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March 19, 2015

Airport Food: How to Navigate

I recently went on a quick little trip to Tennessee during my spring break. Yep, Tennessee for spring break. Not exactly the warm, sunny beach, but the rainy weather made me appreciate the fact that I get to live in SoCal all the time. Hanging out in the airport reminded me how frustrating it can be to find healthy options for food in the airport. (Especially in Tennessee, land of Southern comfort food). I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my tips for getting from one terminal to the next with healthy food choices in tow.

Nothing but grey skies in Tennessee

1. Pre-gaming: before you even get to the airport, make sure you have a filling meal, if possible. One of my flights left around lunch time, so I had a filling bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and nuts that kept me from being ravenous at the airport. Ravenous=everything in sight looks good. It’s no secret that you can’t think clearly when you are hungry, so set yourself up for success before your next meal by eating something filling beforehand.

My first ever shrimp and grits! Pretty fantastic and suuuuper stick-to-your-ribs hearty.

2. Fluids, fluid, and more fluids! Fill up on liquids! Drinking water and tea is so important when traveling because flying at 30,000 feet is very dehydrating. Load up on fluids in the airport (after security). Hot liquids are great for creating a sense of fullness so you don’t have the urge to nosh on the complementary snack pack on the plane. Which brings me to my next point…

3. Don’t eat the plane snacks! They are full of empty calories, so you are not getting any real nutrition, or protein, and fiber to keep you full. Plus those shortbread cookies and cheese crackers are full of artificial ingredients, high-fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. Not a winning combo. Steer clear.

Goat cheese and walnut buckwheat crepe: what breakfast dreams are made of.

4. Mix and match: Don’t be afraid to hit up a few different eateries in the airport to get a healthy meal or some healthy snacks. Maybe one place has a fruit cup, another place has a chicken and veggie salad, and another place has nut bars or smoothies. Shopping around means that you can select the most well-rounded meal and snacks as possible.

5. Absolutely no nutritious options in your neck of the airport? Don’t stress too much; just scope out a healthy choice for your first meal off the plane. Wherever you are in the world, there will be a restaurant/store/food joint that gives you the option of chowing down on some veggies, whole grains, and/or lean protein. Even in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee I was able to hunt down a pretty delicious salmon salad. (surprise, surprise, my fave!)

A little Tennessee road trip sight seeing.

Any tips you have for making healthy choices in the airport? Let me know in the comments and tell me if you have any exciting trips planned for spring break or summer!

The best welcome home: a sparkling pink macaron and tea in my favorite mug!

XO,

Alexandra

March 3, 2015

Enoki and Salmon Soup

Life gets crazy-busy sometimes (ok, maybe all the time). When you get hit with an intense schedule, what do you tend to reach for to fuel yourself? A cup of coffee? A candy bar? Do you sit at your desk and nosh on chips instead of an actual meal? Today I wanted to give you a little recipe inspiration that shows how healthy food can be made in a flash! This Enoki mushroom and Salmon Soup is one of my go-to’s. As you may know by now, I LOVE salmon, and I also love Asian cuisine (Japanese, Thai, Korean- I can’t get enough)! This soup is sort of my “busy girl Asian-fusion” soup. I think it’s super easy to make at night, either for dinner, or lunch the next day. All you have to do is heat it up, and bam! Delicious and totally healthy.

Some of the ingredients may seem a bit foreign, but I’m gonna give you the run down of why they should become diet staples!

First, we’ve got our tofu shirataki noodles. As a self-professed noodle lover, I was in heaven when I discovered these way back when. A whole package is only 20 calories and 6 grams of carbs! It’s hard to find a run-of-the-mill noodle that can stand up to that. The secret? The noodles are made of, you guessed it, tofu… and yam flour! I love to use the spaghetti-style noodles in this recipe because they remind me of the noodles that are typically used in pho, a vietnamese soup.

