Being such an active person, one thing I'm constantly paying attention to is my nutrition. Food is the fuel that gives me energy for all of the hikes & bike rides I go on, strength training and yoga sessions I power through, daily long walks with my dog, and the list goes on & on! Plant-based diets tend to be carb-heavy, and while eating complex carbohydrates is a very necessary part of fueling my healthy lifestyle, one thing I focus on is eating enough protein. Otherwise, I could just easily eat a big bowl of fruit for breakfast, a pb & banana sandwich for lunch, an apple and granola bar for snacks, and rice & veggies for dinner. Is that a healthy day of eating? Sure, but that doesn't give me enough protein to properly refuel my muscles with all of the working out that I ... [Read More]
vegan recipes
Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chunk Hemp Granola [gf, vegan]
Happy Hump Day! How's your week going? I've gotten back into the swing of things in SoCal since getting back from vacation. While Mexico was a dream, it's not too shabby coming home when you love where you live, so I can't complain! My work week is a bit more exciting than usual because an East coast friend of mine is in town and will be staying with me for a few days. I love when friends from out of town visit! But I digress, onto food... Question of the day: Coconut - do you love it, hate it, or feel indifferent to it? I used to not like coconut at all, and then all of a sudden last year, I developed a thing for shredded coconut. While I still don't love most coconut flavored things, coconut shreds are now routinely sprinkled on top of my smoothie bowls - hence why I've shared two ... [Read More]
Loaded Mediterranean Avocado Toast [vegan]
Hola! While I'm in Mexico eating what's sure to be an abundance of guacamole, today I'm sharing with you a recipe that revolves around the illustrious avocado, but isn't really Mexican-themed... I'm blessed to have my husband for many reasons - one being that he'll try whatever dish I put in front of him. Whoa, when I typed that I just realized that I totally sound like my mom, who loves that A will eat (& usually enjoy) almost anything. She loves when we visit and he eats her leftovers! But I mean, what type of cook doesn't like having a loved one around that'll try all of their creations? Even though A isn't a vegetarian himself, he's open to trying my many vegan and vegetarian dish experiments without complaint. That's why when I received a rare critique from him recently that I ... [Read More]
Blueberry Chia Oatmeal Bars [vegan, gf]
Last year when I shared a recipe for cinnamon baked apple & peanut butter oatmeal, I proclaimed that it'd probably be the only hot oatmeal recipe that I ever post since I'm not a huge oatmeal bowl fan. However, what I've realized is that I love to use oats all the time in recipes. I love what a great source of fiber oats are, which definitely keeps my belly fuller for longer. When people come to me and ask how they can add more fiber into their diets, guess what one of the foods is that I always tell them to eat more of? OATS! They're a staple in my kitchen, and there have been countless recipes incorporating use of them on the blog - including PB & J oatmeal crumble bars, oatmeal walnut hemp energy bites and dark chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies, to name a few. And ... [Read More]
Veggie & Crispy Tofu Old Bay Breakfast Stir-Fry [vegan]
Hi friends! How was your weekend? Highlights of mine were a date night to celebrate my hubby's admission into his MBA program of choice for the fall (exciting stuff!), a trip to the dog beach with my pup, and recouping from last week's Vegas work trip. Resting up felt so nice after this busy time of work for me. I got a massage, hung out with my hubby, got a lot of sleep, did some yoga and drank a few glasses of wine. It all felt wonderful and was much needed! Today's recipe is one filled with veggies and a food that many people seemed to be freaked out by: tofu. The truth is, I wasn't always a tofu fan. Tofu is something that is totally dependent on how you prepare it and the flavors you add into it, and in the past, I didn't know how to cook it to my liking. That is until I ... [Read More]
Chocolate Cherry Cashew Smoothie Bowl [vegan]
Hi friends, Happy Friday! I couldn't get my act together to get this post out this morning as planned, but better late than never! Shall we catch up and talk about my recipe of the day? So, my father-in-law flew into San Diego from the East coast last night and will be here for the long weekend, I'm working on Monday, and then come Tuesday, I'll be on vacation for the rest of the week. My hubby and I going on a road trip up to wine country and meeting my parents there, who are flying in from the East coast. I am really excited for it and can't wait to be wine tasting in Sonoma with my favorite people! This has been a really busy time with work, so I can't decide if this is a great time to go on vacation. On one hand, it'll be lovely to get to unwind and relax after being in go-go-go mode ... [Read More]