My Quarantine Food Favorites!

If you’re like me and find that you have a little extra time on your hands these days, keeping yourself busy can be challenging. I have always loved cooking and baking and now is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen. I gotcha covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Below are a few of my recent go-to recipes that are all plant-based and delicious!

Best EVER Gluten Free and Vegan Waffles: (Recipe from https://eatwithclarity.com/)

1 cup almond flour

½ cup tapioca starch

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground flax + 2 ½ tbsp water

½ cup non-dairy milk (I like cashew)

2 tbsp applesauce

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

Combine flaxseed with water, whisk together and set aside. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add in all remaining ingredients and whisk together, stir in flax egg. Heat waffle maker, add a little bit of oil or non-dairy butter to prevent sticking. Add about ¾ cup of batter to the waffle maker and cook until ready. Serve with your favorite toppings! 

*This recipe is a Fit Bar crew favorite! Add in 1-2 packets of your favorite mushroom elixir to the batter for an extra immune boost!*

Sautéed Garlicky Kale:

2 cups green kale

1 tbsp avocado oil (high smoke point)

2 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp garlic powder)

1 tsp lemon juice 

Heat up oil in cast iron (or regular saucepan) on medium high. Add in garlic, kale, and lemon. Cover and cook until wilted. Top with nutritional yeast for a plant based cheesy flavor! 

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings:

1 head of organic cauliflower

½ cup almond flour (or any flour you’d like)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika 

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ cup non-dairy milk

¼ cup + 2 tbsp buffalo sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Combine milk and ¼ cup of buffalo sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Chop cauliflower into bite sized florets and dip into wet mixture, then coat in dry ingredients, then place on a non-stick baking sheet. Once all cauliflower is coated, bake at 400 for 20 min, flip half way and bake until crispy. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and then coat with the 2 tbsp of buffalo sauce you have left and serve! 

Pro Tip: An air fryer works best to crisp the outside!

Homemade Vegan Pizza Dough:

2 cups Unbleached all purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 packet of yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

1 cup warm water

Combine ingredients in a small bowl until you get a sticky dough. Knead on a floured surface, place dough back in bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes, roll out, top with your favorite sauce and veggies, and bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes. Pro Tip: For a crispier crust, cook dough in a cast iron skillet for 8-10 minutes, then add your toppings and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

PB&J Cups - GF, DF, Refined Sugar Free:

1 cup raspberries

  1 cup peanut butter

½ cup almond flour

¼ cup maple syrup

 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

 1-2 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter

Melt down the chocolate chips on the stove or in the microwave with the oil or butter. Add a pinch of maple syrup if you prefer it sweeter. Use cupcake liners and a muffin tin and add an even amount (about 1 tbsp) of melted chocolate to all liners. Place in the freezer to set. In a separate bowl, add peanut butter, almond flour, and 3 tbsp of maple syrup and mix. Once chocolate is set, add an even amount of PB mix over chocolate (make sure it is set or the two will melt together), then place back in the freezer. In a saucepan on low, add raspberries and the rest (1 tbsp) of the maple syrup. Stir until jam like texture. Let cool and add an even amount on top of the peanut butter mix, place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until solid. Serve!

Tag us on instagram @fitbarcafe if you give any of these recipes a go! 

Keep in mind that if you are one of those taking extra precautions and wanting to avoid the crowds of people, Fit Bar is offering grocery bundles available for pick up at any cafe. We are even offering curbside pickup to minimize contact. Bundles are available through our website, fitbarcafe.com and our app Fit Bar Superfood Cafe in the app store. Along with grocery bundles, smoothies, acai bowls, and plenty more, we are available to provide custom meal plans for those who want a little more structure. Reach out to us at live@fitbarcafe.com for any questions!

Vegetables Rule

Before diving into the world of supplements, it’s important to take a step back and look at your diet. You may think that incorporating vitamins and supplements means food is a free-for-all, (I know I did) when really it means the opposite. They are there for that extra boost but you need to have a solid understanding of nutrient dense foods and an active lifestyle to see any benefits. 

