Skip to content

Posts from the ‘product recos’ Category

Jul 10

Back in LA: Recharging after a long flight

I made it to LA! Ugh, finally. What a flight. Flying is just a miserable experience anymore. Husband and I have been loyal Delta flyers for years, but the lack of benefits lately are making me consider committing airline adultery.

Here was the level of comfort achieved on our flight out. I’m 5’6″, people. My knees shouldn’t be jammed against the seat in front of me.

Cramped Delta Airlines Seats

With these conditions, and nothing but peanuts and pretzels, it’s no surprise many of us end up feeling disgusting when we travel. We’re bloated, tired, dehydrated and hungry. This is why whenever I travel, I make a point to eat well to ensure I don’t end up feeling like a wreck.

I stocked up on food at Balducci’s in JFK. Although they’re expensive, they always have vegan/vegetarian healthful options. The mediterranean wrap was tasty, but packed with onions so beware. My breath could have choked a horse.

Crudite and Hummus snack. Mediterranean Veggie Wrap.

I brought a pack of Peeled pine-4-pineapple snacks from home. They’re such a convenient treat to stash in the carry-on. The packaging is flat so doesn’t take up much space in the “seat-pocket in front of me”.

I spent my first day in LA treating my body to healthy food and rejuvenating fitness to offset the damage. I took Simon for a long walk and stopped at Earthbar at Equinox Westwood for a veggie juice.

Total Greens Juice at Equinox Earthbar, Westwood. Parsley, Celery, Spinach, Kale, Cucumber. I added Lemon and Ginger for extra $0.50.

Then ended the day with a decompressing, stretching, YW Flow 2 class at YogaWorks. I needed something to help stretch me out after that brutal plane ride. And honestly, nothing could have worked better.

Oh, and of course, I was already plotting out dinner before I went to yoga, so I ordered online from Native Foods, and scheduled it for a 6pm pickup. Sure enough, I walked over after class and my Scorpion Burger was there waiting for me. Skipped the line and was in and out of there in less than five minutes. Brilliant!

Stay tuned for more LA adventures!

May 24

Mini Larabar Variety 12-Pack

New Product Watch: Mini LARABAR Variety 12-Pack

I’ve mentioned LARABARs before, but had to share my latest find… MINI LARABARs! I found them on Soap.com when I was shopping for cleaning products. I haven’t seen them in NYC yet, but I’m sure they’re on their way if not already cropping up.

Each box has four Cherry Pie, four Apple Pie, and four Cashew Cookie bars. Cashew Cookie is 100 calories, the other two are only 90, making it a healthy, portion controlled snack. They’re gluten-free, and have zero fake additives like bars often do. They’re made simply from dried fruit and nuts, and only the natural sugars from the fruit. And boy are they tasty!!

Ask anyone who has traveled with me, I’m always concerned about not having something to eat. Particularly when I’m on the go, or traveling long distances, I hate not knowing whether I’ll have a healthy and tasty food option. Although fresh fruit is my preference, sometimes it’s not available, or difficult to stuff into a bag without getting mutilated. So I always have a few LARABARs stashed in my purse. The Minis are so convenient because they don’t take up much room. I was happy to have a few in my purse when I was in Maine last week and needed a quick munch on the plane.

Check ‘em out at LARABAR.COM!

Mini LARABAR Variety 12-Pack

P.S. They’ve also come out with a new bar flavor, Blueberry Muffin which if you close your eyes, does resemble its’ name. Ingredients: Dates, Cashews, Blueberries, Blueberry Juice Concentrate, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vanilla Extract.

Blueberry Muffin LARABAR

May 7

New Fruit Mixes from Peeled Snacks

As I’ve mentioned before, I love Peeled Snacks.   {Pause}   Sorry, I had to take a breather from typing because I needed both hands to open a bag. I had the pleasure of trying the new Peeled Fruit Mixes at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival. Now you can get THREE amazing dried fruits in one bag!! Available in the following organic Fruit Mixes: Farmer’s Market Trio (apple, cherry & raisin), Go Figure (fig, date, & apricot), and my personal favorite, Paradise Found (mango, banana & pineapple).

Paradise Found

The resealable pouches are perfect for keeping at your desk for that 3pm snack, or for sharing between family members. I love them when I’m traveling, or if I need a little energy before a workout. The fruit is fibrous so it satisfies without weighing you down and leaving you stuffed between meals. Sometimes I throw a handful of fruit and a few almonds in a snack bag, and I’m good to go. They’re also enough to satisfy that after dinner sweet tooth and are definitely a better alternative to a cookie or piece of cake. Of course, they can become addictive so I always watch my portions and love their single serve pouches. I adore Peeled for constantly coming up with organic, healthy, fresh, and simply delectable snack ideas. What are they going to think of next?

