat & eggs that stand out from a nutritional perspective.  Because really, with banting, it’s not just about eating high fat and lots of meat, right.  It’s also about selecting the best high fat and meat products for your body.  You don’t just want to be feeding your body with stuff that’s been loaded with preservatives and other unnatural things.  And the same goes with eating in general really.

On the cards for the morning was a delicious banting spread prepared by Chef Neill Anthony.  He spoke to us about the importance of choosing good quality, fresh & clean produce, something which forms the basis of his cooking style.

Btw – have you guys checked out his new show on SABC3?   Check it out every Sunday at 16:30.  You’ll also find some really nice recipes from the show on his website over here.

We also learnt about “bulletproofing” your coffee for sustained energy.  I must say, this wasn’t for me because firstly I’m not a huge coffee drinker, and secondly I normally take (and hangs head in shame) two sugars in my coffee, so taste wise this was a bit too intense for me.  But the theory behind it is certainly interesting:

The team from Lancewood spoke to us about the benefits of going full cream when it comes to your dairy intake.  These are all good fats that your body actually needs to function optimally, but of course everything in moderation right.  So don’t be digging into an extra large tub of cream cheese in one sitting.  Just don’t be afraid of the “full cream” label.  It’s gotten a bit of a bad rap over the last few years.

Also, just as a shopping tip – if you’ve been battling to find their crème fraîche on the shelves, it’s because new legislation has forced them to change the name to “culture cream”.  So if you spot that, just know that it’s the same product – they just can’t use the term crème fraîche anymore.

Angus McIntosh aka Farmer Angus – a firm believer & promoter of BioDynamic agricultural principles and practices in raising cattle, laying hens, vegetables and vines – spoke to us about his farming methodology.  On their farm just outside Stellenbosch, they follow the principle of a lot of animals in a small space for a short period of time.   This deposits large amounts of manure & urine on the land which leads to healthy, strong growth – something which is achieved without having to apply any artificial fertilizer.  They move their cattle twice a day and their laying hens are accommodated in specially designed “Eggmobiles” – a kind of mobile hen house.  Sounds really cool, doesn’t it?

Farmer Angus beef & eggs can be purchased from Wellness Warehouse (in Kloof St & the Waterfront) as well as a few other select retailers.  They also have a listing of all the restaurants that use their produce over here.

Well after all that educational stuff, we were certainly ready to dig in.  And what a feast it was:

Oh and as if that wasn’t enough, just check out my bag of Farmer Angus meat I got to take home:

I must admit that I usually don’t pay much attention when buying my goodies for home.  But from now on I think I’ll be keeping a much closer eye on things.

I definitely want to ensure that I’m not feeding my body with anything that’s going to be causing any long-term damage, because I plan on being that granny still causing major trouble in the old age home some day…

xxx