Hello!
I’m feeling very excited to fly home and see my family tomorrow! I know that while I’m on my trip I’ll be indulging a lot and not exercising as much (especially with frigid temperatures in Jersey and my crazy pup not being with me to nudge me to take her on walks!). That’s perfectly fine and I’m looking forward to the vacation, but knowing this, I have been mindful in making some of my meals extra healthy and produce-packed lately.
For one thing, I’ve been eating a lot of veggies to help build up my immune system a bit and protect myself from getting sick while I’m traveling and around so many people during the holidays. For another thing, eating really healthy meals helps balance out the sweets that have inevitably been present in my life more so than usual. Yesterday I made cupcakes and cookies that I gave out to a couple of friends as little holiday treats, and I taste tested so much I felt overloaded with sugar. Ick.
Have you guys tried these? Ah-mazing.
That’s the funny thing about living healthily, treating yourself well and paying attention to how your body feels: When you overdo it, you really feel it. And it makes you realize how awesome you feel when you only try 1 or 2 cookies… not a bunch of them plus a countless number of spoonfuls of batter. Whoopsies. I know that eating healthy and in moderation makes me feel vibrant and full of life, and that I hate feeling bogged down after my sugar high has crashed and burned!
One of the nice and healthy meals I made in recent days was this sesame noodle salad. I’ve talked about this before, but sometimes I just crave meals with lots of veggies with sesame seeds and sesame oil. The mood for this struck me last week, and this pretty little vegan salad was the result.
I used these fun buckwheat soba noodle bundles that I found at the grocery store on the Marine Corps base nearby:
Isn’t this dish just bursting with vibrant color? Any meal naturally this colorful provides the body with so much goodness. Eat the rainbow, my friends!
Asian Sesame Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 3 oz extra firm tofu
- 6 oz buckwheat soba noodles
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame
- 1 TBSP sesame seeds
- 1 TBSP creamy peanut butter
- 1 TBSP rice vinegar
- 1 TBSP sesame oil
- 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli and edamame until slightly tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Drain the tofu and cut into small cubes. Mix the tofu with half of the sesame dressing and set aside.
- Cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions. Drain, then rinse with cold water. Return back to pot once cooled and add in the tofu, broccoli, edamame, shredded carrots and red bell pepper. Drizzle the rest of the dressing on top, sprinkle in the sesame seeds, and toss together to evenly coat.
- You can serve the salad immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to eat.
Nutrition
Tell me… On your plate and elsewhere, how do you find balance during the holiday season?
I totally feel it when I go overboard on the sweets, which is why once every so often I have to totally cut them out for like a week to reset my body. HA. That doesn’t happen often…the reset I mean. Those Joe-Joe’s are SO GOOD, it’s bittersweet that they have dairy in them and I no longer eat them.
This looks like my kind of salad. So colourful!
I keep seeing these Chocolate-covered peppermint Joe-Joe’s everywhere and it’s making me want them so badly! I hate that some of this stuff only comes around once a year because it makes me want it all haha. This noodle salad is loaded with vegetables though! You’re so good at balancing what you eat 🙂
Have a great time at home, Nicole!! Hmm.. I don’t have too much of an issue staying on my workout regimen when at home over the holidays because i have to keep training for squash, but the healthy eating thing at christmas parties etc is definitely killer! Seriously, I need 4 stomachs or something! I guess I try and start the day off right, with a healthy breakfast. That tends to start my day off on a good note, and the chances of feeling upbeat and healthy are dramatically increased 🙂
The holiday season is really no different than any other season in my mind and if I keep thinking like this, then they’re easy-breezy! 😉
Looks so good!!
This recipe looks beautiful!!
I’m with you! When I overindulge I feel awful. Like when I eat an entire cupcake, I often feel sick after. This salad looks amazing! I love all the beautiful colors.
I had to build up my immune system before travelling too. Well, it’s never too late. Happy holidays hope you enjoy your time with family!
Thanks, Daniela! Hope that you’re enjoying the holidays as well.
I did this recipe yesterday and my boyfriend and I really liked it! We had never tasted buckwheat noodles before! Thanks a lot! Will make this recipe again!
Thanks so much for your comment, I appreciate your feedback! 🙂