Ginny of Swonderful on Eating Well, Living Well and Feeling Great

Ginny McMullen opened the gorgeous Swonderful boutique in September 2007. Stocked with beautiful clothing, including Ginny’s own designs, Swonderful is full of beautiful garments, as well as jewellery, prints, ceramics and lots of other goodies.

If you’re in Wellington, it’s a must visit. You can find Swonderful at 95 Victoria Street Wellington.

Here’s how Ginny aims to eat well.

What is a typical day’s eating for you?

I like to start the day with oats in some form- either home-made muesli or porridge with blueberries & agave and a coffee of course!

Lunch is usually leftovers; if there’s nothing leftover then beans on toast is fairly typical round these parts.

Dinner varies a lot, but lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with Quinoa pilaf- from the best recipe book ever- Veganomicon. It’s such an easy & delicious way to cook quinoa. Last nights pilaf had red onion,mushroom & cannellini beans & we served it with steamed broccoli &beetroot hummus.

I don’t tend to snack much but I will have a handful of almonds or a piece of my Mum’s homemade cake if it’s going!

What is your “food philosophy”?

Well I have a vegan diet & have done for 10 years. The main reason I became vegan was for animal rights reasons- basically I think it’s totally unnecessary to treat animals as commodities, but I also became vegan because I see it as healthy & sustainable. I make most of our families meals & try to avoid too much processed food. The processed foods we do eat I make sure to buy fortified- Soy milk with added B12 etc. I know being vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy but I try hard to be a good example, being healthy means a lot to me & I don’t just eat stuff because it’s vegan, my diet is based on fresh fruit & veges, whole grains, nuts & legumes.

What foods are your fridge and pantry staples?

Tofu, soy milk (or oat/ rice milk), beans, chickpeas, lentils, brown rice & fresh noodles. (& of course lots of fruit & veges) I saw some advice on a blog recently for someone new to veganism & it was to “find your chickpea” – what they meant was find your staple/ go-to ingredient. For the lass dishing out the advice it was chickpeas. Well, chickpeas are my go-to ingredient as well. It’s easy to base adish around them (curry, felafel, burger patties, salad, hummus…) and I don’t think I’ve met anyone yet who didn’t like chickpeas!

What is your favourite way to keep fit?

I’ll admit I’m no gym junkie- I basically just like to live an active lifestyle, walking where I can & not sitting on my bum too much. I have a 6 month old girl so I like to get out with her in her stroller on a sunny day. We are also lucky to live right on the town belt,having a walk in the bush is pretty energizing!

One healthy habit you never let slide?

I never skip meals- I couldn’t just have a bowl of cereal for dinner, I have to have a proper sit down meal with protein & vegetables. I also always eat at least one green thing a day.

Favourite healthy meal?

We’re loving fresh noodles in our house at the moment, especially with bok-choy, tofu & cashews.

Favourite food indulgence?

mmm probably chocolate, or cake… or cookies! That’s a toughie! Both my Mum & I like to bake a lot. We are both very into these chocolate & plum cookies made with plum jam at the moment.

Many girls/woman struggle with maintaining a healthy body image. What do you think important to having a healthy body image and learning to love who you are?

For me having a baby has really helped curb any issues I once had.

When you stop thinking of your body as your identity and start realizing how amazing it is for what it can do- like growing & feeding a baby! It’s pretty cool!

What are your top tips for coping with stress?

I find switching off really helps – having a day away from the computer and cell phones etc. Or taking a walk in the bush!

What are your key tips for staying healthy?

Don’t skip meals & eat proper meals (prepare things in advance if you are short on time).

Anything else that is important to you in living life and keeping well?

I strongly believe in positive visualisation & keeping an open mind. I try to remain flexible & open to possibilities in life while also always imagining the best outcome.