Favorite {healthy} foods abroad

Hello, everyone!

We've been home from our amazing trip abroad for a little less than a week now and I've finally re-adjusted to the time difference. I can honestly say, I've been bitten by the travel bug. After a good night of sleep and more than a couple loads of laundry (yay for clean clothes!), I'm ready to catch a plane back to London! What an unforgettable adventure. 

As promised, I kept tabs on the many unique (to the European culture) foods I came across. Though they certainly have endless options for delectable pastry items, I'm writing to prove that there's way more to European meals than just the sweets. So here it is, my list of healthy food finds abroad (with the exception of one or two). Enjoy! 

1. Too hot, too cold, juuuust right. Yes people, I'm talking about porridge. Being an avid oatmeal devour-er in the States, I was pretty stoked to try some England porridge -- I was certainly hooked after my first spoonful. Since it was sold everywhere, porridge became my morning go-to while abroad. I'd top it off with a sprinkle of almond slices and any berries that were offered -- 100 percent delish and 100 percent healthy (the perfect combo).

                             

2. Split pea soup. Although the color of the soup may be a bit repulsing, it's actually quite delicious. If you're a first-timer with this meal (like I was), split pea soup is pureed peas, ham and other veggies (like onions and carrots). It's a very light soup that hits the spot and leaves you not feeling stuffed. Not to mention, there are a ton of health benefits: high fiber, potassium (and other minerals), vitamin K, low calories... the list could go on.

Give this recipe a try and make it at home: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/split-pea-and-ham-hock-soup-recipe.html

                        

3. Lunch for breakfast? Here's something a bit different from the norm. In each of the countries we visited (Ireland, England, Italy, Switzerland, France) there seemed to be a trend for morning meals. The layout of breakfast each morning included a mixture of hams, turkey, a myriad of cheese and veggies. Though I never could commit to forgoing breakfast foods (my favorite meal of the day), my momma did -- she loved the layout of different, yet healthy morning options. 

                                       

4. Tea, please. Gah... London tea time. This picture brings back great memories. For a little background info, my mom and I are suckers for a good tea time. We love settling down in the evening by making a hot pot of tea and scrolling through the latest Pinterest trends. So, when we made it to London, we were definitely excited to give the English tea time a try -- 'twas nothing less than lovely. There are so many benefits that come with drinking tea... An article I'll certainly have to write. For a Sparknotes version of health benefits, click here. As for the pastry items, they fall under the "exception items" mentioned in the beginning paragraphs. 

                                        

5. Happy Juicing! This was a fun find. I came across all of these different juices while at a coffee shop in the Chelsea district (in London). Not only did I have to try one (I bought the "Lean & Green" Vit-Hit), but I had to do some research on both Vit-Hit and Savse. Both juices are extremely healthy and offer a great amount of nutrients. What you see in the flavor description is what you get; each bottle is packed with various fruits and veggies, nothing more. I thoroughly enjoyed my Vit-Hit. It was scrumptious and actually filled me up. Come to America, Vit-Hit! To read more about the two, click the links: Vit-Hit or Savse

                             

6. Veggie and fruit stands! These stands were scattered everywhere throughout Europe. People would stop by to grab their weekly fruit and veggie groceries, while others (*cough,* us) just wanted a cheap and healthy snack. Nothing like a mid-day banana or apple, am I right? 

                             

7. Weeta-what? Weetabix! I'm very excited to write about this one. My mom and I discovered Weetabix during our hotel breakfast one morning. The unique packaging had us perplexed at first, but from the looks of it, Weetabix seemed like a popular morning meal -- we had to give it a try. Basically, Weetabix comes in the shape of clumped, shredded-wheat bars. Once a little (emphasis on the little) milk is poured over top of the bars, Weetabix turns into a porridge-wanna-be meal/soggy cereal. OK, so that makes it sound gross, but take my word on this one, it's scrumptious and offers a whole lot of health benefits (put link here). I fell in love. The best part: though the meal is unique to Europe, it's offered in America... Let my Weetabix obsession continue!! 

7. As stated above, this is the exception to my healthy finds, but boy is it worthy of being mentioned (actually can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it). Two words: chocolate crossant. Yes, it's definitely not a healthy start to the day... But necessary when in Paris. You may ask, "what's a chocolate crossant?" Well, it's exactly how you imagine: a warmed crossant filled with just the perfect amount of chocolate. Heavenly. Top it off with a morning latte and you've got yourself one heck of a good start to the day. 

Now that's a sweet ending... Thanks for reading!