My friends and I recently went to L’espresso Bar Mercurio, a restaurant in Toronto located at the southeast corner of Bloor and St. George. The space was modern and included an open concept bar, artwork on the walls, and many windows that provided natural light. One of the striking features about this restaurant was the variety of menu items; vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, healthy, and indulgent options were all available.  After looking at all of the unique menu options, I passed up the beef and chicken paninos, and the steak poutine (yes, you read that correctly), and I ordered the Delux Vegan Wrap (See Picture).

The Delux Vegan Wrap had grilled tofu, sundried tomato, arugula, plum tomato, and basil olive oil, all on a whole-wheat wrap. This wrap was far from bland. I was able to distinctly taste the flavour combinations from the basil olive oil, sundried tomato, and arugula. The thinly sliced tofu was grilled to perfection, as the texture of the tofu was firm and far from being soft and spongy.  Overall, the meal was light, flavourful, and it provided me with a healthier option while eating out. For the taste and quality of ingredients, it was well worth the price of ten dollars. 

L'espresso Bar Mercurio is also known for their bakery. They have many gluten-free options available for their customers and provide a variety of croissants, cakes, macaroons, cream puffs, and more! If you have a sweet tooth, you must go and look for yourself.  Although I personally did not try any baked goods, I am planning on going back to do so! L’espresso Bar Mercurio creates the perfect setting for a get together, business meeting, and most importantly has great food and friendly service. Did I mention they also have great Caesars?  =)

Overall Review: 3/5 kiwis

I am constantly looking to “test” recipes, so that I can share them with my family, friends, and of course on my blog! I recently came across Lydia Knorr’s website. Lydia is an experienced Registered Dietitian of Canada who specializes in delivering effective nutrition communications. While going through her website I noticed Lydia had a variety of healthy recipes. I wanted to use my leftover muffin cups from Easter, so I decided to put her "Healthy Choco-Banana Muffins" recipe to the test!

I enjoyed making these muffins because the directions were clear and concise. The recipe was supposed to yield 12 muffins, but because I filled my muffin cups halfway, I managed to make 18 muffins. After 15 minutes in the oven, I had perfect muffins to share with my neighbours!

Nutritionally, these muffins hold their own! One muffin contains less than 250 calories, has 10 grams of fat (mostly coming from canola oil, a heart healthy oil), and 3 grams of fibre. Other banana muffins available at donut shops in Canada have approximately 400 calories, over 15 grams of fat, and 2 grams of fibre. Yikes!

Lydia’s muffins were fluffy and had just the right amount of banana-flavour (not too strong). The whole-wheat goodness in these muffins balanced out the sweetness from the chocolate chips.  To enhance the flavour profile even more, I would add some fresh orange zest to the batter.  Overall, these muffins get an "A" for taste in my books!

And this is how Nutrition Meets Life…

Homemade muffins are a great treat to enjoy in moderation.  When making a batch of muffins, remember to share them with your friends, family, or even freeze some to enjoy another day.
So what is the best part about making homemade muffins? You know the ingredients in them! In addition, homemade muffins are half the size of store bought muffins, so you can cut the calories and the fat! Based on the success and wholesome taste of this recipe, I will be testing more of Lydia’s recipes in future posts!

Overall Recipe Rating: 2/5

I have always been an oatmeal lover for breakfast in the morning. Recently, I made the switch from my instant oatmeal to steel-cut oats, and I cannot believe the difference in my hunger levels! On an average day, I eat my breakfast at 7AM and then have a mid-morning snack around 10AM. When I switched to steel-cut oats, I did not showing signs of hunger until 11AM. I was in disbelief about the how these oats could keep me fuller for longer. What is the difference? 

Steel-cut oats take longer to digest and absorb, thus increasing feelings of fullness (satiety levels) and overall satisfaction. Nutritionally, steel-cut oats have more protein than instant oats, which may also play a role with increasing satiety levels.

And this is how Nutrition Meets Life…

Steel-cut oats take a longer to make in the morning (approximately 20 minutes) when compared to instant oatmeal. To save time, rather than making a steel-cut oats every morning, make a large batch at the beginning of the week and reheat the oats in the microwave for the next couple of days.  Finally, the cost of steel-cut oats is usually higher than instant oatmeal, so look for sales, coupons, and compare different retailer prices. It is a personal choice to switch to steel-cut oats, but I cannot “cut” them out of my breakfast! Haha!

How to spruce up your oatmeal:

• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or spice of your choice!
• Add your favourite fruit (Dried or fresh)
• Add protein (Stir in peanut or almond butter! Add whole nuts, flax or chia seeds or add milk!)
  

What do you add to your oatmeal?

- Allie -