Hello + welcome! It is very nice to have you here. My name is Caralee. Real Food Pledge is about inspiring others to cut out processed food for good by demonstrating how delicious, tasty and easy real food can be!
A bit about me: I am a kiwi, I grew up Whangarei, which is in the North of New Zealand and spent much of my childhood sailing in the Bay of Islands. I now live on the Gold Coast in Australia with my three gorgeous kids.
My career: In my late twenties after having children and dipping my toes in many different jobs, I went to university to study a Bachelor of Laws, which was the biggest challenge but most rewarding of my life! I now practice as a family lawyer in my own practice on the Gold Coast and I love it.
What inspired me to create Real Food Pledge: I used to have a very negative relationship with food. I was a serial dieter and over time I tried every fad diet imaginable, I have been on them all, I have counted calories, points, bought meals, shakes, pills and worse! Of course, this is not sustainable. I also suffered for my entire life with food intolerance & never gave it a second thought, I just accepted that the symptoms I experienced were part of life not knowing any different.
In 2013 I decided that something needed to change, I was sick of constantly battling my weight, dealing with my gut health and feeling awful all the time. I did a complete shift and cut out all processed food, for good. Through this, I discovered that real food is amazing and that by eating only real food there are so many positive benefits. I have achieved a much happier, healthier lifestyle and now I am passionate about inspiring others to find that balance.
My website realfoodpledge.com was created in mid 2013. Initially it was a way to keep myself on track, I thought a blog was a great idea, then it grew into something different & much bigger than expected. In 2014, I wrote and published my first book, ‘Real Food Pledge‘. The book is both a lifestyle and recipe book about why and how to cut out processed food as well as being full of inspiring real food recipes. In 2016 I released my second book, ‘Real Food, Everyday’ where I share more than 90 delicious everyday recipes using everyday ingredients.
Real food to me: There are so many philosophies and ideas about food and it can be confusing. I believe in eating food that is made by nature rather than food that is made in a factory or more from nature and less from a packet. I don’t put a label on my style of eating, it truly is just getting back to the basics with natures best offerings.
My recipes: All of my recipes are gluten, grain, sugar & dairy free and they are full of nourishing goodness! I love developing recipes and have always been quite creative in the kitchen. The recipes that I share are dishes that my family and I love to eat, we have tested all of the recipes more than once. I develop the recipes from scratch using fresh, real ingredients and a pinch of creativity. Occasionally I have an epic fail but that is part of the journey!
My perfect weekend: Includes hanging out with my family at home, listening to music and pottering about in the kitchen, while I prepare for an impromptu dinner party. I also love to take my retro mint bike out for a ride.
What can you expect from me: The biggest thing that I want to share with you, is that the recipes & lifestyle ideas at realfoodpledge.com, in my books and on my App are to show you how easy and delicious real food can be and that it is so much more than just salad leaves! Real food is delicious, fun and exciting! All of the recipes will nourish you from the inside out, helping you to look and feel amazing everyday. I truly believe that eating healthy, unprocessed food on a daily basis is the key to health and happiness.
Contact me: I love to hear from you. If you have any questions or want to contact me you can find me at hello@realfoodpledge.com. Or for a little glimpse into my daily life you can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
If you would like to do an interview with me or you think that we can work together, drop me an email or check out this page for options.
Thanks for stopping by!
Caralee xxx
