Restaurant Review: Freshii

This spot is a clean eaters heaven. Let me mention a vegetarian, vegan, or meat eaters heaven. This place needs to be all over the world. It's that good!

This place reminds me of Chipotle based on the quick service and the fact that every meal is customized. 

I was in Vancouver, and was bummed they didn't have one near me in SF. Little did I know they have not only one, but two really close by! 

My friend and I freaked out when we ate it; so we had it every day in Vancouver! Again, it was that good! 

I got the green wrap and customized it with all the delicious fresh veggies I wanted including cucumber, avocado, mixed greens, edamame, tomato, onion, and black beans! I also added quinoa, dates, and Tofu. The options are endless here! 

I highly suggest checking them out http://www.freshii.com/

Review: Out Of The Cave (Paleo Eats)

Since I have gotten in to the fitness industry, I have met plenty of people on special diets. Diets ranging from Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Sugar-free, Fat-free, Low-carb, Raw, Low-calorie, Vegan, High-protein, High-fat, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and the list goes on.

One diet I have been reading a lot about more recently since starting to do CrossFit, is the Paleo diet. This diet consists of vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. I know many great athletes who have seen great gains in their physiques, as well as performance.

I have kept in touch with an old coach of mine named Darrell Lutz who has his own gym called M.A.S.S. Training. I recently noticed his new page called Out Of The Cave to see what it was all about and I was pleasantly surprised. He and his friend Tombro (a chef) created this health food service for people to enjoy healthy eats at a great price!

All the food they serve is organic! From the grass-fed meat, to the fresh veggies, the tasty sauces, and even organic spices! The quality of this food can not be beat! DID I ALREADY MENTION THE PRICES? Oh yeah, it's cheap! I had the chance to try three of the most popular dishes, and they are definitely on point!

MY FAVORITE was the Chicken Curry. It is made with Organic chicken breast, spices, and veggies, served on top of cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash. I was shocked with how delicious this one was. Not too spicy, but had a kick! I could eat this one almost every day!

The chili was killer! The chili is made with turkey breast and the flavor was awesome! I don't know how they made this so perfect, I want the recipe. This can also be served over cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash!

The Jambalaya, was surprisingly also super delicious. I personally have never been a Jambalaya fan, until now! The jambalaya is made with Organic chicken, Andouille sausage, and veggies- served over cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.

I can't wait to try more of their healthy options!!!!

Check them out, and tell them THEA sent you

Restaurant Review: Cafe Gratitude

Wow!!

Ok, as most of you know from reading my posts I am a food lover! A REAL food lover, eating is AWESOME! At the same time I care about the food that goes in my body as should everyone. This is why I often love going to vegan restaurants. Not because I'm vegan, but for the fact that most vegan restaurants go above and beyond to make great food, make it fresh to order, get it locally, and often organic.

Cafe gratitude in San Rafael looked like a place I had to go when I searched online. Tons of options, variety, raw options, and cooked vegan options. I told my sister we had to go for brunch when she mentioned she'd like to go somewhere healthy ( I thought, DUH, I only do healthy), but I made sure to go above and beyond and show her somewhere über healthy!

The restaurant looked closed, until we twisted the door and saw an empty place with a few ladies working. I mentioned how excited I was and they sat us.
We both ordered the maca latte, mine with fresh hazelnut milk and my sisters with almond milk.

The menu was huge but we were starved so decided to start with the raw nachos! Oh man they were tasty and included sprouted chips, sunflower seed paste, salsa fresco,guacamole, and raw cashew sour cream. We devoured it even though we thought we would need a box before digging in.

We then each ordered our brunch. I ordered the live sesame onion bagel w/ cashew cream cheese, nori lox, tomato ,red onion, and capers. This was absolutely tasty! I loved how flavorful it was and I also liked that it was open-faced.

My sister ordered a sweet bowl of steamed quinoa, seasonal fruit,cinnamon, pecans, almond milk, and agave nectar.

We wanted to get dessert, but we were too full, so we drove to Berkeley to play and shop.. Who knew we would find another cafe gratitude and go in to order late lunch/early dinner.

This shop in Berkeley was much different than San Rafael, but just as cute! I we ordered "I am fulfilled" with a yummy fig dressing and split it.

I then ordered the best drink I think I've ever had in my life the "I am grace" smoothie with Young coconut milk, almond butter, date and vanilla bean.

