I’m not ashamed to admit that my father packed my school lunch for me up until the day that I left for college – and when I say packed, I mean thoughtfully put together a balanced and fun meal complete with a note on my napkin (sometimes written in Latin depending on if I had an exam that day in class).  I miss Dad packed lunches…

Thankfully, one of my favorite organic NYC restaurants has rolled out (literally) a food cart on 53rd and Park!  Operated by Gustorganics (see full post 10/21/09), this first ever USDA-certified organic street cart is operated with a sustainable focus.   All of the food is cooked fresh daily and packaged in either biocompostable or 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard imprinted with soy ink.  Straws and utensils are made from potato straw and a solar panel on top of the cart powers the refrigerator.

Stop by between 11AM and 4PM to pick up a tasty certified organic and local lunch for less than $10 (breakfast menu coming soon!) See below for their menu:

• Tapito – over a bed of quinoa or fresh greens – tenderloin ($9), chicken ($8) or grilled veggies/vegan ($7)
• Empanadas – with either meat, capresse, humita, ham & cheese or fugazzetta ($4)
• Salad/vegan ($7)
• Soup of the Day ($5.50)
• Huumus with Chips/vegan ($3.75)
• Homemade Drinks – lemonade ($3), fresh squeezed OJ ($5)
• Fair Trade Iced Coffee or Tea ($2.50)
• Super Purified NYC Water in Biocompostable Cup ($1.50)

*napkin note from Dad not included.

For lunch I’m usually a big turkey and lettuce wrap kind of girl – throw in a side of french fries and I’m all yours!  Lately however, I have been on an intense chili kick.  The super hot temps, not to mention spice, force me to eat slowly plus the fiber and protein help to keep me full throughout the afternoon (more difficult than it sounds).  My favorite pick these days is the Red Lentil from The Manhattan Chili Co with Crimson Red Lentils, celery, corn, mushrooms, hominy (dried maize kernels), parsnip & fresh jalapeños. This vegan/vegetarian/gluten free 8.75oz serving includes only 110 calories, 5g of fiber and 4g of protein – read as: zero fat and only 6g of sugar.  Ok, ok…I admit, this cup o’ soup certainly has its share of sodium (770mg) but considering the buckets that I end up sweating during my post office workouts (try to refrain from being turned on here), I’m not too concerned.

This NYC chili stand includes either a side of oyster crackers or mini corn muffin – I say skip both and eat with a piece of organic multi grain bread for additional fiber and fewer preservatives (note, I mention nothing about abandoning the fries…)

Although it certainly doesn’t feel like it these days, summer is just around the corner (alright Al Gore, we finally believe you!).  What else is quickly approaching…? NYC Marathon training.  Heat, humidity and longer miles make for the worst possible combination…unless you’re someone that looks good working a heavy sweat (don’t count me as part of this population).  The best way for me to maintain my endurance sans dehydration is by using an electrolyte replacement drink.  There are a million out on the market these days so choose wisely – I try to avoid the ones high in sugar and artificial flavoring.

My favorite that I’ve found so far is the lemon-lime HEED powder (also available in strawberry, melon – disgusting, mandarin orange and plain).  So subtle in taste, this all-complex carbohydrate formula is free of citric acid – most sport drinks rely on simple sugar as the carb source, limiting the number of calories that can be efficiently sourced for energy.  The  powder includes a full-spectrum of minerals to buffer lactic acid and stabilize blood glucose levels.  Basically for me, this chemistry smorgasboard translates into being able to better maintain my min/mile pace while avoiding major leg cramps.  As if I would ignore all of my gluten free athletes, the formula is also gluten and MSG free, vegan friendly plus Kosher certified – Mazel Tov!

Meat heaven at the Corner Bistro and Jane’s Tavern plus the waterfall of chocolate from Li-Lac and the Chocolate Bar make the corner of 4th St. and 8th Ave an unlikely place for a vegetarian cafe – ‘sNice makes it happen in full West Village style. 

