Which Airlines Have the Healthiest Food?

When we book airplane tickets, most of us consider things like timing, cost, and whether or not a given flight includes a layover. We probably don’t factor in the healthfulness of the airline’s food. But maybe we should.

Some airlines serve healthier meals than others, and a new study helps travelers figure out which keep calories and cost to a minimum in the meals and snacks they offer, while maximizing nutrition, taste and sustainability.

“Transparency is critical, and consumers are very interested in know about the foods they eat,” Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH, the director of the NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College, who conducted the study and edits DietDetective.com, tells Healthy Eats. “Often, travelers don’t have the time to plan out and pack their own meals. Their only choice at 30,000 feet is the food on the plane.”

Platkin’s airline food study found that, overall, the average calories per in-flight food item has risen slowly and steadily in years past — from 360 in 2012 to 388 in 2013 to 297 in 2014 and 400 in 2015 — before decreasing 8 percent last year, to 392. 

Rated according to “Health Scores” on a scale of zero (lowest) to five (highest) stars — taking into account criteria including health and calorie levels, improving access to healthy options, innovation and the availability of nutritional information — the study ranked 12 popular airlines. Virgin America Airlines earned 4.25 stars and healthiest airline honors, followed by Delta and Air Canada with 4 stars apiece, Alaska Air (3.75 stars), JetBlue (3.5 stars), United (3.25 stars), American (3 stars), Southwest (2 stars) followed by Allegiant Air and Hawaii (1.75 stars each). Spirit Airlines and Frontier Air shared the bottom spots on the list with just 1 star apiece.

Platkin suggests that airlines can increase customer satisfaction and brand loyalty by offering healthier foods on flights.

“There is a plethora of research on healthier food improving mood,” he observes, noting that eating a meal or snack that is heavy on fat, sodium and sugar “could make passengers grumpier and create a less than positive travel experience.”

To prevent mid-flight “hanger,” Platkin urges flyers to expect trips to take longer than scheduled and bring healthy snacks along. (You can take most foods through security, he notes, just not liquids or gels.)

Travelers should try to plan out their meals as they do their trip, Platkin advises. “Even if you ate before you left home,” he notes, after hours of travel, “you are still going to get hungry.”

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. A regular contributor to The Los Angeles Times, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Wine Spectator, among others, as well as for Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish.

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6 Tips for Integrating Exercise Into Your Workday

So many of us worker bees spend our weekdays glued to our desk chairs, wondering, perhaps, if tapping at our keyboards counts as exercise. (Sadly, it doesn’t.)

But the prospect of spending a huge chunk of our day working out may seem daunting and frankly, unworkable. A new study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity indicates that, in fact, spending just five minutes getting up and engaging in moderately intense exercise (like a walk) every hour may actually be better for us, in many respects, than a solid 30-minute daily workout before we slide into our cubicles in the morning and start our long sit.

The study, conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, among others, concluded that introducing short periods of activity spread throughout the day would help not only boost workers’ energy levels, but also elevate their moods and lower their sense of fatigue and appetite, calling it “a promising approach to improve overall well-being at work.”

Moving throughout the day can burn calories and elevate levels of an enzyme — lipoprotein lipase – that aids in the conversion of fat to fuel, explains Pete McCall, senior personal training expert at the fitness certification and education non-profit American Council on Exercise. “Sitting for long periods reduces levels of the enzyme and it is easier for fat to be stored rather than used,” he notes.

Exercise can also boost blood flow, including blood to our brains, and the levels of dopamine and serotonin, which can elevate our moods.

While longer periods of exercise are beneficial, McCall says, even those who exercise regularly may suffer health consequences from long periods of inactivity, like sitting behind a desk for hours on end.

“It is still important for individuals to exercise regularly but adding more activity, even five minutes an hour of moving around an office, can help improve health-related markers,” he says, adding that this approach is not only a good supplement for those who already exercise, but also a “great starting point” for those who are not getting enough exercise in general.

“It’s a lot easier for someone to add five minutes of activity to an hour than it might be to set aside 30 to 45 minutes for specific exercise,” McCall observes.

But how can you make sure that you get exercise during your workday, even while working diligently to get that report in on time and keep your boss at bay? McCall offered some tips:

1. It’s all in the timing: “Use an activity tracker with a reminder function or a timer on a smart phone. Set it to go off once an hour and then take a ‘stand-up’ break to move around for a few minutes.”

