Canyon Ranch provided me with complimentary accommodations at their resort as well as a spa credit and Discover Your Fitness Age assessment. The opinions expressed are honest and all my own.
Guys, oh my goodness, I had such a nice time at Canyon Ranch. I absolutely loved everything about my time there, but, not surprisingly, one of the highlights for me was the FOOD. Food, glorious food. It was so delicious, fresh, and nutritious, and it inspired a number of healthy eating ideas to bring home with me. I thought you guys might be interested in them too, so here are seven that I especially liked and plan to incorporate into my everyday life!
Pumpkin Crunch – This stuff is the bomb-diggity, and I couldn’t get enough of it while I was at Canyon Ranch. I seriously snacked on it all weekend. The base is pumpkin seeds, so it’s naturally gluten-free/Paleo and, well, it is just plain old delicious. I already made a batch of it this morning!
Green smoothies – I was doing great with my smoothie goal for 2015, but recently, I’ve started to slack off. When I was at Canyon Ranch, I drank three (yes, three) orange-mango-kale smoothies and they re-inspired my love for them. Bring on the green smoothies!
Almond butter + carrot sticks – Such a simple snack, but one I totally forgot about. I’m glad Canyon Ranch reminded me of it. I want to add it back to my regular snack rotation.
Eggs + butternut squash + goat cheese – I ordered a breakfast sandwich one morning and, my goodness, it was incredible. Inside was egg wrapped around butternut squash, spinach, and goat cheese with melted cheddar on top. OMGSOGOOD. I loved the flavor combination so much, I plan to take recreate this cheesy, veggie, egg-y goodness at home.
Peanut Butter Delight – The last time I visited Canyon Ranch, I wrote about my love for their Peanut Butter Delight, but I never made it at home. This time, however, I’m all over it, especially since I tend to go overboard on peanut butter, and the Peanut Butter Delight is a great way to cut calories and add more protein to my diet. I made my own version with Greek yogurt instead of ricotta, and it turned out great!
Small plates
On the first night of our visit, our media group enjoyed an amazing 6-course meal, which probably sounds quite indulgent, but each course was a small portion of a Mediterranean-inspired dish, featuring fresh, seasonal, and local foods. The menu was selected by chef Kyle Nottingham, who just happens to be Gina‘s brother. How cool! The small plates were such a fun way to try a bunch of different tastes without overdoing it.
Highlights from the meal”¦
Hearth Roasted Beet Salad with sheep’s blue cheese, kettle-cooked pecans, dragonfruit, and arugula. Everything was incredibly fresh, and it was fun trying dragonfruit for the first time!
Sear Scallops with grilled apple, bresola, and fennel salad. Once again, this dish was super fresh and flavorful. The flavor combination was so delicious together!
Berry Tart with Zabaglione sauce. INCREDIBLE! The berries, sauce and crust were heavenly together. It was a dessert that I will probably never forget.
Soup – Similar to smoothies, soup is such a great way to add nutrients and volume to your diet. This Apple Parsnip Bisque had so much flavor, and I think it would be pretty easy to recreate at home. I also think Quinn would really like it!
Question of the Day
How has traveling to a new place inspired a healthy eating habit of yours?
