Mama Miah!

Eating healthy and keeping our bodies fit isn't just a New Year's resolution; it's a lifestyle choice that can have a profound impact on our overall well-being. Since last year, I've been more mindful of what I eat and have stopped consuming soft drinks and junk food, as well as processed foods. 

As much as possible, I make a conscious effort to consume a healthy diet. Most of my diet consists of oats, various nuts (I'm a huge fan of almonds and nilagang mani), fish, chicken, tofu, veggies, and fruits. I've been able to maintain this healthy eating habit for several months now, although there are moments when I feel tempted to indulge in fast food snacks and eat just a few bites. Hopefully, I can keep it up and totally refrain from eating junk foods.

So, I was happy when I saw these guilt-free snacks as I was doing our grocery shopping! I checked the nutrition facts and they looked fine and passed my inspection. Lol.

Here are the Guilt-Free Hearty and Healthy Snacks that I've recently discovered and loved:

1.Choco+  Bitter Sweet Zen-Sation. It is made of Dark Chocolate + Pure Cocoa. I've also tried other variants; the Choco+ Yum at Heart which is made of Dark Milk Chocolate + Whole Hazelnuts and Choco-Crazy Nutrition which is made of Dark Milk Chocolate + Roasted California Almonds + Flax Seeds & Chia Seeds. Both of these are a little sweet for my taste, so I go for the Choco+ Bitter Sweet Zen-Sation.

Nag-hoard ako guys, coz super layo ng Abreeza sa Mintal, mga 1 hour plus din ang biyahe. Hahaha! Yup, I first saw this chocolate at Robinsons Abreeza Mall grocery, it's priced at 28 pesos lang for 33g. I saw this at SM's grocery too but its price is a little higher than the ones in Abreeza Mall.

2. Emco Musli Oat Biscuits come in chocolate, hazelnut, and blueberry flavors. All of them are good, but my favorites are the hazelnut and blueberry. I purchased this at the NCCC Mall's Victoria Plaza grocery, although I can't recall the exact price.

3. MAYA ThinkHeart Whole Wheat Pancake Mix. Not only is this pancake mix delicious, but it's also quite simple to make. It's also nutrient and vitamin-rich and healthy. My daughter liked it, which surprised me. 

I bought this at NCCC Mall's Victoria Plaza grocery, but you can also buy this at Gasiano Mall, SM and Robinsons Abreeza groceries. I think this is priced between 80 and 90 pesos or more, sorry I forgot the exact price. ;)

So far, these are my recently discovered Guilt-Free Hearty and Healthy Snacks that you can buy at the grocery stores. I'll update or make another blog post if ever I find other yummy, healthy, but also affordable snacks. :) 

With more and more people aware of the current environmental challenges we face, like climate change, brands such as Watsons have made it their duty to listen, search and adapt in their own way.

Thus, the campaign SUSTAINABLE CHOICES by Watsons was created. Launched to promote products that will fit into customers' sustainable lifestyles, Watsons hopes to create a ripple effect that would make people inspired to do the right thing for themselves, and for everyone to keep making sustainable choices in their daily lives. 

Sustainable Choices will help customers “Look Good. Do Good. Feel Great” and, in the process, reduce their environmental footprint as the retailer puts sustainability at the core of brand development and sourcing, from packaging to ingredient choices.

These are aimed to help shoppers make Sustainable Choices by providing them with better options, including Clean Beauty, the use of Better Ingredients, and Better Packaging and Refilling, as part of a long-term commitment to protecting the environment anchored on four pillars-Community, People, Customers, and Planet.

Clean Beauty

Carrying a wide range of Clean Beauty products available at affordable prices, the store's Clean Beauty products contain better ingredients that are sourced responsibly with an eye toward sustainability. These products don’t contain ingredients like Hydroquinone, Triclosan, Quaternium-15, Chloroacetamide, Triclocarban, Phthalates, O-phenyl phenol, Borates, Methylene glycol, and Microplastic beads. Watsons Philippines recognize brands and products that were carefully created to benefit consumers, the community, and the planet. For a list of Clean Beauty products, check this out https://www.watsons.com.ph/clean-beauty.

Watsons Philippines believe in reusing so it will make refill packs available for purchase so they can reuse the original containers of shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and other personal care products, enabling them to create a habit that helps reduce waste going into landfills.

With over 8 million tons of plastic being thrown into the ocean every year, the retailer is taking a proactive stand on the use of less plastic and choosing a better plastic for packaging. 

Palm Oil and its derivatives are used in 70% of beauty products, and with its yield being far better than any other crop, there is no way to remove it from formulations. The problem with palm oil is that it is extremely harmful to the environment.

Watsons Philippines is committed to sourcing, offering, and promoting the best possible product options, made from ingredients that are sustainable and responsibly managed such as Sustainable Palm Oil. (Roundtable for Sustainable Plan Oil/RSPO-certified). By putting systems in place to promote sustainable palm will lead to less deforestation, a more sustainable health & beauty industry.

Biodegrading of plastic bottles takes 450+ years, while plastic bags take a grueling 20+ years, adding grave impact to the environment. Watsons Philippines promotes products packaged in recycled containers by encouraging the use of 100% sustainable paper packaging that comes from sustainably and responsibly managed forests and plantations or using bio-based or post-consumer recycled plastics. In stores, it has been encouraging shoppers to refuse single-use plastics wherever they go and instead, bring their reusable shopping bags or use eco-friendly totes.

Look Good, Do Good & Feel Great with sustainable choices 

“Sustainable brands and products recognized by Watsons should go beyond ingredients that make users beautiful inside and out. They must also uphold ethical business practices and encourage initiative in buying and sourcing ingredients. These brands should also look toward minimizing waste in their supply chain as well, and where and when possible, we are also looking at their use of packaging and their recycling and upcycling programs. It's rallying our partners and suppliers to Do Good with us,” said Viki Encarnacion, Watsons' Public Relations and Sustainability Director.

Watsons believe beyond its customers; everyone can make an impact by making simple sustainable choices every day. By embodying the “Look Good. Do Good. Feel Great” ideology, it helps us all ensure that our planet looks good for future generations by doing good today and every day!

For more information, you may visit https://interactive.watsons.com.ph/sustainablechoices.