I normally stop through for a green tea but decided to camp out this past weekend for a full-blown breakfast.  The chalkboard menu is filled with sandwiches (mostly vegan, many using seitan or tempeh), vegan marshmallow loaded hot chocolate and organic fair trade coffee.  Embracing my inner hippie, I ordered the Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal ($4.50) and the Tofu Scrambled Wrap ($4.50) – both really delicious and satisfied my need for some saturday am comfort food.  If it had been a few hours later, I would have definitely gone head first for the Quinoa Salad with corn, black beans and tortilla strips or the Brie Pear & Arugula sandwich with raspberry mustard ($8.75/each).

‘sNice offers tons of seating (really out of the ordinary for a downtown cafe) plus books and board games to keep customers entertained.  I somehow felt a little naked without a yoga mat strapped to my shoulder or possibly sneakers made of recycled rubber, but it was still a great meal.

My pancakes NEVER turn out looking like the silver dollar beauties in those Bisquick commercials – they usually come out as a mutilated version of a melted snowman.  It’s when I have to flip them that everything falls apart…literally.  This morning, the heavens parted and birds chirped as I finally got an entire batch of perfect looking pancakes – using Purely Elizabeth’s ‘Perfect Pancake Mix’ ($8.49/mix).

Literally, perfect in every sense of the word, this mix is free of sugar, dairy, wheat and gluten and loaded with all natural and organic ingredients (millet flour, teff flour, buckwheat flour, flax, hemp and chia seeds).  I love that Elizabeth combines nutritious food with delicious baking.  My breakfast alone this morning contained B vitamins, fiber, protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids plus grains low in carbohydrates.  Vegans can substitute ground flaxseed, bananas or apple sauce in place of the one egg that the recipe calls for.  The thing that I noticed with this product in particular is that it still gave a nice fluffy pancake versus other grain filled mixes which come out fairly dense. 

I can’t wait to try the Ultimate Cacao Muffin Mix and the Blueberry Maple Muffin Mix – both available online at www.purelyelizabeth.com

The smell of a warm turkey pot pie with a nice flakey crust gives me goosebumps… not raw beets and eggplant puree.  However, I stopped drinking my Haterade (yes, I said Haterade) and took a trip last year to Pure Food & Wine to explore the world of raw cooking (is that an oxymoron?).

Pure, located at 54 Irving Place, is a raw vegan restaurant where nothing is heated above 118 degrees to preserve vitamins, minerals and enzymes.   Listed five years in a row by Forbes magazine as one of their ”All Star New York Eateries,”  you barely notice that the food is untouched by the heat of an oven or stove top.  With a 100% plant-based menu, you won’t find any processed ingredients including tofu, tempeh or seitan.  I love the Asparagus Sushi Rolls with Mirin Soaked Forest mushrooms ($16) and Thai Coconut Noodles in Galangal Red Coconut Curry ($24).  The wine and cocktail menu rounds out the entire experience, made with fresh-pressed organic juices and agave nectar, like the Purple Rain ($15) which has fresh raspberries, blueberries, yuzu and sake.

Although the plates are small and prices high, the quality of the ingredients and cooking experience behind the stove…err…blender…leave you feeling well satisfied and practically refreshed.

Blossom Restaurant at 187 Ninth Avenue is the ideal place for fresh organic and vegan food sans the earthy dirty taste.  Personally, my body doesn’t work well under the restrictions of one specific diet – I’m not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of girl.  Instead, I try to make an effort to choose healthier alternatives whenever possible (except for dessert…that’s an entirely different ballgame).  Not a vegetarian or a vegan, I still appreciate Blossom’s commitment to providing a meat and dairy free menu.  Blossom offers several protein substitutes, including seitan, tofu, and tempeh.  Set in a warmly lit townhouse, the dishes are enriched with strong flavors and textures.  I love the  Feijoadinha with Smokey Tempeh ($18) which is a twist on the Brazilian national stew of smokey roasted tempeh, black beans, chayote sqaush and sweet potatoes in a light orange-lime broth.  The Phyllo Roulade ($18) of french lentils and root vegetables served with swiss chard and a carrot-cream sauce is also amazing (and I usually HATE carrots).