 My sister ordered a green juice. And of course we ordered deserts to go. Holy moly we got the coconut cacao mousse cake, and an almond chocolate mousse cake. Those were so decadent, we took bites throughout the week to hit our sweet tooth. FYI they were made with great ingredients and no sugar just agave!

My new fave bay area restaurant! Thanks cafe gratitude for having the most delicious, fresh, and healthy food around!!!!

Restaurant Review: Earthly Juices Tustin, CA

Where do I start with this amazing spot? My co-worker and I randomly saw Earthly Juices as we went for Fresh sushi at lunch and decided to walk in. The place wasn't even open, but a nice guy working inside showed us the spot and the amazing menu. Right away I freaked! He told me they made their own almond mylk, and only got local organic fruits and veggies. I was SOLD!
It is located so close to my house, it is like living next to your favorite cafe. I came in a few days later, and was kindly greeted by Ellie and Jen. These ladies own Earthly Juices and are as friendly as can be.
Both ladies are extremely knowledgeable of health, food, and cleansing. Their website shares all the insight and information you may need if you have any questions about making a big change in your lifestyle. I definitely noticed, finding a place like this is rare and soaking it up and smiling is the only think I want to do... BUT I must share it first!
2 day green cleanse:
I bought the 2 day cleanse for $99. Let me tell you It was WELL worth it. This cleanse was the first I have done, because I know so many cleanses have the goal to be LOSE WEIGHT. Well for me, I wanted to overload my body with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and nutrients. I decided before competing in a fitness competition (rigorous), I should get in touch with my body and the food I am consuming first. It is time I be a little more mindful of what I eat. Even more than I have been before. It is smart to question your food. Even "healthy" packaged foods may not be so healthy.
This two day cleanse didn't make me starved. I was drinking a little every hour then eating the planned meals at night. I am very happy with my energy levels and feel great.

MENU:
From juices to smoothies to meals, this place has it all! I have tasted lots, and have yet to be disappointed!

Juice:
All juices are fresh and made to order. Seasonal organic fruits and veggies are used so you can't go wrong.

Smoothies:
Heaven in a cup. I like greens and fruit in mine. I also like to add sunwarrior protein to mine:)

Meals:
Yam: This is amazing, it is a cooked yam with balsamic. They add garlic, a homemade pesto(to die for).
Kale Wrap: Holy! This is a sandwich made with NO BREAD. Just delicately folded kale filled with the goodness of pesto and tons of veggies!
Earth burger: Geez. Heaven.Portobello mushroom stacked with whatever you want. I got hummus, sprouts, tomato onion, avocado, and their homemade macadamia "mayo". Served with a side kale salad.
Zuchinni noodle salad: Oh my lord. Craving spaghetti, this is the closest thing you will get to it but its 20x healthier. These noodles are ZUCHINNI! Served with sun dried tomatoes and a yummy dressing!
Coleslaw: Red cabbage and an amazing home made dressing, I almost died!

Check this place out, this food is made with love and might make you melt!



check out their website , facebook or twitter

664 El Camino Plaza
Tustin, Ca 92780

Restaurant Review: True Food Kitchen (Newport Coast)

To my surprise, my roommates planned an amazing dinner out for my birthday. They chose to introduce me to the delicious eats and tasty cocktails of True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach, CA. This restaurant has been on my mind for a while now, and my birthday was the perfect excuse to go try yummy eats. This restaurant menu is based on Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory diet. You don't have to worry about your food being slathered with butter or cream at this restaurant. The food is mostly local and organic, and to be honest you can tell all the food has much more flavor in comparison to your neighborhood grill.

Appetizer:
We tried the Today's Raw Fish which happened to be Albacore Tuna. This came with some light sauce and Jalapeno on top. We discussed how delicious it was, but to be honest it was very small. The slices were thin and we each got about two pieces of fish. Next time, I want to try the Roasted Beet and Mozzarella Agrodolce.

Salad:
All four of us wanted a small salad so we ordered two Harvest Chopped Salads and had them split the plates. It was the perfect little portion for us all to try. This salad had squash, apple, pomegranate, walnut, goat cheese, mixed greens, and Balsamic Vinaigrette. I would definitely order this again!

Entree:
I ordered The Pan Seared Seabass but substituted the Seabass with Salmon. The Salmon was atop of Brussel Sprouts, purple potatoes, mushroom, and Umami. This was seriously my favorite meal I have had out in months! Every bite was flavorful and light! My roommate ordered the same thing with Seabass, and she was just as ecstatic about her meal!
My sister ordered Red Chili Shrimp which came with Sesame Noodles, Gai Lan, Red Spinach and Shiitake Mushroom. She said it had a spicy kick and hit the spot!
My other roommate got the Turkey Bolognese and she said it was amazing. Turkey and brown rice noodles:)

Dessert:
They brought us out a FREE dessert for my birthday. I got the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. This was the perfect way to end an amazing dinner. The dessert was petite and just the right amount of sweet!