How do you take your Peeled Snacks? Straight up? Do you create your own mix? Are they your child’s favorite snack? Please share!

Shop for the new Fruit Mixes and many other delicious varieties at PeeledSnacks.com!

Farmer's Market Trio

Go Figure

Paradise Found

Apr 22

13ozBobblePinkMulti_x

Earth Day Feature: the Water Bobble – reusable bottle filters tap water on the go

These days, carrying a plastic water bottle is like bearing a scarlet P on your chest. There are tons of reusable water bottles on the market; some are BPA-free, some stainless, some are workout specific, but there’s one that stands out above the rest.

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate, I wanted to share my most recent purchase…the Bobble.

18oz bobble

If you want to do something good for your body and eco-friendly, get a Water Bobble! It’s a water bottle made from recycled plastic, that has its own carbon filter so as long as you have access to a tap, you will always have access to filtered, delicious water. It’s BPA-free, and the filter will remove chlorine and organic contaminants from municipal/potable water. It’s not recommended in areas where water is of unknown quality. The Bobble provides an easy way to help the environment, and increase your water daily water intake. And it’s a huge money saver! The bottle is only $10 and the filter lasts for 300 uses. The replacement filters (they recommend changing every two months) are only $7. How much do you think you spend a year on bottled or filtered water?

Some scary facts (courtesy of WaterBobble.com):

$17 billion – Amount Americans spend annually for portable water

Almost 1.5 million – Number of oil barrels used to make plastic water bottles (which end up in landfills, our oceans, and other areas of our environment)

Now through 4/25, purchase at WaterBobble.com and it’s buy one, get one free! Get one for yourself and give the extra to a spouse, child, or friend. I just ordered a second in lavender and sent two to my parents.

The Water Bobble, designed by award-winning designer Karim Rashid, come in six colors and three sizes (13 oz, 18.5 oz and 34 oz). I saw a kid’s version at The Container Store that came in a fun, lunchbox size, multi color, but I didn’t see it listed on the Bobble website.

13oz kiddie bobble

My only criticisms are:

  1. I wish it came with a calendar or a way to track when you need to change the filter
  2. I wish the cap was a flip-top or had a leash. When working out, I need a flip top that can be opened with one hand but covers the nozzle during my workout for sanitary reasons. Having a separate cap just means it’s going to get lost. That said, I noticed they will provide a replacement cap at no cost, so I expect I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Get your Bobble on!

Feb 1

7 Comments

Happy 30 day Veganversary to me!

Day 30 – What’s next?

I did it!  Vegan for 30 days. I feel great and am incredibly proud. And for the record, I did it way before Oprah. Being vegan opened my eyes to how many animal products I used to consume. I hadn’t noticed how much dairy I was eating… a couple coffees, dinner at a restaurant (prepared with butter), eggs in the pasta, eggs in the bread, yogurt for breakfast, it all adds up.

After reading different articles and books including The China Study (thank you @blakebrody for the loaner, I swear you’ll get it back), I feel bad that I always called my mom crazy when she gave me that disapproving look and said “That has _____ in it, it’s not good for you.” Fill in the blank with “high fructose corn syrup”, “aspartame”, “caramel color”, “red meat”, “red dye”, “blue dye”, “artificial X”, “preservatives”, the culprits are endless. This was usually followed by a monologue on how the ingredient causes cancer.

My mom has always been ahead of her time when it comes to health. She’s a nurse and as I’ve mentioned, an amazing cook. In fact, why isn’t she writing this blog? Between her and my crafty, farming dad, I must have been the healthiest kid in Maine. I grew up on pure, natural ingredients. Apples, grapes, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers, carrots, sugar snap peas, watermelons, maple syrup, you name it, we made it. (My dad could grow fruit in the desert. Evidently green thumbs are not genetic because I’ve successfully killed cactus and other “invincible” plants.)

Everything was homemade from the moment I was born (breast-milk aside). My mom made her own baby food by pureeing things like spinach in the blender. Nothing jarred or canned ever touched these lips. At a very young age, I learned how amazing fresh ingredients taste, the benefits of cooking from scratch, and the dangers of artificial preservatives/ingredients. And although I never cooked as a child, it definitely made me who I am today so I’m eternally grateful for growing up with parents that emphasized the importance of what we put in our bodies. I guess it all sunk in afterall. Thanks mama & papa. Sorry I called you crazy, but I’m sure that won’t be the last time.

