Quinoa with apples, raisins and peanut butter.

My 2 Favorite Quinoa Recipes

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Quinoa is simple and healthy… It cooks up in about 15 minutes in water or broth. Which is fine! But for a change of pace, why not add in a few extra ingredients for some variety?

My 2 favorite quinoa recipes are easy and only require 4 ingredients (not counting water)!

But first, a few facts about quinoa:

Quinoa is:

  • Gluten-free
  • Actually a seed but cooks up like a whole grain
  • Quick cooking (15 minutes)
  • Considered a complete protein (1/4 cup dry, before cooking=6g)
  • High in fiber and iron
  • A good source of B vitamins and magnesium

Now that we know a little more about it, let’s move on to the recipes…

Sweet Coconut Red Curry Quinoa

A little spicy, a little sweet and a lot of fantastic flavor! 

Light coconut milk, quinoa, medjool dates and red curry paste.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1-2 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
  • 5 medjool dates (more or less, depends how sweet you like it)

Directions:

  • In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and coconut milk to a boil.
  • Chop dates and add them to pot.
  • Stir in the red curry. 
  • Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa

This was something I made on The Rhode Show when I was a Nutrition Excellence Coach for Whole Foods Market:

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 medium apple, chopped
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:

  • In a medium saucepan, bring water, quinoa and raisins to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for 12 minutes.
  • Stir in apple.
  • Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.
  • Stir in peanut butter.  Sometimes I add cinnamon too.  Serve warm.
Quinoa, apple, raisins and peanut butter

🌟 As you can see, quinoa is a versatile food!

✔️ Try eating the Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa for breakfast or lunch paired with a yogurt. Or get creative: Start with a bowl of plain quinoa and eat it like you would oatmeal, adding in nuts, seeds and fruit. Quinoa even makes a great salad topper.

✔️  Try the Coconut Red Curry Quinoa as a side dish to go with seafood, chicken, beef or tofu along with a cooked vegetable like broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard or spinach.

 

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Baking sheet of roasted vegetables.

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

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Pan of oven-roasted vegetables

🥦 As a dietitian, part of my role (along with reminding you to eat your vegetables) is to help you find practical ways to make vegetables enjoyable.

Today I am here to hopefully inspire you to try oven-roasting veggies! 😍

We all know how good they are for our health– all those vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and of course the fiber.

With so much controversy in nutrition, one thing just about all the experts agree on is that vegetables are awesome for us!

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But most of us really struggle to eat enough.  Even when we know we should eat them and we want to eat them– it can be tough to make it happen. 

If your goal is to increase your vegetables but you’re stuck, ask yourself why:

😝 Do you think you don’t like veggies?

🌟 Taste buds can change over time. And different cooking methods and seasonings can make a major difference in taste and texture. It’s a fact that you can learn to like vegetables!

😣 Do you believe veggies are too much work?

💓 There are just too many health benefits to eating them to not make the effort. Effort-based rewards (like making food) are keys to happiness and achieving a sense of accomplishment & satisfaction in life!

🥱 Are you bored with the same old veggies you always make?

👩‍🍳 Search for new recipes or watch cooking shows for inspiration. Pick a new vegetable to try at the store or at a farm stand. Get creative and out of your comfort zone!

😏 Or this one that makes me smile: “They go bad in the fridge before I eat them.” 

🤣 That is only because you let them sit there instead of cooking and eating them! Buy less and shop more often to avoid this. Utilize frozen veggies too. Check your fridge daily to see what needs to be eaten soon and plan your meals around those vegetables.

➡️ Whatever your reason, it is a limiting belief.

Limiting beliefs are thoughts you believe to be absolutely true– only they are not– instead, they hold you back from success!

If you want to get more nutrient-rich vegetables into your life, let me suggest one of my favorite super-easy and delicious ways to cook vegetables…

OVEN-ROASTED!

Pan of veggies before roasting.
Before
Pan of roasted veggies.
After

🤭 Guess what? You really can’t mess up oven-roasted vegetables.

Here’s how I do it:

  • Pre-heat oven to 425F.
  • Wash and chop up whatever veggies I have.
  • Toss the veggies with olive oil (2 T?  I don’t measure) and salt, garlic powder or any seasoning.
  • Spread evenly on parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
Pan of roasted mushrooms, peppers, onions and brussels sprouts.

A few more reasons to try it if you’re still not convinced:

  • Perfect opportunity to put on music and chop away any worries of the day. 🎵
  • Warms up the house. 🔥
  • Fills your home with comforting, mouth-watering aromas. 👃
  • Makes a nutritious and simple meal paired with a protein like seafood, chicken, pork, eggs, tofu or beef. 🍽 Be sure to add in some more carbs if you need ’em.
  • Packed full of a wide range of nutrients for energy and disease prevention. ✨
  • Great way to increase fiber intake and promote good digestion and gut health. 💗
  • Fills your belly for not a lot of calories which can support weight loss goals. 👍
  • Leftovers for several days of lunches and dinners. Cook once; eat 2 or 3 times. ⌚

Not sure which ones to try?  Pick one, two or the whole list!:

  • Onions 🧅
  • Garlic 🧄
  • Red, Yellow, Orange or Green Peppers 🌶
  • Zucchini 🥒
  • Mushrooms 🍄
  • Broccoli 🥦
  • Cauliflower 🤍
  • Brussels Sprouts 💚
  • Asparagus 🌿
  • Tomato 🍅
  • Butternut Squash (any winter squash) 🎃
  • Eggplant 🍆
  • Carrots 🥕
  • Sweet Potato 🍠
  • Green Beans 💚

Hopefully all this talk about roasting vegetables inspired you. 😄 

If it even sparked one person to try something new or reminded someone of how easy and tasty roasted vegetables can be, then this dietitian is happy! 😊

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Cartoon with a confused girl not sure what to eat.

Meal Plans vs. Nutrition Counseling

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Sometimes a new client *thinks* they want a meal plan.

It’s easy to believe that if you have what, when and how much to eat all written out for you, you can just do it and reach your goals.

The concept makes perfect sense.

Except for that one part “do it.”

While intentions are there, in reality, people don’t follow meal plans.

And for the same reason that they don’t follow diets for long.

Meal plans are somebody else’s version of what to eat for each meal, when to eat and how much to eat.

They don’t address YOUR unique life routine, preferences, challenges and the reasons why you haven’t been able to achieve your health goals.

You’ll need guidance, but not a meal plan.

We’ll talk about planning out your meals, how to better balance them, ideas of when and what to eat, when and if to include snacks, how to listen to your body, eating to feel good and have energy, changing any unwanted eating habits, new recipes to try if you want them and whatever else you need to get you on the path towards your goals.

 

Take a look at how being given a meal plan differs from nutrition counseling:

Meal Plan

Nutrition Counseling

-Too much change too fast. It’s an entire diet overhaul which is far too much to change at once, overwhelming and not sustainable.

-Implements smaller changes to your diet and builds on those successes to keep you going for the long haul. No complete diet overhauls.

-3 new meals/day for the week equals 21 new meals to buy ingredients for, prepare and cook–all completely different from what you are used to eating. Yikes– not realistic.

–We take your diet from where it is and plan out improvements. As your dietitian, I review your eating habits with you and we come up with strategic changes that are achievable and realistic.

–Rigid and impersonal: No account for food likes/dislikes, daily routine/schedule, time and effort necessary for food shopping, prep, cooking, etc.

–Flexible and customized:  Important factors such as what you enjoy eating, your work/life schedule and how to meal prep and cook all come into play.

-Doesn’t teach you how to eat.  What if you are out of an ingredient, have leftovers in the fridge that you want to use up, are out to eat or simply do not enjoy eating the specific food on your plan for that meal?

-Teaches you how to eat!  And how to trust yourself, create your own balanced meals, eat intuitively, choose what makes you feel satiated and allows the freedom to incorporate whatever foods you like into your life.

Can you see the difference between what nutrition counseling offers versus being given a meal plan?

In a sense we are coming up with a plan for your meals, only not in the way you might have envisioned.

Nutrition counseling is much more likely to result in a lifestyle change that you can feel good about and want to maintain.

Making healthy habit changes means starting where you are and going from there, at whatever pace is comfortable for you.

YOU have a say in what to change.

You’re more likely to implement changes when you are involved in making them, not being told what to do.

If you’re still feeling like you need a meal plan, you’re in luck! Thanks to the internet, you have your choice of millions to choose from right at your fingertips. 😂

Have at it but ask yourself if you really want to keep searching for meal plans (diets!) for the rest of your life… or would you rather become empowered and learn how to eat in a way that is nourishing, enjoyable and sustainable? 💞

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Woman making fish cakes.

SecondsFirst

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I love this quote.

I had it taped on the wall by my computer for the longest time because I found it so moving.  It serves as a reminder that we need to look inside ourselves to discover what excites us and brings us joy– and then make sure that we go and do those things!

Because everything is interconnected, when we do what makes us come alive, not only are we making ourselves better people, but we’re helping the world become a better place.

It is so incredibly inspiring when I meet someone possessing this kind of energy…

Betsy from Health Care without Harm and Erika from SecondsFirst invited members of RIAND (RI Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) on a field trip last Thursday. Field trip– yahoo!

We had the opportunity to meet Erika, the founder of SecondsFirst, who is making her passion happen.  She is a woman who intensely cares about health, sustainable food consumption, reducing food waste, supporting local farming/fishing and helping those struggling with food insecurity.

We met at Hope and Main in Warren where local food lovers and entrepreneurs can develop and expand their food business through the use of low-cost, shared-use commercial kitchens and other industry-specific resources.

There are over 50 small businesses working here creating products like: granola, toffee, cocktail mixers, butterscotch sauce, biscotti, dog treats, pickles, kimchi, bone broth, pimento cheese spread, gourmet chocolate and caramel dipped pretzels and sea salt (from the ocean in Newport!) I could go on but check out the member directory on Hope and Main’s website for the full list.

Erika’s specialty? Fishcakes!

We dietitians were treated to a tour through the kitchen where we saw where the fishcakes are made, cooked and packaged.  Erika showed us all the ingredients and explained where she sources them and why.

She uses skate as the main ingredient– which is caught locally, is sustainable, tastes amazing, and like all seafood is a rich source of protein and nutrients vital for health.

She also puts to good use locally grown, but misfit/cosmetically imperfect carrots and potatoes that would otherwise likely end up as food waste.

Ever try skate wings?

Erika in the kitchen about to serve us her tasty fishcakes along with a fresh salad!

Producing a delicious and nutritious ready-to-heat-and-eat food product like these fishcakes from “seconds” perfectly supports SecondsFirst’s 3 Pillars:

  • No Wasted Food
  • Proteins for All
  • Support Local

Not only is Erika putting her energy into something that’s meaningful to her, she’s positively impacting the environment and helping those who struggle with access to protein-rich nutritious foods.  Organizations like the Jonnycake Center buy her fishcakes and they will be available soon at the Dave’s Marketplace in East Greenwich.

Thank you Erika for all the good you are doing– you are quite an inspiration to me!

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People looking for seaweed at the ocean.

Learning About Sea Vegetables and Other Foraged Foods

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Tuesday evening I met Brett Mayette and several other curious Rhode Islanders down behind Monahan’s in Narragansett to learn about the abundance of nutrient-dense seaweeds and plants all around us–

Yes, the very ones we never think about eating but probably should.

Our culture does not generally consider this slimy, green floating stuff from the ocean to be food (aside from maybe sushi?) — yet many other people around the world traditionally and routinely  include sea vegetables in their diets.

 

Brett is passionate about sharing his knowledge of why these types of local, readily available, mineral rich foods are so valuable to our health and how we can benefit from expanding the repertoire of plant foods that we consume.

After some seaweed gathering, we drove to a church in Peacedale where Brett pointed out some edible greens growing on the property.

We tasted this wood sorrel which has a mild lemony flavor.

Brett showed us samples of a variety of edible “weeds” commonly found in Rhode Island.  He even made us a mixed green salad with his homemade dressing as well as pesto, soup and spanakopita, all incorporating foraged greens.

You really just need small amounts of these bitter greens and seaweeds to reap the health benefits.

Dried dulse.

Very salty– you would not even want to eat large amounts of this!

But added as a garnish to salad or soup, it contributes flavor, nutrients and crunch.

And then, my favorite, the miso soup with local seaweed!  Why isn’t this on any restaurant menus?

I kept thinking, with this being the Ocean State and Rhode Islanders loving their seafood so much, why haven’t I noticed any chefs delving into the world of sea vegetables?  I would totally order some scallops with a side of perfectly seasoned arame or wakame instead of the broccoli, wouldn’t you?  I think a lot of us know that these foods are full of nutrients and we’d like to consume them.  But we’re all a bit intimidated with the process of harvesting them safely and knowing how to integrate them into meals.

Brett’s book recommendations.  I already have the Wild Wisdom of Weeds.

Eating on the Wild Side was at the top of his list and praised highly– I’ve ordered it from Amazon and am looking forward to reading it. 🙂

It was an inspiring and thought-provoking night and I feel so lucky to have been able to attend.  I had heard him talk at my library three years ago and wrote a post that you can check out here–  Fun at the Library:  A New Book and an Inspiring Talk.

We found out about this event through Brett’s mailing list which you can sign up for on his website:  Conscious Cuisine.  Not everything is posted under his ‘events’ tab, so I suggest getting on his mailing list if you’re really interested in finding out what he’s currently offering.

There are a couple of things coming up (not posted on his site but from his last email):

Ready to introduce your children to the wonders of foraged edibles?  Join me Sunday June 24 at 11:00 a.m. at Peckham Farm – across from the tennis courts at URI – for a 90 minute plant identification walk.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring something to take notes on and photos with.  $10/person or $20/family.  No need to RSVP.

The following Tuesday June 26 I will be back at the Chapel of St. John the Divine Parish Hall, 10 Church Way, Saunderstown.  The time will be from 6:00  – 8:00 p.m. This will be a plant walk, workshop, and supper.  Tickets are $20 at the door. Please RSVP by June 24 to Katharine McDuffie at etch27@verizon.net or (401) 294-6402.  You can also register with me by texting or calling 401-580-6919.

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Brussels sprouts with walnuts and grapes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts

Just made this yesterday and wanted to share.

With Thanksgiving coming up fast you might be in need of a fresh and unique idea.  These are delicious and easy– a healthy side dish for your holiday meal that you and your guests will love!

The recipe can be found here:  Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts on the Whole Foods Market website where you’ll also find plenty of other Thanksgiving recipes and tips.   Check it out!

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Yay! The End of Summer…. Squash

No, I’m not happy it’s the end of summer.  🙁

But I am not sad to see the summer squash go.  🙂

I gave it my best but I was far too outnumbered to keep up with them.  Every week, with every new CSA bag, there would be more.  Zucchini, pattypans, crooknecks and mystery varieties of all shapes and sizes were building up in my fridge, on top of my fridge and on the counter.  The thought of grilling summer squash with dinner one more night became absolute torture. There is nothing wrong with zucchini on the grill but it can grow tiresome.  I knew I had to get creative with some additional ingredients to liven things up.

If you’re finding yourself here at the end of summer stuck with too many summer squash and not enough motivation to eat them, I have a few tasty ideas you might want to try:

1.  Grilled Pattypan Squash Pizzas

This is what a pattypan squash looks like:

They come in white, yellow and green.

Slice thinly to make your pizza “crusts” and grill on one side for about 5 minutes:

Then flip over, add your sauce, cheese and pepperoni and cook for about another 5 minutes (grill closed):

I used Applegate for pepperoni and Organic Valley for cheese:

 

2.  Buttery-Dill Summer Squash

Everyone knows that butter makes everything taste better– but I found the combo of butter plus dill raised this squash to another whole level of delicious.

I chopped up this squash but you could use any type of summer squash:

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter plus a liberal amount of dill:

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the squash is tender:

If you want to make this extra-extravagant, add in some chopped cheese once it’s done and stir around so it gets all melty…mmmm.

Add some salt or garlic salt if you like.

This buttery-dill squash went perfectly with baked fish and sweet potato:

3.  Zucchini Lasagna

This is an incredible way to enjoy the flavors of lasagna in a healthier way– by simply replacing the noodles with sliced zucchini.  I’ve done it with eggplant as well and it’s delicious.

Per my usual style, I didn’t follow any official recipe.  I just layered the sliced zucchini with tomato sauce, pre-cooked ground beef and cheese.  Repeat this pattern until you reach the top of your baking dish.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Easy.

Goodbye summer squash!  Now bring on the pumpkins, butternuts, kabochas, acorns and spaghetti squash…

Wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day ♥

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup

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I’m taking it easy today and this weekend after having some dental surgery yesterday.  Once I arrived home, I knew I would be thinking about food very soon and needed something nourishing but also soft since I can’t chew and disturb my stitches!

Hmmm, I have this big box of beautiful butternuts….what could I make?

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Not only is it squash season, it’s quickly becoming SOUP season.

What I decided to do was whip up a delicious thick, creamy, pureed soup made from my stash of butternut squash and just a few other simple ingredients.

Almost everyone I talk to tells me they love butternut squash so I wanted to share this idea that is so simple to create, healthy and tastes incredible.

 

You’ll need:

  • Butternut squash (Cooked and yes, you can cheat and buy the frozen chunks or pre-cut chunks in the produce section.)
  • Broth or stock (I used my homemade bone broth that I had stored in the freezer.)
  • Coconut milk
  • Curry powder (The main ingredient is TURMERIC which has awesome anti-inflammatory properties– PERFECT for healing ASAP!)

The coconut milk adds a creaminess that I love, plus you get the nutritional benefits of coconut, not to mention the ♥FAT♥ makes the soup more satisfying so you’re going to stay full longer.  But you could also make this with only the squash and broth blended up if you wanted to keep it lighter.  Curry is optional as well.  I love the flavor but if you don’t, leave it out and make your butternut squash soup with whatever seasonings you like.

As is usually the case with my cooking, be warned that this is not an exact recipe but rather an idea.  I don’t measure, I just cook.  The more you get in your kitchen and prepare your own food, the more comfortable you will be with following your instincts– and the more creative ideas you’ll find you have inside of you that you never knew about!

Here’s how to make this soup:

Bake your butternut squash.  These are minis.  Feel free to use a couple of large ones.  They all taste similar.  🙂

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450 degrees for 45 minutes.  Larger squash may take longer.  Test with a fork and when they’re tender and soft they’re done.

 

Let them cool until they are comfortable to touch.   Scoop out the squash and place in a blender with your broth, coconut milk  and curry powder.

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I used about 3 cups of broth (thawed and reheated), about 1 cup of coconut milk and LOTS of curry powder (maybe two big tablespoons).

Blend everything together until smooth, adding more liquid (broth or coconut milk) as needed to reach the consistency you want.

 

 

Enjoy this nutritious and delicious soup!  I like to use glass jars for storing leftovers in the fridge.  If you plan to freeze some, glass jars are perfect for this as well– just be sure to leave some room at the top for the liquid to expand.

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You want to know something funny?  Before I had this surgery I was thinking to myself, “I’m not going to be able to eat many of my regular foods for a while so what a great time to get some ice cream to enjoy.”  🍨 Interestingly enough, I have no desire for ice cream.  What I want is to heal and regain my health as quickly as possible and I know that what I put in my body will affect this.  Nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods are what will get me where I want to go.  And while ice-cream won’t kill me, I know it’s not going to contribute to the recuperation process.  When you are clear about what is truly important to you, your actions follow suit.

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Girl holding a big bowl of salad.

2 Stupendous Salad Stops in Stowe

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Last weekend I was in Stowe, Vermont for a quick trip and ended up having 2 amazing salads that inspired me to remind you all that salads do not have to equal boring.

I always check menus for interesting salads.  I’m seeing more and more places offering fabulous toppings making a salad a filling, nutritious and balanced meal.

At the Green Goddess Cafe:

salad mesalad green goddess

Can you see how HUGE that bowl is?  I couldn’t believe my eyes when they brought it out.  They have an awesome system where you design your own salad and if I ever have my own cafe I would totally do this too.  They have an order slip where all the possible toppings are listed in various columns (things like extra veggies, proteins, nuts, dried fruits, etc., plus the dressings) and you circle a certain number from each.  They offered tasty additions like raisins, walnuts, avocado, mandarin oranges and olives as well as the basics like carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and celery.  Unique assortment of salad dressings also.  See, salads can be FUN! 🙂

The other place, Gracie’s, had salads almost as big.  I got the Wolfhound Waldorf salad with shrimp.  Sorry, no picture but check ’em out if you’re in Stowe.

I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants will offer several salad selections and then a choice of proteins to add.  If you don’t consider salads to be filling, make sure you are including a decent protein source in it.  Same goes for fat!  An all-veggie salad as a meal just isn’t enough.

Here in Rhode Island my very favorite place for a salad is the Two Ten Oyster Bar.  I discovered them only this past end of summer when I got their Organic Berry Salad with goat cheese that has since been replaced on the menu with the Harvest Salad.  Still very good with its butternut squash, toasted pepitas, bacon and chipotle maple cider dressing, but I am anxiously awaiting the berry salad to (hopefully) come back soon.

😂 No!  If you *think* you don’t like salads, could you be doing them wrong?

While salads are one of my go-to things to order at a restaurant, they are even better when you make them at home.  Think of stocking your fridge like a mini salad bar with fresh greens, shredded carrots, sunflower seeds, chopped hard-boiled egg, blueberries, dried cranberries, homemade dressings… whatever you can just grab and put together in a bowl for an easy, healthy meal.

If you don’t already, start buying some new things in the grocery store like avocado, tahini, chickpeas or slivered almonds.

Think about a salad you got at a restaurant, what made it special and then recreate it at home!

And not that I have anything against chocolate and wine (just enjoyed both last night!) 🍫🍷

…but I thought this was cute and might make someone smile.😉

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Two people in the Azores with beautiful background scenery.

My Food Adventures in the Azores

 

azores

It feels really good to be back home in my cozy, familiar house in Rhode Island after a week in the Azores.  I mean that even with this huge snowstorm going on as I type!

The Azores Islands are an absolutely gorgeous vacation destination.  Clean and quiet, you will discover natural wonders like thermal pools and volcanoes.  There are endless hiking trails, breathtaking bicycling routes and plenty of ocean.  You can visit pineapple and tea plantations, walk through botanical gardens and go whale watching.

Brief Weather Recap and then on to the Food:  If you like the sun like I do, don’t go to the Azores in January.  It is their winter and their rainy season.  However, if you would be happy to get away from freezing temps and snow, enjoy a steady 60 degrees day and night and don’t mind the fog, wind and rain, then go.  It is beautiful when the sun is out….which we enjoyed on our first day but saw no sign of again for the entire week.  We knew what we were getting into visiting this time of year and to be fair, it does need to rain quite a bit for it to have such lush, colorful beauty in their other seasons.

Let me begin by saying that we didn’t go to the Azores specifically for the food.  We just wanted to get away and check out a new place!  I figured there would be lots of fresh fish and produce but wasn’t sure what exactly to expect….

Breakfast: Our hotel stay came with a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning.  Except, of course, not including the morning we arrived (an overnight flight from Boston brought us in at 7am their time, 3am our time).  After sleeping for a couple of hours we ventured out into the streets of Ponta Delgada in search of breakfast.

To our disappointment, all we saw were places selling breads and pastries as well as signs everywhere like these for fast-food type meals:

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And lots of ice cream/frozen treat signs:

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It was a disappointing first impression of the food scene!

We ate breakfast at the hotel buffet each morning.  I was grateful for the variety and options.   Lucky for me they had eggs, my favorite.   There was local yogurt, which I got a few times.  There are so many cows on the island of Sao Miguel!  More cows than people, I was told.  You see them grazing everywhere you go.  There was also plenty of fresh fruit which made me happy and I loaded up on these daily.  Cut up pineapple, kiwi, oranges, melon— as well as whole fruits like apples, pears, oranges and super cute and delicious mini bananas (grown on the island).  What surprised me the most was the huge bread and pastry table and how popular of a breakfast this is for most people here.  Where are your nutrient-packed whole foods people?  No nutrition in those refined foods!!  (The dietitian in me always has an opinion.) Ok, I didn’t go up to people and say this but I wanted to.

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A typical breakfast for me:  Espresso, eggs, and lots of fruit.  Note that that is only round one of the fruit.  Sometimes I got a yogurt as well.  Kept me happy and full for a good 5 hours.

Chris got similar but sometimes a piece of bacon or sausage.  He also got a small bowl of muesli (oats, nuts, dried fruits).

 

 

They don’t drink American style coffee here.  All you Duncan Donut coffee drinkers used to your extra-large extra extras might be shocked to see that they drink espresso here in tiny cups.  And nobody walks around or drives around with their coffees, or any drinks, for that matter.

Cell phones– this observation fascinates me as well– you don’t see people staring at their screens on the streets, in cars or bus stops.  People here talk to each other more and are focused on what they are doing or where they are going.  Even in the gym– I was the only one with my earphones hooked up to my music on my phone.  Everyone else was doing their thing, no music, no tvs, no reading.  Very different from the gyms I have seen around here where most people cannot seem to exercise unless they have an electronic distraction to entertain them.

