Going home (sugar-free)

I spend most of my time preparing my whole food meals (especially my breakfasts) in my NYC apartment. All of the ingredients and appliances I need are in one place. However, when I travel, my food game changes up a little bit.

This moment, I am actually headed on a bus home for 4th of July weekend! I finished all of my NYC-location-based work and only have virtual work left to do, so I packed up my bathing suit and Amazing Meal cacao protein mix in lieu of a long and festive weekend filled with fireworks, family, and friends. The only catch is I can't eat sugar...but I have something up my sleeve!....Actually, in my bag!

 
I know, Sarah is crazy for packing protein mix along with clothes and stuff, but I just am worried that  my family may not use it at home. I am going to buy groceries tomorrow morning (because I will get back too late tonight and stores aren't open 24/7 like they are in the City) like bananas and flax seeds for my Banana, Flax Seed, and Raw Cacao smoothie!

Pooja's Banana, Flax, and Raw Cacao Smoothie = YUM!

You can always add this stuff to smoothies if you are extra hungry and it is super good for your body!

In fact, cacao is my unhealthy healthy obsession. It is legit just cacao plant in powder form and is what chocolate is made of (without all of the fat). Did you know white chocolate is just milk fat and no cacao, which is why there is no brown color in the treat and why it your worst chocolate option (slim-wise)?

Chocolate grows on trees!

I always opt for 80%ish or more dark chocolate because Pooja taught me that the higher percentage in the chocolate means that the less fat is in the bar. However, now that she has introduced me to raw cacao powder, I think I have betrayed chocolate. Oh, yes! It is true. It tastes awesome with unsweetened almond milk, which is secretly cheap and easy hot chocolate. Did I mention it is low calorie, chemical free, and probably the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted!?!

Sarah's (best ever) hot chocolate  recipe= pure cacao powder + maple syrup+ unsweetened almond milk+ *simmer*

No lie! I think this is a great example of how natural ingredients taste way better in your favorite foods than the 'faster' (aka "to-go"), more processed options. In fact, all of those fancy restaurants charge so much more for food because it has actual food ingredients in the (ahem...whole foods....yeah) product, so they also taste better.

For other all-natural recipes du chef Pooja, visit http://poojasway.com/cook/