Drinks:
My favorite drink was the first that I tried, it is called Flower Child-Organic Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, Honey Lemonade, Pineapple Juice, Mint, and Fennel. I liked how light it tasted and the mint almost made it like a lighter mojito!

My sister ordered Spontaneous Happiness, besides ordering it for its amazing name the drink was a concoction of Ginger and Vanilla infused Sochu (I believe a japanese style vodka), St. Germain Elderflower, and fresh lime. Her drink was a little smaller, but it was DELICIOUS. I was surprised with how amazing the drinks were here. I think the reason they tasted so great was because they weren't too strong.

I tried one more drink Cucumber-Citrus Skinny Margarita- This margarita knocked my socks off! I LOVED that the margarita was refreshing like I wanted it to be, but was NOT syrupy or too strong. I enjoyed the light flavors and the infused citrus aftertaste.

My sister then tried The Prana- Belvedere, Coconut Water, Grapefruit, and Clementine. This was super tasty! Not only was it beautiful but the taste was ON POINT. The mixologist knew what he/she was doing when they invented this one. I would recommend this for any girl; pretty, pink, and sweet.

True Food Kitchen has a very modern design. I thought it was cool to see a restaurant try something completely new. Next time, I want to sit by the fireplace on their patio (I forgot a big jacket this time). The bar top looked like a fun place to eat, but we decided to be seated at a table and we enjoyed ourselves very much!

Check out the restaurant True Food Kitchen !

Time To Grab A Meal Out

Eating out this weekend? Opt for a healthy restaurant that you can try new yummy meals at! I have been exploring orange county and keepin' a lookout on truly healthy places ( no more low calorie meals with fake stuff for you guys). We want lots of real fresh yummy food right!

Veggie grill:
In my eyes Veggie gill is a healthier panera bread and just as convenient! My fave is the "all hail kale salad" with grilled tempeh and if you want a little extra treat get yourself a small side of sweet potato fries. The great thing about these fries is that they aren't deep fried but simply flash fried in canola oil. The ketchup is even organic and has no added sugar and is instead sweetened naturally with organic agave syrup. Check it out yourself!

Rutabegorz:
This restaurant has the cutest home town feel, I feel so comfy when I visit. I get their salads and they are HUGE, filled with veggies! I like the shrimp and avocado salad with no cheese. The Thai chicken salad with no crunchy noodles is also amazing. Ruta's even carries stevia to sweeten your iced tea or coffee! The homemade vegetable soups are so fresh and flavorful I love them. This place is amazing and definitely rexxomed it I'd you want to eat healthy and still go out!

Native foods:
 OH MY GOSH! New discovery! Native foods is DELICIOUS! New obsession for sure! I have been introduced to the Aztec salad and asked for added grilled tempeh! Wowzaaaa! My mom ordered the soup of the day and it was also amazing, she got the watermelon fresca which is a drink with fresh watermelon, mint, and a little agave! Super refreshing on a hot day! I can't wait to try more things on this menu! This place also had NON DEEP FRIED sweet potato fries with an amazing mayo-free creamy chiptole dipping sauce! Another thing I would like to mention (which is very important to me) is how amazing their customer service was. I was sincerely impressed and when me and my roommates came (indecisive as always) they were helpful and patient! Cudos to the workers;)

Seasons 52:
On the more high end side of te ealthy dining I've tried would have to be Seasons 52! This is an amazing restaurant that orders the best quality, organic, and healthy ingredients to mix up on their menu. The menu changes frequently and each day has seasonal specials the chef prepares fresh. The experience is a little more pricey but is DEFINITELY worth it! Everything on the menu is under 450 calories! Guilt free!!!!!!!!!! Nothing better than the feeling of enjoyig a delicios meal our and not feelig like you are taking steps backwards! I suggest the salmon salad! My brother got the filet mignon which was amazing as well! Celebrate a night out and do it right! Seasons is the place to be;)

True Food Kitchen:
This place is OUTSTANDING. Seriously delicious food. I am stunned with how good True Food can make healthy food taste so decadent and delicious. There isn't one appetizer, main course, or beverage I didn't like. This place is a must try!