Eating Who I Want to Be is about taking back your food autonomy. It’s about values-based eating, asking yourself, “who do I want to be?”, from the physical/emotional (mind + body) to your alignment with your community and planet ~ and eating in harmony with this.
For years I’ve been a champion for developing a positive relationship between the food you eat, your body, and mind. A philosophy shaped by my own food journey, medical experiences/knowledge, and the wisdom of those around me. I believe Eating Well is more than just a ‘healthy’ diet; it’s forming edible connections through whenua, whānau, and self to promote the hauora (wellbeing) of all. From tuning in to how food makes you feel, to eating with your planet and local community in mind, to baking a cake for your neighbour or cooking an absolute feast with your mates, that is what Eating Well looks like for me.
I’ve been thinking for some time how best to package my philosophy of Eating Well into something more digestible. More relatable. More transferable. As I realise that what Eating Well looks like for me, will be different to what Eating Well looks like for YOU ~ as we all have our own unique food story, shaped by our culture, environment and life journey. Food is such a personal thing. So after a sizeable dollop of thought coupled with a jugful of indecision, I’ve landed on a new concept, my new approach to food, what this newsletter will be all about: Eating Who I Want to Be
Why Eating Who I Want to Be?
Just as what we eat unquestionably affects how we feel (as well as our physical wellbeing), the reciprocal is also true: how we are feeling, our mental state, attitudes and experiences impact our food choices. It’s an equilibrium of self and environment that fluctuates with the pull of daily life. And from the marketing team for the supermarket duopoly to your work colleague’s not-asked-for opinion about your weight, our food choices are chronically influenced by others. Eating Who I Want to Be is about taking back your food autonomy. It’s about values-based eating, asking yourself, “who do I want to be?”, from the physical/emotional (mind + body) to your alignment with your community and planet ~ and eating in harmony with this.
The most impactful, positive and lasting change in oneself comes from within; if your eating is driven by your own values, then you’re setting yourself up to thrive. As such, it’s my list of personal goals/values that have formed the foundation, the master stock or flavour palette, of this newsletter.
Alby Hailes’ Eating Who I Want to Be List:
Be Authentic
use fresh, real ingredients wherever possible - reduce use of ultra-processed foods
always try to cook things from scratch (where time/money allows) - so I know exactly what is going into what I eat
gather/purchase ingredients as close to the source as possible (ie homegrown, locally grown/produced, foraged) - so I can see/hear what has gone into producing my food
Be Relatable/Approachable
write recipes that are more approachable for the everyday home cook ~ practical, time-friendly and using accessible ingredients
always consider the cost of living, and write recipes that are relatively affordable
remain aware of the global/social context and reflect on this where appropriate
better understand my audience - get feedback, and share recipes, research and writings that will be interesting and educational for them
Be Fearless/Brave
try new flavours/ingredients
lean more into cultures whose cooking practices are more foreign to me
try new cooking techniques I haven’t tried before
share more of my personal story in my food writing
Connect with Community
when purchasing produce from local growers, market gardeners etc., speak to them about their work to develop a better understanding of and connection with the local food systems
talk more about local community gardens, CSA (community supported agriculture), and connect more with this aspect of our food system
run cooking workshops/classes
connect more with other food writers, do more shout outs about their amazing work!
connect more with followers through newsletter, social media etc. and keep people interested and engaged
Be Planet-Conscious (and connect more with the whenua)
eat a more plant-based, planet-friendly diet
reduce food waste
reduce consumption of packaged and ultra-processed foods
write recipes that utilise ingredients with a smaller footprint where possible
eat more homegrown kai
eat seasonally! Look to improve others’ knowledge on how to eat seasonally and the benefits of this - and let my recipes reflect this.
Learn & Be Curious
read more non-fiction books about our food systems, history and future
follow up-to-date research around nutritional psychiatry and incorporate this in my newsletter and food writing
be on-the-pulse of global food news/trends, and share these with my food community
learn new skills from other chefs/food writers ~ always be looking to grow as a cook ~ to then better inform the recipes I share with my community
Keep Things Simple (but also keep things interesting)
eat more simply - when writing recipes, try to reduce the number of ingredients where possible (for me this is a tough one LOL) and focus on quality not complexity
be more versatile with similar ingredients, develop a capsule pantry
Have Fun
cook more for pleasure & cook from my cookbook collection
more dancing in the kitchen and play music at full noise
bake for no reason at all
Be Delicious Always (this one doesn’t need explaining.. and yes, I also want to be a delicious person!)
So that’s what this newsletter is all about. It’s taking you with me on my own journey of Eating Who I Want to Be. The recipes, ideas and foodful content is all informed by this list of my own values and goals, translated into food. Some may be similar, others wildly different from your own. But my hope is that it brings fresh inspiration to your kitchen, new ideas for feel-good food, and encourages you to ask yourself the question: am I Eating Who I Want to Be?
Why Subscribe? What do I get in each fortnightly newsletter?
Eating Who I Want to Be will be delivered direct to your email inbox fortnightly on Sunday morning 9am NZ time ~ perfect timing for kitchen inspiration as you look to the week ahead.
Each newsletter will have a particular theme/focus, in keeping with my values for Eating Who I Want to Be
Free Subscribers:
Two fortnightly brand new recipes that are simple, seasonal, delicious and affordable. Paid subscribers will receive two additional recipes every fortnight, and access to my full recipe archive (trust me, it’s worth it!).
each recipe will be made with 15 or less ingredients (excluding salt, pepper, water & frying oil)
recipes will be focused around seasonal ingredients, and include ideas for leftover, storage, make-ahead ideas etc.
all savoury recipes will be very vegetable-forward, and both sweet & savoury recipes will lean into plant-based cooking
each recipe will have an estimated hands-on/cooking time (aiming to be on the table in 90 minutes or less)
each recipe will have an approximate cost based on up-to-date NZ pricings
Links to articles of interest, including new food trends, food news, environment-food developments, and other food-related content (include NZ-specific event info etc.)
Paid Subscribers ($5/month or $50/year):
If you’re not a paid subscriber, you’re only getting half the experience. For the price of a coffee/month, you can get the full Eating Who I Want to Be experience, including:
Two additional recipes every other week
Access to my full recipe archive - no matter when you subscribe, you’ll still have access to all the recipes that I’ve posted through Substack.
10% discount on products purchased from my website (including my new cookbook, Good Vibes)
Advice & ideas on how you can eat better for the planet, including tips on reducing food waste, reducing processed & packaged food consumption and more!
Seasonal produce recommendations and advice on how to get the most out of your produce
Insight into the latest research on the relationship between nutrition and mental health, as well as discussion from yours truly on my own opinions on how eating choices affect how we feel
Possible guest appearances from other Aotearoa food writers (TBC)
The ability to post comments and join the Eating Who I Want to Be community - including access to any threads/discussions and input to help guide the future of this newsletter
I’m also returning to my psychiatry training this year. It’s been 18 months since I took a break from full-time doctoring, and while I’m optimistic about my return and motivated to learn and work in healthcare again, this is mixed with plenty of trepidation and anxiety. So on occasion, I’ll be sharing a little on the seasons of my own wellbeing while working in mental health.
By now you’ve hopefully got the gist of what this blimmin’ fantastically epic newsletter is all about, and why you should tell every person you meet this week they need to sign up for it. Here’s to a year of food content that’s Authentic, Approachable, Fearless, Community-Minded, Planet-Conscious, Educational, Simple-yet-Interesting, Fun, and most importantly, Delicious!
Much love,
Alby xx
To read more about my background as a food writer and doctor, and for other food writing, recipes and more, head to my website:
