Vixibar

I hear it all the time from my clients.

"I was out running errands/traveling/whatever and I got hungry and the only thing to eat was fast food."

Bologna. Literally. Ewwww for such a lame excuse NOT to eat healthfully!

Eating healthy on the go takes a little preparation to ensure you don't blow your diet by becoming ravenous on the road.

I always give my clients a run down of healthy snacks to stash in the car and their purse to prevent bingeing on junk.

I have a new item to add to the list! Vixibars - "a bar without compromise." I am always searching for a bar that doesn't have a list of unpronounceable mystery ingredients and Vixibar more than passes the test.

Vixibar is an all natural, gluten free, no sugar added, soy free, dairy free portable bar created by athlete, nutritional coach and certified personal trainer, Kate Criswell. My kind of girl!

So, if there's no bad stuff, what's in Vixibars? Just natural whey protein, fruits, nuts and natural flavors. I'm in.

I was sent an assortment of flavors to try by Vixibar: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cherry Biscotti, Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Macaroon and Apple Crisp.

Sampled them all while on a whirlwind trip ... Vixibars were my healthy snack stash!

Just when I thought a flavor couldn't be beat ... I'd try the next one and be all about it! But, Cherry Biscotti was a true stand out for me! YUM!

Learn more and purchase Vixibars here: http://vixibar.com

Frutas

Inspired by the "I Love Fruit Cart" and my memories of Los Angeles fruit carts, I have been making this spicy, sour, sweet, crunchy, cool treat:

Frutas:
Watermelon
Pineapple
Cucumbers
Jicama
Mango
Fresh Coconut (if you really want to get authentic)
Lime
Salt
Pico de Gallo seasoning or chile powder

Slice fruit into bite size chunks.
Squeeze lime over fruit
Add a tiny sprinkle of salt and pico or chile to taste.

Yowza! Yum! MMMMMMMMMM!

(image from: thekitchenfiles.com)

I Heart Fruit Cart

Living in Los Angeles for a decade, it was hard to miss or marvel at the "Frutas" stands. Metal carts with rainbow umbrellas, melons, cucumber, jicama, mango and pineapple sat on ice, were sliced and diced before your ices and served in a plastic bag or container with lemon, pico/chile and salt on top.

Ahhhh, those were the days.

But, I must say - I used to wonder where the fruit came from, how sanitary these carts were and just how "healthy" these seemingly innocent fruity snack was.

Well, a clever Los Angeles couple have started a "Frutas" alternative, The "I Heart Fruit Cart."

Here, they serve organic fruit, sliced up in a sanitary commissary and served in 100% recyclable containers."

Cool. It's compassionate "Frutas."

I'm totally there next time I'm in LA.

Check out the "I Heart Fruit Cart" here: http://iheartfruitcart.com

(image from: iheartfruitcart.com)

Yogavive Chips

I am a victim of clever retailing.
It's not even really clever.
Truly, I am a sucker for overt, shoving in your face to buy items in the check out line.

As I waited in what was seemingly an endless line at HomeGoods, I was tantalized by the items that surrounded me from every angle. I contemplated purchasing scented candles, wacky key chains, reading glasses, an ipod speaker system, golf accessories and flavored coffee. Then, I spied a bin full of shiny, puffy little packages with the word "yoga" sprawled across them.

They had me with the balloon like packaging, but yoga sealed the deal.

I picked up a package of Yogavive Organic Popped Fuji Apple Chips and added them to the booty I scored that day.

I deflated the package of "fat-free, crispy, gluten free, vegan and no added sugar Caramel flavored apple chips and discovered a satisfying taste sensation.

I completely realize eating a whole, fresh Fuji apple would have another level of nutrition and delicious crunch, but these light, crispy chips delivered a delicious, 35 calorie, fun snack.

Yogavive chips would be especially useful in getting kids and produce-phobes to eat some fruit!

Learn more and purchase Yogavive chips here: http://yogavive.com

(image from: yogavive.com)

Nancy's Organic Cottage Cheese

After the four hour yoga workshop on Saturday, I faced a 45 minute drive home with only an organic apple in my possession.

That wasn't gonna cut it.

I was starving and my muscles were screaming for protein.

I rolled into the local Truckee, CA natural foods store, New Moon Natural Foods.
http://newmoonnaturalfoods.com/

They were about to close, so the pickins were slim in their prepared foods case that usually has salads, raw food meals, veggie sushi, etc ...

I wandered over to their refrigerated cases and noticed a very convenient, single serving size package of Nancy's Organic Cottage Cheese.

I picked it out of the cooler and examined the label on the perfectly cute 8oz serving cup. You can view the details on the label above and see why I was impressed. This organic cottage cheese is a stellar way to get post workout protein.

Plus, a serving is really only 1/2 cup, so each "single" serving container gives you two shots of high quality, mostly slow absorbing casein protein.

$1.89 bought me my fix. Not bad for a whole food protein source when you consider the price of a serving of protein powder - which is highly processed no matter how you try to spin it!

I cracked open the container and discovered the thickest, creamiest, tangiest, tastiest cottage cheese I've ever devoured. The tangy taste comes from Nancy's old fashioned culturing process which loads this cottage cheese with probiotics! BONUS!!

I was full after half the container and satiated well past my 45 minute ride home.

Nancy's also makes an entire line of cultured soy and dairy products.

You can find a retailer of Nancy's products here: http://nancysyogurt.com

(image from: nancysyogurt.com)