Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Tourin' Whole Foods Park City

 

I LOVE touring grocery stores. Especially "specialty"/"nerdy healthy-food-containing" stores. On my Instagram @healthyutahspots, I have been posting pix of my favorite healthy places/menu items to eat around Utah! It has been so fun & I've been so excited to get such a positive response!

Through this account, I was so stoked to be invited to an exclusive pre-store opening event for @WholeFoods in Park City. YES. I was jumping up and down when I saw the tickets - I've always loved Whole Foods! 
  • Toured the amazing new features in this GINORMOUS store (double the size of most Whole Foods)
  • Treated to a live Jazz band, cute cheese plates, chocolates, and amazing samples
  • Fed a yummy dinner
  • AND my friend @TristanTausinga & I left with the cutest goodie bags! 

I LOVE GOODIE BAGS

Someone's gonna need to hold me back because I get a little too excited over these places #foodnerd... 

If you'd like to know my favorite "healthy spots" around Utah feel free to follow my instagram account, @healthyutahspots 😊 Catch ya later! 

SHOOT these are my favorite...

  

   

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Copycat Cubby's Wild Rice & Kale Salad

One of my most favoritest salads ever... Can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that this re-creation is so spot on cuz now I can have it 4.5 times a day every day 😳

I LOVE this salad from @cubby's (as previously mentioned in my "Healthy Reminder" post when madre & I hiked Timp)

FYI - I do like to change a few things in this salad. Keep in mind that you can have fun & go crazy with each ingredient swap!

Copycat Cubby's Wild Rice & Kale Salad
(I like using spinach so technically this is a 'Wild Rice & Spinach Salad' 😆

Serves 1
Ingredients:
  • large handful of spinach (or chopped kale) 
  • 1/2 of a microwaveable Minute Rice "Ready to Serve" Multi-Grain Medley cup (got this @Walmart - pic below)
  • chopped grilled chicken (I use Foster Farms frozen pre-cooked grilled chicken breast strips @Walmart - pic below)
  • garlic salt
  • 1/2 thinly chopped gala apple 
  • 1/2 of a sliced avocado
  • dried cranberries
  • slivered almonds
  • fresh grated parmesan
  • lime juice
Directions:
Slice up 1/2 apple and 1/2 avocado
(I would suggest massaging the avocados into the greens - it also acts as the dressing)
Microwave the Multi-Grain Medley rice cup
Microwave the chicken to defrost it, then cut the strips into smaller pieces. Sprinkle on some garlic salt and grill on medium-high heat for just a few seconds to get it a bit of crispier/charred (grilling is optional)
ASSEMBLE! 
Throw everything inside of a bowl, mix it all up, and squirt lime juice on top as the healthy dressing! 


TRUST ME & TRY THIS SALAD - IT'S INCREDIBLE 
Plus, it's super easy, super cheap (got of my all ingredients from Walmart), and super healthy. 






Saturday, September 30, 2017

Tourin' Honeybee Produce Company

Hey team!

This post is dedicated to giving a BIG, SWEET shoutout to @honeybeeproducecompany 🍯🐝


OK. I'd say it's pretty common knowledge that I'm a food nerd*
*someone who starts jumping up and down and squealing when any food-related topic is brought up, ranging from normal things like, "it's time to eat lunch" to extremely unusual things such as, "Kass, I saw vanilla bean paste the other day, weren't you looking for that?"

So when I go to super amazing grocery stores, I kind of really geek out and can't contain my excitement...

Three words: Honeybee Produce Company



Honeybee Produce Co. is located in Draper, Utah. I was lucky enough to be treated to an amazing     exclusive tour around the store... GUYS! IT'S BUZZING! 🐝🐝 I basically had a healthified "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" moment. I was full-on cheesing 😃, wide-eyed 😧, and drooling 😛 the entire time I was there - It's incredible.

Honeybee Produce Co. has...
  • So many organic options
  • A TON of local produce (like locally made healing bath bombs)
  • Amazing vegan options
  • It is very reasonably priced (especially compared to other higher-end grocers)
  • A "Mountain Mix" create-your-own trail mix bar
  • A glorious bulk section with a bunch of yummy selections
  • An incredible infused olive oil and vinegar section (k but their caramelized garlic extra virgin olive oil... yess)
  • Freshly ground peanut, almond and ⭐CASHEW⭐butter
  • The coolest "Hive Eatery" where everything is made/baked in store THAT DAY (*their mangoberry salad is yummm)
  • Amazing hydro lemonade and kombucha on-tap
  • Vegan cloud top coconut cream ice cream
And much more!

👆Not only that, but while they do have a ton of healthy options, what makes this place so unique is that they also feature some of your favorite basic "Walmart", "kid-craving" necessities like Soda and Twinkies!

I dropped by, was treated to an amazing tour (thank you Sarah!) with the nicest & coolest employees, taste-tested the yummiest cheese spread and jelly-topped crackers (that were cranberry, apricot & pistachio flavored...) (no joke, this was a highlight of my week), sampled their amazing vegan coconut cream ice cream, enjoyed their tasty mangoberry salad, was introduced to super delish Mexican CINNAMON flavored dark chocolate, and even got to take home an amazing goodie bag that was packed full of the yummiest, cutest, most awesome healthy goodies ever!

Mangoberry Salad 🙌
Thank you to the cheese-genius herself, Diana!
























I know I know... dark chocolate is my weakness

Alright, I pride myself in only promoting the things that I truly love and am passionate about right? I'm always looking for options that are healthy, different, unique, and most important - delicious! That being said, I very highly recommend Honeybee Produce Company. It has so many amazing options that are super reasonably priced. Not only that, but their "Hive Eatery" is delicious and even offers a cute hive seating area to relax and chow on yummy food. Overall, the whole atmosphere here is bomb - so fun, clean, organized, unique, cute, and happy!


Thank you Honeybee Produce Company!!









Wednesday, September 27, 2017

HEALTHY TOMATO BASIL SOUP

I lovvvvvvve fall!! Lately for some reason it's been so fun for me to finish classes (shocker...), escape the crisp autumn air 🍁🍂 , toast some 45 cal bread, warm up a steaming bowl of soup, and chill on my comfy couch while I fill my belly with warm, amazing food ...Which is exactly what I did after making this delicious tomato basil soup!

It's...
  • Dairy-free (Creamed with tofu!)
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free
  • Low-calorie
  • Super easy to make
  • DELICIOUS!!


Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup


Serves 3-4
Ingredients
  • 6 oz semi-firm tofu (I got some at Walmart)
  • 1/2 small red bell pepper
  • 1 whole can of diced tomatoes without added salt (we'll be adding that in later!)
  • 2 fresh basil leaves
  • garlic salt
  • dried diced onions
Directions
BLEND EVERYTHING on a high speed blender until it has reached a smooth, creamy consistency AND ENJOY!!


Thursday, September 14, 2017

PB2 Banana Bowl

OK GUYS THIS IS IT. I'm officially releasing one of my all time favorite recipes EVER.
....It's the PB2 Bowl...plus healthy granola...

TIP: make the granola first so the smoothie base doesn't melt 👍😉

PB2 Banana Bowl

It's definitely cool to take your bowl outside and enjoy the morning sun as you demolish it! 😊

Serves 1
Ingredients (for smoothie base)
  • 2 heaping T of PB2 powder
  • 1/2 c ice
  • 1/4 c almond milk (amount might vary depending on blender & desired consistency)
  • 1 small to medium sized RIPE banana
  • 2 squirts stevia
  • large pinch of pink himalayan sea salt (this gives the smoothie a super delicious "buttery" taste, but normal salt always works just fine as well 😀)
Directions
Blend everything! (Thicker consistency is ideal)

**AH! THIS SMOOTHIE IS MY FAVORITE! It is super light & low-calorie and often I will just drink the smoothie on its own without the extra work of making granola! (But the granola is still amazing)**

Ingredients (for sweet n salty granola)
  • 1/4 c crispy rice cereal
  • 2 T slivered almonds
  • 1/8 c quick oats
  • 2 heaping T of PB2 powder
  • 2 T pure maple syrup
  • A large pinch of pink himalayan sea salt (or just normal sea salt)
  • optional: a few squirts of "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter" spray
  • optional: handful of shredded sweetened coconut
  • optional: throw some sliced banana on top
Directions
Mix everything together in a separate bowl and pour on top of smoothie base

**This granola recipe is so bomb because it is light & oil-free! It pairs so perfectly with this smoothie bowl and is soo delicious! My mom will sometimes ask me to make her a bowl of just the granola so she can munch on it! YUM!**






Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Turkey Feta Spinach Burger

Who loves burgers? Me! ✋

The thing I love about eating healthy is that you can still eat the things you love minus the full/heavy feeling!

