Eating mindfully is a challenge for all of us, especially in a current society of distractions. Following my 8 steps to eat more mindfully may be easier to start practicing at home when you can intentionally clear a space from distractions. But what about when you eat out at a restaurant? There are so many distractions - figuring out what to order, catching up with friends, coworkers, clients or a new love interest. Who has time to eat mindfully when you are trying to figure out if the person across from you is your soulmate?!

Oof, so many things!! A quick reminder that eating mindfully isn’t about perfection. It is a practice, and the more you do it, the proficient you get. It is about letting go of perfection and instead being in the present moment.

It should also be noted that eating out at restaurants can be anxiety inducing for many. Slowing down and trying a few of my mindful eating tips below will be helpful not only to reduce any anxious food thoughts, but also to help digest better and avoid any stomach upset, heartburn and bloat.

1. CHECK IN WITH HUNGER BEFORE YOU GET THERE: how many times have you showed up to a restaurant and between the time you sit down and when your food comes the hanger kicks in? This happens to me all the time and it is distracting. Arriving at a restaurant starving keeps you from checking in with what you really would like to eat. When you are hangry you are ready to order the entire left side of the menu, am I right? Check in with your hungry 30 minutes to an hour before leaving. Have a small snack if needed. Being a just hungry enough when you show up to the restaurant will give you the space to explore the menu and think about what you truly want rather than reacting to a blood sugar crash.

2. PLAN AHEAD: reading the menu of the restaurant you plan to go to before your meal can be helpful if you have a tendency to get anxious when ordering at restaurants. If you are one of those people who waits until everyone else orders, to see what they get before making your decision… then this might work well for you. I do caution that sometimes looking at the menu too far in advance can stand in the way of checking in with your hunger when you are there. Give yourself grace to change your mind if you sit down and something else sounds good to you in the moment. Take a quick scan of the menu before jumping back in to being present with those at the table with you.

3. PAUSE BEFORE THE FIRST BITE. This can be challenging to do if the waiter or waitress puts your plate down when you are engaged mid-conversation. I suggest looking down at your food when it comes and making an exclamation to your current convo buddy about how good the food looks! This will incite them to do the same, and in these few seconds of pause you can check in with your hunger. You will have already taken a moment to take in the smell and colors of the meal, and now take another moment to savor the first bite - the texture, taste and mouthfeel. Taking small moments to savor the meal, even better if in a shared moment with others, helps to turn on your hunger cues as well as fullness cues.

4. EAT DESSERT IF YOU WOULD LIKE. Desserts can be scary for those who have patterns of restriction and food rules. A reminder that sugar is not the devil and that all foods fit and have a place in our lives. If you are interested in a dessert, it is also ok to eat past the point of being full. This is a practice of leaning in to the different types of hunger. Denying yourself something that you would like and would enjoy in the company with others is actually disconnecting your brain from your body, instead of mindfully tuning in to what you want. This also goes the other way, if you don’t want dessert, don’t feel pressured by others at the table who want to order.

5. GO SLOW. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the moment, whether in the company of others, or in the conversation at the table, and before you know it you have wolfed down your meal and don’t even remember how it tasted. We often feel like we need to keep on pace with others at the table as well, which can result in eating faster than normal. It can feel weird to be the last one at the table who is still finishing your meal. All plates have been cleared and you are still munching. But your digestion will thank you! As you engage in conversation, it is possible to multi-task and be present with the bites you are taking. Slowly eating and chewing while being present with those at the table. It takes practice, but it is possible!

If you know me by now, you know that smoothies are my freaking jam. Especially in the morning after a work out. There is nothing more tasty and refreshing than a protein smoothie for recovery after moving your body.

This is hands down my favorite post-work out + recovery smoothie. I love using collagen peptides for protein in my smoothies, not only because it supports good digestion and enhances your immune system but also because it aids in the growth and repair of tissues, tendons, joints and muscles.

So, what’s the secret? Amino acids. Collagen peptides protein powder contains multiple chains of amino acids, including Glutamine which is a key amino acid for healing and cellular turnover and repair. I have linked below to a few of my favorite collagen protein powders.

(I get a v small kick back if you buy through these links, and appreciate the support as always!) 

Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen
Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel
Further Food Collagen (women-owned!)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened nut milk of choice, I like cashew milk
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 big handful of spinach
1 tbsp. almond or cashew butter
1/4 avocado
2 scoops collagen (or equivalent to 20g)

Method:
Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend until combined and creamy. I use a Vitamix and have been loving it five years strong! It has been the best kitchen investment I have ever made, I use it every day and it makes the creamiest smoothies EVER.

Want to get 5 more of my favorite smoothie recipes? Click here to download for free!

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When I was younger and my grandparents would come to visit, we would pick them up from the airport and stop at the Marie Callendar’s restaurant which right off of the freeway. Although the location doesn’t exist anymore, and neither do my Marie Callendar carvings, the warm and fuzzy memories have remained. They had a refrigerated rotating pie stand on display right when you walked in the door, showcasing all the featured pies. I had two favorites - the Chocolate Cream and most definitely the Double Cream Blueberry Pie.

I’ve taken my childhood pleasure and recreated it into the most delicious breakfast treat - blueberry cream pie french toast! The outcome was absolute heaven, like angels dancing on my tongue. I kid you not, this healthy french toast is other worldly. Get your booty to the kitchen and make immediately!