Lunches and Dinners:  We weren’t excited by what we saw on nearby restaurant menus.  The hotel buffet turned out to be where we ate for a lot of our meals because there was such an assortment of things to choose from.  (And they had vegetables!) They had hot options of different types of fish and meats, cooked vegetables and potatoes, a large table with many interesting dishes, a cheese table and a dessert table that had lots of fresh fruits.  And wine every night!  They would just come by and refill your glass.

Here is what a typical meal from the buffet looked like:

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They always had lots of vegetables which was great.  This particular meal had cooked broccoli and carrots, squash (at the bottom), chicken, pepper and bacon kebabs, and beef with grapes.  It was easy to make a satisfying and delicious meal every time.  I’d often go up for seconds of some things.

A pic of one of the buffet tables:

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Most of the stuff on here I didn’t touch, or I tried very small amounts of.  You’d find deep-fried items and many mystery dishes that I wasn’t quite sure what they consisted of exactly.

They don’t mess around with cutting off fish heads here!

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We went out a couple of nights in Ponta Delgada for dinners.  It was actually really hard to find a menu option that had a vegetable served with it.  Most things came with rice and potatoes…  And lots of bread.

We found some fish dinners that came with potatoes and vegetables:

Before:

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…and after.

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All the fish we got during our visit had lots of tiny bones.  You had to be very careful!  In a way I think it was a positive thing because it forces you to slow down your eating and be mindful.

And at another restaurant:

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Walking around the city, you may see signs like this:

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Ugg.  We’ve infected them.  Way to go KFC.

And yes, we did see the major chains in the mall like Pizza Hut, Burger King and McDonald’s.

 

We met a local who showed us around various parts of the island and who recommended a restaurant in his hometown of Lagoa that he said we had to try for authentic Azorian foods.

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They started us out with local pineapple and blood sausage.

…I will say that I did like the pineapple.   🙂

 

 

 

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Three kinds of fish to try.

Chris tells me they would be thrown back by most fishermen in America.  He had to email his fishing friend back home… “I can’t believe I’m paying for scup!”

Taste?  Not bad, not great.  Again, many, many tiny bones.

 

 

 

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And some vegetables– carrots, brussels sprouts, potatoes and white sweet potatoes.

 

 

 

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Some places spoke English, some not so much.

Thank God for Smartphones!

LOL:  I just noticed that Chris typed ‘desert’ instead of ‘dessert’.  A teacher once told me how to remember that:  Would you rather have 2 desserts or 2 deserts?

 

 

 

 

At this restaurant, there was a table of about 8 little girls.  I couldn’t help but notice what they were all eating.  Sodas, hamburgers and french fries.  🙁

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I snuck a pic when they all got up to go to the bathroom.

And now for a close up from the food police paparazzi:

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It breaks my heart.  I grew up eating this stuff too…but most of our parents didn’t know any better back then.  Don’t we know more now?  Why are we still feeding our children (and ourselves) these nutrient-lacking foods instead of wholesome foods?

🙁

The Fresh Marketplace:  So, while the restaurants were unimpressive, there really is good food to be found in the Azores.  There is a beautiful marketplace where you can buy fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and cheeses.  If I had access to a kitchen I would surely shop here and prepare amazing meals.

 

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Summarizing Thoughts:  There is an abundance of fresh, whole, real foods in the Azores which made me happy.  BUT– as a visitor, if you want to eat this way you do need a kitchen to cook them yourself.  You will struggle to find them in restaurants.

They do like their breads, meats, cheese and wine here.
And their espresso!

The restaurants seem to be mainly for tourists.  Most of the people here cook at home and enjoy their meals together.  Which is really how it should be.  It just made it difficult for us travelers looking for good food.  And no Whole Foods to turn to which is what we often do for eating when traveling.  🙂   I am thankful for the good food we enjoyed there and overall I think we made smart choices of what to eat, opting for traditional foods rather than the more highly processed foods.  We ate many, many locally sourced foods.  It really is tough for me to eat out constantly and it feels great to get home to my kitchen and back to doing my own cooking.

Final Tip:  Do not bring an apple from the hotel back in your backpack and forget to eat it on the plane.  The dogs at Logan Airport WILL sniff it out, causing you to endure extra security checks at Customs.

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