Why did I do this? Ah, this question came up almost every time I told someone what I was doing. My answer? FOR ME! After eating a mostly vegetarian diet, I was curious about becoming vegan. Of course I also did it because I’m an animal lover. I mean, look at this face!

simon. a.k.a. the cutest dog on the planet

Food Inc. changed me for life, but my primary concern is my health, and of course, the health of those around me. I did become more aware of my food choices and how they impact my own body, the lives of animals and the environment around us. So my reason for doing it is really 3-fold, but I technically fall into the “dietary vegan” category vs. the “ethical vegan”.

As I researched other vegan blogs/articles on Twitter, I was disheartened by some negative comments (not directed at me, but general comments) bashing people doing “vegan challenges” or “trial periods”. This really chaps my *ss. I think it’s great if ANYONE tries being vegan for ANY amount of time. If it’s a day (hello, Meatless Mondays??), a week, a meal, it’s a journey for someone working towards a common goal and should be embraced with the same compassion deserved of all walks of life.

The kindest note I received was from @VeganTweeter who said …”a ‘trial’ or ‘experiment’ is how many lifelong vegans start out”.  That really struck a chord with me. I wasn’t sure where this path would lead 30 days ago, but now I feel I’ve only touched the surface of being vegan. Since I’m a dietary vegan, I do still have some clothing made from animals so maybe some will say I’m not a “true vegan” then. And yes I do recognize the hypocrisy of not eating animals but wearing them. But isn’t it better to do something than nothing at all?

Am I going to keep the blog going? You betcha! I absolutely love blogging, but I’m thinking about changing the name. More on that later.

The big question…Am I staying vegan? YES I am! Dining out is definitely the most challenging. I’m a big foodie and love to try all the new restaurants, but even the vegetarian dishes like pasta are usually not vegan since pasta is typically made with eggs. I will try to eat as vegan as I can, but if there are times when the best I can do is vegetarian, than that’s what I’ll be if you have to label it.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised that restaurants like Little Giant can be so accommodating, and I’m optimistic that as more people turn to plant-based diets, dining out will not only become easier, but chefs will be preparing more unique and amazing vegan-friendly dishes. Tonight I celebrated at Blossom with a glass of Malbec, arugula salad & seared seitan with porcini sauce. And after that, ran across the street to Cocoa V for a cupcake. Life is sweet!

tofutti cream cheese frosted chocolate cupcake

Thanks for reading this past month. Stay tuned for more recipes, restaurants, fitness information and other vegan adventures.

What’s your story? Why did you decide to be vegan? Are you a dietary vegan or an ethical vegan? Or other? :) Please share!! Thinking of going vegan? Here are some items I found essential to have on hand to help you get started. If you have other starter kit ideas you want to share, please do! Sharing is caring, people.

Vegan Starter Kit (Organic)

Tofu

Tempeh

Tamari

Dairy-free milk (almond, hemp seed, cashew, soy etc)

Baby carrots

Hummus

Onions/Carrots/Celery basic essentials for soups, stir frys etc

Beans (variety of either canned or dried, whatever you like and have access to – cannelini, garbanzo, black beans)

Avocado

Lemons/limes

Garlic

Hot sauce

Variety of leafy green vegetables fresh and frozen (kale, collard greens, spinach) & baby spinach, romaine for salads

Cucumbers

Variety of snacking fruits (whatever is in season that you like)

Nuts (whatever you like) tip: store nuts in the fridge so they don’t go bad

Peanut butter or almond butter

Tahini (or make your own with sesame seeds)

Peeled Snacks

Frozen shelled edamame

Daiya

Liquid Amino Acids

Nutritional Yeast

Whole grains (millet, farro, quinoa, brown rice, sticky brown rice, seeded/sprouted bread, polenta, soba noodles, whole grain pasta, brown rice wraps or tortillas) tip: store rice, seeded grains/breads in the freezer so they don’t go bad

Corn to make popcorn

Earth Balance

Good olive oil, canola oil, toasted sesame oil

Mirin

Fresh herbs (parsley is a good staple)

Bananas

Equipment I can’t live without: Vitamix or other commercial grade blender

Lastly, below are a few of my favorite discoveries from this past month as I explored the world through vegan eyes.

New Vegan Discoveries

The Kind Diet

1,000 Vegan Recipes Cookbook

Blossom New York

Coco V

Vegan Tweeter

Happy Herbivore

Fitness Motivation

new in-studio footwear by Blake Brody

soul cycle

bar method soho

power pilates

movement studio LA

Jan 6

2 Comments

Vegan, gluten-free, yummy, on-the-go snacks

Day 4 – Vegan on-the-go!