I also have 12 more healthy breakfast ideas I’m sharing with your in my free Favorite Breakfast Recipe Ebook, so I don’t leave you hanging after enjoying this tasty and healthy breakfast recipe.

Ready to make this mind blowing blueberry french toast?!! Of course you are… you were already drooling just looking at the photo. You know what’s up. So here is how you can DO IT.

Ingredients
(serves 1)
2 pieces sprouted wheat bread
2 eggs
splash of unsweetened nut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 
a few shakes of cinnamon 
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1-2 tbsp. maple syrup 
1 tbsp. melted coconut butter

Method 

Whisk the eggs, nut milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of toast on both sides until the egg mixture is fully saturated. Cook on a non-stick skillet for 3-4 minutes on both sides. While the french toast cooks place the blueberries and maple syrup in a sauce pan. Heat until the maple syrup starts to bubble and turn heat to medium-low until the blueberries soften. Mash half the blueberry compote with a fork. Place french toast on a plate, top with blueberries and drizzle with the melted coconut butter.  DIVE IN AND ENJOY!!

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Think twice before you order your next green juice with added fruits.  Apples, pineapples, grapefruit, orange… they may make your juice taste sweeter, and cut the taste of the veggies, but juicing removes the fiber and all of its benefits. So what does that actually mean? And, are green juices good for you?

The short answer is yes, the green juice benefits are great for you and provide vitamins and nutrients from the vegetables for energy, good digestion and also boost our immune system. What is not so good for you are green juices with added fruit.  Juices made with fruit are stripped of their fiber content, causing the sugar in fruits (such as added apple, orange, pineapple, etc.) to be absorbed faster into your system and therefore spiking blood sugar levels. This can change your cravings throughout the day as insulin is released from your pancreas to lower blood sugar levels and in the meantime can change what your hunger hormones are telling you for satiety. For example, have a veggie and fruit juice by itself and you might be hungry an hour later. Or crave more sugar later in the day.

Really this means that drinking fruit juice without the fiber, can have the same impact on your system as eating white table sugar.

This is because fruit contains fructose, just as honey, maple syrup and white table sugar do. So, what’s the difference? FIBER. Fruit contains fiber, while other sources of sugar do not. When you eat fruit in its whole form, you get the benefits of the fiber – which helps to break down the sugars (fructose) for slower absorption.  Meaning, as your system digests fruit in its whole form it has to break down the fiber first, slowing the absorption of sugar into you blood. Thus curbing cravings and keeping you more satiated.

 Fruit contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Soluble fiber stabilizes blood sugar, slows absorption and reduces cholesterol. Your small intestine absorbs the nutrients and fructose for energy and the insoluble fiber drops down into your large intestine where it pushes waste through your digestive tract, making digestion quicker and helps with more regular bowel movements.

Here’s my advice, when buying your daily green juice keep it just veggies with no fruit.  Eat your fruit whole or blend it into a smoothie so you get the benefits of the fiber. And if you are craving a big glass of orange juice, or a pineapple and veggie juice, have it with a snack that contains fiber or use it as a base for your smoothie and add in ground flax or chia seeds. Your health will thank you!

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If it’s raining or below 50 degrees where you live, I have the cure for your seasonal blues. I am eating a warm bowl of these right now as I type this, while looking out the window at rain here in San Francisco. There is nothing better than a warm bowl of oats when it’s cold outside. It’s like slipping into a cozy pair of socks, but for your tummy. Oh yeaaaahhhhh.

If you follow me on Instagram you know I have been making these Zucchini Oats with Banana for the last month again and again. They are just that good. I make mine with a secret ingredient that makes these zoats even more delicious and creamy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup forager cashew milk

1 small zucchini, shredded

1 small and ripe banana, sliced

1 tbsp. of butter, this is the secret ingredient. If you are dairy-free, omit and they will still be amazing!

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (worth it to buy real vanilla without alcohol)

pinch of good sea salt

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a pot and stir to combine. Heat to a boil and then simmer until the banana literally melts into the oats (drool factor is way high) and the oats are creamy without sticking to the bottom of the pan. From start to finish this takes about 10-15 minutes. I like to stir every few minutes or so with a spatula so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Top with walnuts, nut butter*, hemp seeds, yogurt... the world is your bowl of zoats!

*Use my code BALANCEBYMOLLY20 for 20% off of all Georgia Grinders nut butter. I personally like to top my banana zoats with their creamy cashew butter.

This scones were created by mistake when I was trying to make muffins one day. Best mistake I have ever made! These are perfectly fluffy, moist and laced with sweet strawberries. I bet these would be amazing with any berry you can find. They are also super easy to make, so if you have ever been intimidated to make scones then these babies are for you! Now grab a bowl and get baking, your mouth will thank you.

Gluten-free, sweetened with just a bit of honey, flakey and perfect. You have to make these ASAP. They are my favorite baking mistake I’ve ever made. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
2 cups GF flour blend (I used King Arthur Flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon melted ghee
Juice of 1/2 lemon (approx. 1 tbsp.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Combine the wet with the dry using a rubber spatula. Lastly, stir in the strawberries gently. Lightly dust a surface with left over flour. Place the dough on floured surface flipping a few times to coat and then use your hands to shape into a circle. Mine was 9” across and scones are about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 6 scone wedges (you could also divide the batter twice and make 12 smaller scones). Slightly separate the scones and cook for 20 minutes on a greased baking pan or a silpat on a baking pan. Remove, let cool and dive in! Best enjoyed with more ghee and honey. 

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