Each month we profile a different Canadian Food Blogger who is part of the FBC community. This month, we meet Janice who promotes a healthy lifestyle because nutritious food and exercise literally changed her life.
Name: Janice Smith
Blog name: Salads for Lunch
Where were you born? Scarborough, ON
Where are you living now? Milton, ON
Why did you start your blog?
I started blogging as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle because nutritious food and exercise literally changed my life. While completing my specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, and certificate in Athletic Therapy, I stopped being as active as I had been in high school, and ate a lot of fast food. Although I was learning about exercise physiology and nutrition, I wasn’t applying what I was learning, so I was tired all the time.
After University I started to run and lift weights, and before I knew it, I was running marathons, completing triathlons, and eating more nutritious foods and experimenting with salads. I was happier and had more energy than I had in years! Changing my lifestyle was the best thing that I ever did for myself. I LOVE salads because they're a tasty way of eating fresh produce, beans, lentils and fiber. I started Salads for Lunch way back in 2017 as a place I could catalog all the fun salad recipes I was making. Since then I have published over 350 different salad recipes!
How did you decide on your blog name?
My blog was originally called Mom on the Run, however as I began focusing less on posting about being an active mom, and began sharing more fresh and healthy recipes, I updated my blog name to Salads for Lunch to better reflect the direction my heart was taking me. I literally eat a salad for lunch every day.
What do you blog about?
I share fresh and healthy salad, soup and salad dressing recipes. Salads are a great way to consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins that are filled with the nutrients and vitamins that benefit your body. The nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables can work to lower your blood sugar, and regulate cholesterol levels to keep your heart healthy.
Is your blog your business, your hobby or something in between?
Something in between. It started as a hobby, however traffic grew over time and I now earn a moderate, steady income from it. I don’t plan on ever turning it into a business, I’m blessed to have a full time job that I love.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you and why?
I Ran Four Times a Week for Three Months… This is What Happened - this was a brutally honest post I wrote about my struggles to run more consistently, and the results I obtained when I set a goal to be consistent. I believe that to get results from anything you have to trust the process and keep showing up for yourself.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
My Mexican Bean Salad recipe. This salad is healthy, delicious and the photos are gorgeous. Packed with protein, fiber, and vibrant colors, this salad is not only a feast for the eyes but also a treat for your taste buds.
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
My Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing recipe’s success surprised me the most. While it’s a simple and delicious vinaigrette that totally deserves the traffic that it gets, the research that I did showed that I could never rank for such a competitive keyword. I posted it anyways because how could a salad blog not have a recipe for balsamic vinaigrette? This recipe gets a lot of traffic from Pinterest.
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
Time. I make big plans to buy the ingredients for a salad, make the salad, take photos of the salad, then post the recipe, but I usually just end up devouring the salad and not taking any photos. While salads are a lot less time consuming than other recipes, taking photos still requires a lot of time and patience.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a blogger?
Don’t be afraid to pivot and write about what you want to write about. Taking the leap to niche down to soups, salads, and salad dressings was a big risk, but it has been worth it.
What has been your biggest success as a blogger so far?
Joining an ad network. Earning a moderate income from ads allows me to cover the costs of running a blog and to continue creating and sharing fabulous soup and salad recipes.
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them?
Carmy - Easy, Healthy-ish Recipes - a fellow Canadian Food Blogger, Carmy’s recipes are healthy and easy to follow.
Bacon is Magic - another fellow Canadian, Bacon is Magic is a combination travel and food blog.
Recipe Runner - a fellow runner that shares a variety of healthy recipes, and her food photography is beautiful.
What are you working on next for your blog?
Lately I have been putting out monthly salad guides that use the fruits and vegetables that are freshest in Canada for the upcoming month - yes, it’s truly possible to eat seasonal salads even in the coldest months of the year. I would like to turn the work I’ve put into creating the guides into a salad cookbook.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I have a super lazy, cuddly 165lb English Mastiff named Juno that likes to lie in the middle of the kitchen creating a HUGE tripping hazard while I create my recipes.
What makes your blog unique?
Despite the blog name, Salads for Lunch is an anti-diet culture blog. I share salad recipes because they’re a great way to nourish your body with the nutrients your body needs from grains, vegetables, proteins and fats.
How do you cultivate a sense of community around your blog?
I do this through my monthly newsletters where I share the latest happenings in my life, what I’m excited for, and the seasonal recipes I’ll be making in the month ahead.
What part of the FBC site do you find most useful?
I really enjoy learning about the history of Canadian food through the Iconic Canadian Food series of posts.
Follow Salads for Lunch on Social Media
Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - You Tube - Instagram - TikTok - Flipboard
More Reading:
You can unsubscribe any time!
Leave a Reply