Embracing a healthier lifestyle and habits in Holland…

One of the main aspects of moving to the Netherlands and making a fresh start, as well as a different experience, was to change some of my lifestyle habits. In fact, I was actually looking forward to embracing a healthier lifestyle and habits in Holland!

Ok, I’ve always enjoyed cooking. And I like to eat well. I almost always cook from scratch and like to try out new recipes. However, I also like to eat out, drink wine and often skip the gym, or most physical activity! So, with this next move, I saw it as a fresh start and an opportunity to kick some of my unhealthy habits into touch!

I also felt that it would be easier to adapt to a healthier way of living here than it had been in other places I had lived. For one thing, I didn’t have a car to rely on anymore. And, if there’s ever a day I chickened out from cycling to work because the weather was particularly bad, or I was feeling lazy (ok, there may have been a couple of these days already!) I still had to walk to the tram or bus stop. So, at least I was still getting some steps in!

But, despite one or two I’ll take the tram instead this morning mornings, having invested in a bike, I felt I was pretty much halfway there to achieving a new, healthier me. Plus, I also felt I would be financially better off saving on travel expenses, minus the odd puncture! And, once I’d got the hang of cycling again after several years since riding a bike, I’ve fully embraced this newfound mode of transport. Even cycling to other nearby cities and towns at the weekend. However, saying that, although I’m keen to explore my new surroundings, I’ve also quickly discovered that a bit more practice and experience is required. As some of those slightly longer journeys have almost finished me off!

But, as the weeks have progressed, cycling to and from work is going rather well. There are a few routes I could take. I opted for the quieter, less busy route! And as time has gone on, I’ve found that I’m becoming more confident and getting into work ever so slightly earlier as I’m getting a tad faster with it. Even overtaking on occasion! Remembering to be mindful of the tram lines when cycling adjacent to them too!

So, safe to say, I was rather enjoying my free, healthier, keeping me fit mode of transport. I just needed to keep working on my stamina for those cycling weekends. Who knows, I might even make it around the whole island on my next visit to Texel!

Back home and in Spain, I used the car or got the bus more often than not. Purely because it was more convenient or just necessary. This meant that I wasn’t really getting my steps in, if at all, if I’m entirely honest! On a good day, embarrassingly to admit, I probably averaged about 4,500. So, this was something I was keen to rectify!

But here, living in a busy city with most things on my doorstep I’m finding that with ‘just nipping to Albert Heijn’ or ‘meeting a friend for coffee’, it’s more convenient to walk if not taking the bike than waiting for a tram. I’ve even walked to work on occasion when I’ve had a puncture and didn’t have time to sort it out before the next morning. I quite like those mornings if I’m honest. Especially on a nice day. It’s quite a scenic walk, the air is fresh and cool, and I can clock up almost 6,000 steps by 8:30 am! Then there is generally walking around the school building itself during the day. So generally, I’m finding that on average, I’m clocking up 11,000 steps daily besides the cycling. A far cry from the 4,500 steps before moving here. That’s gotta be good, right?

Those who know me know that I’ve always been fond of cooking. And, I always like to do things from scratch with plenty of good, healthy ingredients. Which I’ve found quite easy to continue in the Netherlands. And, as new recipes go, I’ve found that I’m quite partial to the Dutch Stamppot, which consists of mashed potato and kale mixed together, traditionally served with a sausage. However, instead of sausage, I prefer mine served with an egg on top. But, it’s a quick, easy and tasty dish to do for when you get home on a cold, dark wintery night.

And in the summer, I often have a pre-made yoghurt or overnight oats with lots of fruits and seeds in the fridge. So easy to make and so convenient. And so versatile! It can be made in so many different ways with lots of different fruits. One of my favourites is stewed cherries and flaked almonds. The healthier alternative to a bakewell tart, I guess!