Ok so I’m not going to lie, I’m tired today. Been tired all day, still tired now. I did another double session of Bar Method and Soul-Cycle so maybe my body is angry and fighting back. Either way, I was running around all day on a couple coffees, but no food. Not good for me or my metabolism. Being vegan does pose a few challenges like grabbing a bite when you’re out and about, which is why it’s always good to have goodies stashed in your purse for emergencies. Thank you Larabars for surviving the beat down of being jostled around in my overstuffed purse.

No, I don’t get paid to promote these brands, but I would happily do it; they are life-savers! I have been eating them for years, way before I began this vegan journey. I first got them as on-the-go snacks for my husband and I. We wanted something easy and low-calorie for pre or post-workouts, and occasionally in between meals. For a while we tried Balance bars, but didn’t like that they are full of ingredients you cannot pronounce. It’s like translating the periodic table. So I searched for a natural, good tasting bar. The search was over when I tried Larabars and Go Raw bars. They are now my go-to healthy snacks. They are gluten-free, wheat-free, and vegan. The Go Raw products are even nut-free and organic, and flavors like Banana Bread are only 120 calories. I recommend keeping Go Raw in the refrigerator since the ingredients are “live” and are susceptible to going bad (although I’ve never seen that happen).

Here are a few of my favorite flavors:

Larabars: Peanut butter cookie, Coconut cream pie, Peanut butter & jelly, Cherry pie and Apple pie.

Go Raw: Real Live Flax Seed Bar, Spirulina Energy Bar, Banana “bread” Flax Bar,  Spirulina* “super chips” and Ginger Snaps.

*Spirulina is a blue algae and complete protein containing all essential amino acids.  It’s also a rich source of potassium which is why I love it post-workout!

Happy Snacking!

Available at Whole Foods. Go Raw brand sometimes available at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Jan 3

Day 1 of the 30-day Veggie Challenge

Day one without meat, fish, poultry and limited intake of dairy/eggs. So far, so good. I’m energized and had a busy day so haven’t been snacky.

No time to make lunch today so I picked up a prepared vegan roasted tomato soup from Whole Foods. And of course, the first thing I thought was shit…. I cannot eat this without a grilled cheese! So I bought a vegan rice cheese “american” flavor. This goes against everything I know…fake cheese, and American flavor no less!!! BLECK. I’m not ordinarily fond of vegan/vegetarian substitutes like Tofurky or rice cheese etc. I usually find these options just as bad as eating the real thing since it’s so processed. That said, I decided to test it out in the spirit of experiencing a true vegan/vegetarian diet.The cheese honestly didn’t taste like much of anything, but it melted well and gave the effect I needed to satisfy the grilled cheese urge. I’ll have to try it again to really gather an opinion on this stuff.

I LOVE this sprouted grain & seed bread.The slices are small (good for portion control) and it has amazing texture.  You can see all the good stuff in it (sprouted wheat, malted barley, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc). Yes, it’s “hippie” bread but don’t scoff, it’s really tasty and makes you realize that plain baguette is pretty boring in comparison.

Whenever I buy a loaf of bread it always goes moldy before I can eat it so frozen breads like this particular one from Food for Life are a life saver. I get this one in the freezer section at Whole Foods. I just toast it with jam and almond butter, or for a grilled cheese, I toast it a little to warm it up and then put it in the pan with Earth Balance (vegan margarine). Be sure to put a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt.

The soup kind of tasted like pasta sauce, but that’s what I get for not making lunch from scratch! It did the trick though, a perfectly light, healthy meal on a cold winter’s day.

I also used soy milk in my cappuccino this morning which was fine and actually gave a nutty sweetness so I didn’t need any sugar (thank you Cafe Grumpy). For snacks, I had a Pink Lady apple from the farmer’s market and a handful of almonds from Trader Joe’s. Dinner will be leftovers from last night.

I don’t really want to turn this into a boring food journal but for those of you interested in vegan/vegetarian diets, thought it may help to see how easy it actually is to adjust your diet. (Of course, I’m saying it’s easy after 1 day). When I have good products or recipes to share, I definitely will and I hope you’ll do the same. The one thing I’m quickly learning is that there’s a major shortage of good resources for vegan/vegetarians.

Today’s Workout: 1 hour semi-private reformer/mat session at Power Pilates at 8am. Then 1-hour class with Amy at The Bar Method in SOHO.