How about Enoki mushrooms? Maybe you think they look a little freaky. Personally, I think they are adorable. (My sister is super afraid of raw mushrooms, to the point where she won’t even touch them until they are cooked. It’s really hilarious. Is anyone else like this??? I think it might be a texture thing.) Enokis are perfect for adding a mild flavor to the soup, without adding a lot of calories, so feel free to pile on the enoki!!

Another favorite of mine is Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. It tastes just like soy sauce, but is very low in sodium, so it won’t leave you feeling puffy or bloated like traditional soy sauce would.

This soup is perfect for those cold days where you are craving something warm and cozy to fill you up, but you don’t want to feel heavy or enter a dreaded food coma. It’s full of flavor, but low in sodium (sorry, Campbell’s) and calories, so hurry up and put a pot on the stove, already!

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable broth (always go for low sodium)
3-4 ounces salmon (Hello, Omega-3’s!)
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 cup edamame (soy beans)
1 package of tofu shirataki noodles
as many enoki mushrooms as you like!
1 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp ginger juice ( sub powdered ginger if you cannot get ginger juice. It is sold at most grocery stores, or you can make your own by putting about an inch of ginger root through a juicer.)
oil, for misting pan

Directions:

Bake salmon in oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
Over medium-high heat, mist a saucepan with oil. Add mushrooms and kale to pan. Sauté until kale begin begins to wilt.
Add vegetable broth, ginger juice, and liquid aminos to the saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Once the broth begins to simmer, throw in the edamame.
Drain the shirataki noodles, and add the to the saucepan. Stir until noodles are just heated through.
Transfer soup to a bowl, and add salmon. Enjoy!

Let me know what your favorite soups are! I would love to take your most-loved soups (especially the unhealthy ones or store-bought faves) and make them over into a healthy, delicious version 2.0. Feel free to share in the comments!

XO, Alexandra

January 19, 2015

Life, Craziness, and an Announcement!

First things first, Happy New Year! I promise I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth!!! The past few months have been so busy. Between Thanksgiving and now, I have taken finals, studied for and taken the GRE, and applied to dietetic internships. For those of you who aren’t too familiar with applying to dietetic internships, it’s like applying to college all over again, but on a larger and more stressful scale! Needless to say, it has felt like I haven’t even had time to catch a breath! (I’m sure you all can relate.)

Now for the exciting announcement! I didn’t share this news on the blog several months back when I got the position, so I am so happy to finally share it with you. I have been interning for The Nutrition Twins!

Tammy and Lyssie are registered dietitian nutritionists and personal trainers. As nutrition experts, you may have seen them on television (Good Morning America, Fox News, Bravo) or read their contributions in Self, Vogue, or InStyle. They are nutrition superstars, and I have been so fortunate to have the position working for them.

As an intern, I get to create content for their blog.This means I get to do exactly what I love: create healthy recipes, photograph food, and write about nutrition! I would love it if you guys checked out this recent post on the Nutrition Twins website- it features my New Year’s Resolution, and one of my favorite go-to recipes! Feel free to check out some of the other recipe posts on their blog; you may be reading something I created!

Thank you so much for staying with me after all this time. And please let me know what your resolutions are for 2015, if you have any!

XO, Alexandra

November 13, 2014

FIG & OLIVE

I have to share one of my favorite restaurants with you. No joke, FIG & OLIVE is in my top ten. Every time I get the miraculous opportunity to dine at this restaurant, I find myself on foodie cloud nine. You need to check out one of their locations, like Newport Beach and WeHo here in Cali, or for you jet-setters, NYC has four locations. Lucky East coasters.

I thought I’d share a few of the dishes I’ve tried. Their menu is incredible, and it is a goal of mine to try everything on it. (It’s gonna take a while, and it will be worth every bite.) I love the philosophy on their website. It’s all about making use of incredible olive oils, instead of butter in their cooking. Now that gets my future dietitian stamp of approval. The founder, Laurent Halasz, says, “FIG & OLIVE is about passion for the best olive oils, flavors and cuisine from the Riviera & Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy and Spain.” Basically this translates to exceptionally yummy, fresh food. There is nothing better than that.