But my all-time favourite is always a stir fry with a mix of lots of different vegetables, chicken or fish, or sometimes with no meat. And with my own homemade sauce. Usually consisting of plenty of garlic and tomatoes, among other things! As I rarely make the same sauce twice and mainly use ingredients available in the cupboard, bought and left over from previous shops.

And I’ve also found that I’m being quite adventurous, trying new recipes! Even finding different alternatives and often eating vegan. I find that the Dutch cater for this alternative really well in the supermarkets.

In cooking from scratch, I’ve also attempted to grow my own produce. Although, this is still very much a work-in-progress effort! For instance, every so often I’ll have pesto and pasta for lunch. Which I always buy from the supermarket in a little jar. And one of those little jars usually does me for two meals. So I find them quite a cheap meal, with it being about 90 cents or so to buy. But I also find that they can be quite oily.

So, I thought that I could buy the ingredients and have a go at making some pesto myself. If anything, I thought I would end up making a bigger batch and would get a few more meals out of it than my usual two. Also, I would feel a bit better about eating it knowing exactly what ingredients had gone into it. Or that it would go terribly wrong, be totally disgusting, and I’d end up just throwing it in the bin!

My friend at work, who ate a lot more pasta than I did, also thought that this might be a worthwhile idea. But I didn’t just want to buy all of the necessary ingredients. That was just too easy! I also wanted to grow and use my own basil for the dish.

So, one weekend, we headed for the garden centre to locate the necessary ingredients and equipment to grow them. I also picked up a packet of cress seeds, as these are super, super easy to grow and who doesn’t like an egg and cress sandwich with mayo? Well, I do anyhow!

I forget how long they needed to take off and grow. But, even if mine had had double the amount of time, I doubt it would have sprouted much more than it did! I don’t really understand why it didn’t. I followed all of the instructions! Needless to say, I ended up purchasing my fresh basil from Albert Heijn. Whilst my friend had her own, freshly grown crop to use.

So, despite best efforts. First attempts at homegrown produce was an epic fail!

Never mind, I’m still not deterred. And with the supermarket bought ingredients, the homemade pesto sauce was, thankfully, a successful, delicious recipe that I will try again at some point. With or without homegrown basil!

Sadly, I can’t provide a list of weighed ingredients or recipes as such. As I’ve found that I seem to be a cook who literally just throws all the necessary ingredients in, hoping for the best! I’m just fortunate that 9½ times out of 10, this somehow seems to work out ok. Well, I’ve never given myself or anyone food poisoning that I know of. And, each of my dishes seem edible. And, the other ½ a time isn’t worth mentioning. I just throw it in the bin and start again!

Ok so, as we all know, eating out when you’re trying to be healthier can be really hard. Especially, like me, eating out presumably means eating and drinking your body weight in chips with lashings of mayo washed down with a couple of large glasses of Pinot Grigio!

But, I’ve actually found that I feel a bit guilty, or that it’s almost not allowed. Like it’s not what I should be doing! When eating chips, on occasion, absolutely is okay. Especially how the Dutch and Belgians have their chips, or frites. It’s almost criminal not to try them! But, I think I’m just a bit conscious about what I’m eating and drinking in general. And, after discussions with my friends and colleagues here, others seem to have a similar mindset. Getting slightly older and being a bit more conscious health-wise, maybe?

However, I do still like to let my hair down and eat chips with lashings of mayo and drink wine. Even pushing the boat out and having a dessert at times. But, when I’m in my ‘conscious healthy eating habits’ mode, there are some great dishes on the menu to try once you get past the chips! My all-time favourite, which I have pretty much every time I eat out now it’s so delicious, is goats cheese salad with honey and walnuts or pecan nuts. And what better way than to sit on a sunny terrace with a glass of wine, or mint tea (which is really refreshing) with friends on a nice day. That’s really the life! Well, to me it is at the moment anyhow!

May the happy, healthy habits continue is all I can say, really! Feeling the big benefits from some small, simple changes and conscious habits. Embracing a better change in lifestyle! And so easy to adapt to. All I need to do now is keep it all up!