These burgers are MONEY. They are one of my favorite meals ever!

PS sorry for not putting exact measurements! I rarely use exact measurements anyways, but this recipe is fairly simple so definitely try it out!

Turkey Feta Spinach Burgers
Ingredients
  • 1 part extra lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 part chopped spinach
  • 1/4 part feta
  • 1/4 part quick oats
  • 1/4 part egg whites
  • salt & pepper
  • around 3 T garlic powder (they need more than you'd think)
  • garlic salt
  • 1/8 part dried or finely chopped onions
  • optional: whole wheat burger bun or iceberg lettuce wrap(my fav)
  • optional: garnish with parsley
Directions
Mix everything together in a large bowl
Form into patties and grill on a greased pan for 5 minutes each side on medium high heat

*If using a whole wheat bun, grill the bun on the pan as well
*If using a lettuce wrap (MY PERSONAL FAV!!) rinse the iceberg lettuce thoroughly and wrap it around the turkey burger in place of the whole wheat bun

**TASTES AMAZING paired with a ketchup and mustard mixture




Monday, September 11, 2017

Snack Ideas


LOTS of questions I have gotten about what my healthy go-to's are when it comes to snacks! (Yoda...?) I definitely love my snacks and throughout my many munching years, I have developed a few yummy go-to's. Here are some of my favs!

Low calorie "midnight snacking" type of snacks
  • lightly salted rice cake
  • lightly salted rice cake with warm chocolate PB2 drizzled on top (or "slathered" on top if you're me...)
  • apple 
  • cotton candy grapes... 😛😍 or just normal seedless grapes (I love to freeze them!!)
  • 45 cal bread toast with spray butter on top
  • Almond milk smoothies

Healthy every-day "fat burning" type of snacks
  • lightly salted almonds
  • lightly salted cashews (THE BIG BINS FROM COSTCO ARE BAE)
  • chocolate almonds (NOT the chocolate covered ones... Walmart sells a brand that is "chocolate flavored" and they're to die for!)
  • pistachios
  • popcorn (with little to zero butter)
  • apple
  • apple dipped in Sara Natha's maple almond butter 
  • cotton candy grapes... 😛😍 or just normal seedless grapes (I love to freeze them!!)
  • 45 cal bread toast with spray butter on top (or chunky peanut butter)
  • multi grain crackers with sliced turkey on top (or the light/low-fat string cheese on top) (or both)
  • light string cheese
  • lightly salted rice cake topped with chunky peanut butter and jam 
  • roasted chickpeas (the store bought ones are really good but even better, try roasting them on your own without any oil.. yum 👌)
  • Two Moms in the Raw blueberry or cacao nib granola bars
  • Larabars or RX bars
  • reduced sugar chewy granola bars
  • peanut butter ginger chews
  • dark chocolate - in moderation (👈 the moderation part rarely ever happens for me so if I know I am going to scarf it, sometimes I'll just try to completely avoid it!)
  • my homemade oat banana bread :):):):):):) (I love heating it up in the microwave and putting maple almond butter or "I can't Believe it's not Butter" spray butter on top!)
  • CO2's salted caramel coconut chips 
  • Almond milk smoothies (ice+banana+almond milk+cocoa/cacao powder+stevia+pink himalayan sea salt) or (ice+banana+almond milk+PB2 powder+stevia+pink himalayan sea salt)

MY BIG SNACKING TIPS:
-Remember moderation. Too many times I've started snacking, then continued snacking on seconds, then switched to a different snack, then another, then all of a sudden I've eaten the equivalent of an entire meal... plus my stomach hurts.
-Carry a water bottle around!! I notice that when I'm feeling snacky, sometimes I'm actually just thirsty. Now that I carry a water bottle around with me everywhere, I have noticed that my stomach feels satisfied more often!