Jardin de Fraises: a lovely little “mocktail” made from strawberries, honey, mint, fig, and a hint of balsamic. Sweet, and fruity, with a refreshing flavor.

Salmon Crudo: dressed with orange, grapefruit, dill, lemon, scallions, and a drizzle of olive oil. So simple, clean, and we all know how much I love getting my salmon fix.

Lobster bisque with pimenton chive mascarpone. Indulgent, rich, and smooth.

Beef Carpaccio with balsamic, tomato, parmesan, micro arugula, and white truffle oil. The tomatoes, micro greens, and white truffle oil elevate this dish beyond comprehension. White truffle oil, people! White. Truffle. Oil.

My personal favorite, the Riviera shrimp and salmon salad, complete with shaved fennel, arugula, avocado, tomato, and a toast with ricotta, all dressed with a citrus and cilantro olive oil dressing. Ahhhh, heaven. I love that it is simple enough that I can copy it at home, because, you know, I can’t eat at FIG & OLIVE everyday. This is the dish that makes it hard for me to branch out and order something else. It’s just too perfect.

Crab cakes with bell pepper, shallot, horseradish, lemon, cilantro, and a sweet pimenton aioli. Fresh take on a crab cake with a zesty, sip kick.

Add FIG & OLIVE to your list of must-try restaurants. They serve up fresh, creative, completely inspirational food. Your tastebuds will dance and sing. I hope you are all having an awesome November. Stay tuned for a little something Thanksgiving-y that I’ve got in the works. 🙂

Xo, Alexandra

October 1, 2014

Perfect Pumpkin Parfaits

Happy October!!!

I love this time of year because I absolutely adore pumpkin! Nothing says “Fall” quite like pumpkin. I mean, really, what other vegetable do we use to decorate with??? (Spinach garlands, anyone?) Seriously, though, pumpkin is SO full of yummy health benefits- until it hits store shelves in super processed, sugar saturated, artificially flavored form. (I’m looking at you, pumpkin Oreos.) So to help you out with your pumpkin fix and save you from falling into the “processed pumpkin” trap, I’m sharing a delicious and simple recipe: Pumpkin Parfaits!

Why does pumpkin get so much attention? Well, beyond being super tasty and oh so comforting, it is a nutritional powerhouse! A cup of pureed pumpkin has over 200% of the vitamin A you need in a day! Pumpkin is also a good source of vitamin C and potassium. You can totally use it in many of the recipes where you might use bananas, like smoothies or oatmeal. Bonus: pumpkin is very filling, and a whole cup will only set you back 50 calories. Just make sure you get your pumpkin on with some healthier options, like this parfait, and not a slice of pie piled with whipped cream 🙂

This little creamy and crunchy dish is perfect for a snack, breakfast, or lunch (or dinner. Hey, I won’t judge.)

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

4 individual- sized containers of plain Greek yogurt. Look for a brand low in sugar. Use a dairy free option, if you so desire.

1 TBS honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Granola, for garnish- I used this one. The cinnamon in the granola works perfectly in this recipe

Directions

1. Mix pumpkin puree with honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. In a bowl or mason jar, alternate layers of pumpkin and yogurt, using a whole container of yogurt per serving, and 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture ( a little more than 1/3 cup)

3. Top with granola, and enjoy the flavors of fall!

This recipe is so quick and easy, and you really can’t mess it up. Feel free, as usual, to get creative with your parfait. (spiced pecans instead of granola? Yes please!)

What are some of your fave ways to enjoy pumpkin? Do you have any pumpkin-y indulgences that you would like to see me healthify? Let me know! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some pumpkin calling my name!

XO, Alexandra

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