text: Every year I set a handful of New Year’s resolutions, many of which are rolled over from the previous year. One of these consistent resolutions is always to eat healthier and exercise more. 2017 is no different. This year, I’d like to make being healthy a priority. Being a food blogger takes a toll on my body (waistline), especially when it comes to alcohol and salt intake. I’ve gained a few pounds last year, my pants are getting snug and my coats have been clingy. For 2017, my goal is to get back to being comfortable in my own skin. Since I know I’ll still be eating out plenty, my focus will be on mindful eating because I have a tendency to snack when I’m bored, sad or happy.
  One way I’m planning on staying on track is to prep my meals ahead of time whenever I can. This will hopefully help me control my eating without being super time consuming. I’ve already started the habit last year and it’s been working well so far! With prep, one of the musts are big grocery hauls. Since I live in North York with limited access to a car, this can sometimes be a challenge. Grocery pricing in my neighbourhood is also ridiculous. It’s common for a single lemon to be priced at $1 or even higher. Walmart.ca‘s online Grocery PickUp service is a huge help, giving me access to their affordable prices, without needing to drive.
  Walmart.ca’s Grocery PickUp site was incredibly easy to use with a great search functionality. I placed my order at 10pm and was able to schedule to pick-up the order after work the next day. There are currently 4 PickUp locations around the city from Harbourfront to Yonge and Eglinton and three condos that will receive direct deliveries. The PickUp service had a great selection of grocery products, everything I needed from fresh vegetables to ground beef, and both national brands like Boursin and Walmart’s Great Value line of products. I loved that there were also organic and lactose free products! I was able to get lactose free sour cream for The Hubby.
  Prices online matched their in-store pricing and Walmart.ca even offers price matching with their competitors. Regular and sale prices were clearly marked on the website, with the final price on the emailed receipt. I would love to see how much I saved as well. When I arrived at the pick-up location, my groceries were packed in shopping bags making them easy to carry home and kept fresh in a refrigerator. Orders do need to reach a $50 minimum to qualify for pick up and there is a $3 pick-up fee, or $10 direct to condo.
  A quick and easy recipe that’s part of my meal prep rotation is taco salad. Swapping out the taco shell for a bed of leafy greens and limiting the fattier toppings makes this a delicious and vegetable filled dish. Also, depending on what you have in your fridge, it’s easy to customize your salad and add a bit of variety through the week. My go to toppings are avocado, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onions and salsa. Optional toppings include sour cream and cheese, but that depends on what other meals I have planned that day.
  Tip: If you’re packing this for lunch, pack the ground beef, onions and cilantro is one microwaveable container and heat up all together. This cooks the onions and cilantro in the juices of the ground beef and adds a level of flavour.
  I also like making my own taco seasoning, which gives me the ability to control the amount salt in it and increase the spice. You can also make a big batch of seasoning and save in an airtight jar for later. The recipe I use is:
  - 1 tbsp chili powder
  - 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  - 1/4 tsp onion powder
  - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  - 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  - 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  - 1 tsp salt
  - 1 tsp black pepper
  I’m starting 2017 motivated and inspired, hopefully this lasts past February (*fingers crossed*).
  This post is sponsored by Walmart Canada as part of the Walmart Grocery PickUp program. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.