Healthy Food in New Zealand
Last month I left for New Zealand weighing 169 pounds and I came back at the same weight. That’s a great accomplishment for 3 weeks of travel! I found it easy to stick with the essentials of the Sonoma Diet Online in New Zealand. While arranging our trip, I looked for B & B’s that mentioned fresh produce as part of their breakfast (most did). Some even mentioned smoked salmon or whitebait fish for breakfast (I liked that too). I also knew that we would stay a week in a beautiful house where we would cook our own meals which would give me the oppotunity to cook Sonoma Diet style.
My expectations were met and exceeded. The first meal we had in New Zealand was at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the water. It was lunch and we wanted New Zealand green mussels. First, they don’t put white bread baskets on the table – yea! Second, they serve delicious fresh food in right sized proportions. The mussels were perfect, a great start to eating wonderful food in moderation in New Zealand. For breakfast the next morning at the B & B, I noticed that the 3 cereals offered were healthy choices. None of this sugar coated stuff like in the US. We tried the Weetabix – New Zealand’s most popular cereal – along with fresh fruit.
While driving through the country we of course noted the miles and miles of grazing sheep and cattle. Another great thing about the meat in New Zealand – it is all free range because they have so much grazing land! Likewise with the poultry, the chickens are also free range. Everyone in New Zealand lives pretty close to water and seafood is also a major component of their food. We enjoyed scallops, fish, mussels, oysters, crayfish (spiny lobster), and paua (abalone). All local and prepared in a variety of delicious ways. Fish and chips is a popular menu item, so not everything was Sonoma Diet compatable, but there was plenty of healthful food to satisfy me.
Just as much of the meat is free range, so also is much of the produce organic. While in Blenheim, we were able to shop at the Sunday Farmer’s Market. It was marvelous! The fruits were similar to what you would expect in summer in the US, strawberries, blueberries, plums, apples, and more. The vegetables were also great – green beans, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and more. All was of a very high quality. We also picked up hazelnuts, and local cheeses, and bacon that seemed more like what we would refer to as Canadian bacon.
A part of the Sonoma Diet that I really enjoy is a glass of wine with dinner. Well, New Zealand has the perfect climate for wine and lots to choose from. We spent a day in the wine country and visited several wineries stocking up for our week on Arapawa Island where there are no stores. New Zealand is most famous for white wines especially sauvignon blanc, and along with chardonney, and riseling. We picked up some great wines to go with our many seafood dinners. We also found some wonderful pinot noirs.
This blog is about healthy food but I also have to mention that the people of New Zealand have to be the friendliest and most helpful people of the world. Always willing to help you find your way. And of course the country is beautiful – Have you seen Lord of the Rings? – this is the place! Outdoor activities are fantastic, we enjoyed some of the best scuba diving in the world. There is also unlimited options for tramping (hiking) as well as adventurous activities such as bungie jumping.
We had a perfect 3 weeks and are looking forward to an opportunity to return to New Zealand for another visit.