Seitan: High in protein (twice as much as tofu and 40% more than two medium eggs), Seitan is made from wheat but looks, tastes and feels more like a meat product.  This raw wheat gluten is higher in calories than its other soy counterparts but contains no saturated fat or cholesterol.

Tempeh: A complete protein food that contains all of the essential amino acids, Tempeh is made up of fermented cooked soybeans and is firm in texture with a subtle nutty mushroom flavor.   This meat substitute contains isoflavones which are most commonly associated with stronger bones and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.  The fermentation process coupled with the fact that tempeh retains the whole soy bean, contribute to this foods higher protein, diety fiber and vitamin content compared to tofu. 

Seitan (4 oz) = 20.3 grams protein/114 calories/2.1 grams fat

Tempeh (4 oz) = 20 grams protein/ 216 calories/ 12 grams fat

Firm Tofu (4 oz) = 10.1 grams protein/94 calories/5 grams fat

85% Lean Ground Beef (4 oz) = 21 grams protein/240 calories/17 grams fat

*Recommended daily intake of protein is 56 grams for most men and 46 grams for most women

Grapefruit Lollipops. Kimchi Doughnuts. Jalapeno Hush Puppies.  These are a few things Amanda Cohen (Angelica’s Kitchen alum) dreams up in her kitchen at Dirt Candy located at 430 East 9th Street.  Committed to providing beautiful healthy treats using ingredients found literally in the dirt (half of the dry items are from Organic vendors), Cohen offers a small but impeccable menu of fresh healthy meals (everything on the menu can be made vegan on request).  I can’t wait to go back to try the asparagus paella ($19) and zucchini ginger cake ($12).  Just watch out, the bill can quickly add up…but I guess that’s the price you pay for good dirt!

Before I get into how phenomenal BabyCakes NYC is, we should first walk through a brief glossary of terms…

Kosher: a term that refers to something (not just food products) having followed all of the Jewish legal guidelines

Parve: food products that do not contain or have not come into contact with any meat or dairy

Vegan: a diet and lifestyle that excludes the use of animal products (meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, honey, fur, leather, wool, gelatin etc) in food, clothing or any other use

Gluten: storage proteins that exist, conjoined with starch, in some grass-related grains such as wheat, rye and barley

Agave Nectar: a carbohydrate rich substance with a low glycemic index, thought to protect against health risks often associated with artificial sweeteners, (also from the same Agave plant from which tequila is made, however, sans blurry intoxicated effect)

Glycemic Index: a ranking of carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels, with the high GI carbs being the ones that cause our glucose and insulin levels to spike drastically (not as good for you)

Spelt: an ancient grain closely related to common wheat and is made up of 57.9% carbohydrates, 17% proteins, 3% fats plus a moderate amount of gluten (compared to wheat, this translates into 15-20% more proteins, higher in complex carbs and includes enzymes to assist in glucose and insulin secretion)

BabyCakes NYC: certified Kosher, parve and vegan bakery that offers all-natural, organic and refined sugar free alternatives for dessert

Located at 248 Broome Street (and soon to come Los Angeles shop), this bakery actually makes you feel healthy just by reading their ingredients lists.  Substituting rice flour, garbanzo/fava bean mix or spelt in place of standard bleached flour, the founders of BabyCakes NYC find creative ways to work around various food allergies, dietary restrictions and mainstream products that put your health at risk.  Canola and cold pressed virgin coconut oil represent fat to help ensure that the decadent apple pies or stacks of fluffy donuts preserve their “dessert” integrity.  I bought an agave sweetened spelt chocolate birthday cake for my mom in July and have sent many gluten-free friends down for their loaves of various breads, cookies, brownies and cupcakes.  Best of all, their staff welcomes questions and helps to educate customers about the benefits of each ingredient…that is, for those who aren’t as lucky as you to have received this glossary cheat sheet.