I would say for me, a healthy microbiome is the most important for my mood, skin, brain function, metabolism, and pretty much everything else you can think of which is why incorporating one serving of vegetables in every meal is my mission each day. Now for those who aren’t big veggie fans, a serving in every meal may sound intimidating but trust me it’s easier than you think. Think simple; a handful of spinach in your favorite smoothie, carrots with hummus, or a salad the size of your head, all of these are great options to start with. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funky vegetables out there that have never and will never sound appealing, but once you find the ones you do like, you won’t dread adding that extra boost of fiber and nutrients to your diet anymore. 

Fit Bar is the face of delicious and nutritious smoothies and even one of our best selling smoothies, the Green Machine, is packed with greens. Spinach is available to add to any smoothie on the menu and even any of our signature acai bowls. My personal favorite is the PP&J with added spinach of course, for some extra Vitamin K, A, C, and Iron. Stop by any location in Washington or California for a nutrient dense morning or midday smoothie, and don’t forget the spinach! 

Down below is one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables that pack a punch of flavor without spending hours in the kitchen: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (temperature varies between 375-425 depending on type of vegetable)

Wash and chop the veggies of your choice - I always go for brussels sprouts, sweet potato - add to a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tsp garlic powder. 

Evenly lay vegetables on a non-stick pan and cook for 20 minutes, flip half way through.

Serve on the side with your favorite source of protein and enjoy! 

Tag @ftibarcafe on instagram with your favorite vegetable packed recipes!

Coach Liv, Pn1

Simple Sleep Solutions

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a healthy mind, body, and soul. It’s one of those things that in the moment it doesn’t seem like a big deal and then all of the sudden you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus. I need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep at night or else I’m grouchy and unmotivated. Not only does a lack of sleep affect you emotionally but it also has an affect on your immune system, eating habits, and mental clarity. With everything going on in the world right now, you should be doing everything you can to stay healthy which starts with a good night's sleep.

Oftentimes I struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep which is extremely frustrating and leaves me desperate to find some helpful remedies. There’s few that actually work but the ones that do have really had a positive impact. I’d say one of the most helpful tips I can give you to start out with is decreasing your screen time before bed, at least by 30 minutes. I know mindlessly scrolling is a common nighttime activity, but one post leads to another and next thing you know it’s 2am and you’re watching animal videos on Instagram. Putting my phone up one to two hours before bed helps prepare my body for rest. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy a good episode or two of New Girl before bed, but keeping the tv separate from my bedroom and not having a small screen three inches away from my face helps my mind wind down for the night. There are plenty of small adjustments you can make at home to improve your sleep as well as natural supplements and homemade concoctions. Below is my personal Nighttime Routine that I hope can be just as beneficial for you as it is for me!  

Nighttime Routine for the Best Sleep

• Set your alarm, turn your phone to vibrate, and set it FACE DOWN (even the smallest amount of light like a lit up screen can disrupt sleep) across the room so you won’t be tempted to grab it while laying down.

• Tea about 1 hour before bed. Four Sigmatic Reishi Elixir is known for its calming properties and is one of my favorites. Single packets and full boxes are sold at all Fit Bar locations and feel free to ask a crew member for a run down of all Reishi benefits along with the other three Elixir’s!

• 1-2 Cured Nutrition ZEN capsules 1 hour before bed. You can find these capsules for sale at all Fit Bar Locations also!

• Stretch before getting into bed to help with restlessness (even just two minutes of stretching can be helpful).

• Read a book or journal in bed.

• Rub high quality and unscented (some fragrance can be too strong for sleep) CBD lotion on your neck and the soles of your feet right before turning the lights off. I have found this helps tremendously with staying asleep during the night.

Tag us on Instagram @fitbarcafe with your own personal remedies to improve sleep or email us at live@fitbarcafe.com with any questions or comments! 

Coach Liv, Pn1