2. Phone it in: “Get a phone headset and stand up when making phone calls.”

3. Stand up for yourself: “If possible, get a standing desk. Working while standing can help you be more alert and think more clearly.”

4. Take the stairs: “Use the stairs instead of the elevators. Some buildings are making stair access easier. If you constantly go between floors for your job, this can add up to significant calories [burned].”

5. Good parking karma: If you drive to work, “park far from the office and walk the entire parking lot.”

6. Hoof it: “If you commute via public transit, when the weather is nice get off a stop early or late and walk the extra distance home.”

Start tomorrow – or even right now. It all adds up!

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. A regular contributor to The Los Angeles Times, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Wine Spectator, among others, as well as for Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish.

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How To Get Your Fruits and Vegetables During Winter

During the dead of winter, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables become slim pickings. However, eating fewer fruits and vegetables is not an option if you’re looking to stay healthy. According to the 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans, 80-percent of us don’t eat the daily recommended amount of fruit, while 90-percent of Americans don’t take in enough vegetables. Now is the perfect time to turn to canned and frozen produce, as they absolutely count towards your servings of produce, plus they’re brimming with good-for-you nutrients.

But Isn’t Canned Bad?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that fresh is the only healthy option. Because produce is easily perishable, both freezing and canning were created in order to extend shelf lives. Further, the 2015 dietary guidelines specify that canned and frozen also count towards your daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.

Canned fruit retains much of its vitamin C, which can be diminished in its fresh counterparts if it is stored for a long period of time, or shipped long distances. Canned produce is also packed at the peak of ripeness and within hours of being picked from the fields. This summer I visited a tomato farm and cannery in Sacramento, California and I saw tomatoes picked in the fields and quickly delivered to a nearby cannery within several hours to be processed and packed. In fact, tomatoes are an example of produce that actually has higher nutritional value when cooked or processed since canned tomatoes contain 2 to 3 times more lycopene compared to fresh. (Lycopene, naturally found in tomatoes, help protect against the damaging effects of oxidative stress and inflammation.)

What About BPA?

Although BPA (Bisephenol A) has been around since the 1960’s, numerous studies have raised question to its safety. Although the FDA concluded that the amount of BPA in canned products are safe for human consumption, many want the industrial chemical banned from our food supply. If you’re worried about BPA, many BPA-free cans are now available at grocery stores. Several companies that are BPA-free include Eden Organic, Earth Pure Organic Tomatoes, and Muir Glen.

What About Frozen?

Fruits and vegetables are frozen at their peak of freshness in order to maximize the nutritional value. Plus, frozen produce is usually trimmed and cleaned before being packed, which is a huge time saver on busy weeknights. You can also find good deals on frozen produce, which is a great money saver, especially when out-of-season prices are high.

You can also choose to freeze fresh produce at home when fruits and vegetables are bountiful. For example, there are lots of extra zucchinis at the end of the summer. Slice and freeze for the winter months, when fresh varieties are pricey and not easily available.

Read the Label

When buying canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Look for canned fruit in their own juice or in water. Avoid those canned in heavy or light syrup, which are high in sugar.
• Select low- or no-added sodium versions of canned vegetables. If they’re not available, then rinse the vegetables to reduce sodium by up to 40 percent.
• Avoid frozen vegetables that contain high calorie sauces made with oil, cheese or butter.
• Choose frozen fruit that contains one ingredient, the fruit itself, without added sugar.

 

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.

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A Space-Themed 2nd Birthday Party!

You know you’re a parent when your child turns 3 and you still haven’t posted about their 2nd birthday yet!

Better late than never right?

When I was planning Layla’s 2nd birthday, I couldn’t believe one whole year had flown by since her 1st Birthday Party. And now we’re at bday #3! It’s crazy.

For Layla’s 3rd birthday we moved the party out of our home, but for her 2nd birthday we still kept the party at home to make it easier for her (and us!)

We decided to go with a space theme, because Layla (and the husband) are really into Star Wars, and Star Wars has led Layla to develop an interest in space and the planets as well!

So for the snacks and desserts, I had to keep that space theme going

I put out cheddar and caramel popcorn as “Asteroids.”

And of course, we had to have “Moon Rocks”! (Mini chocolate chip cookies).

Then came the cupcakes, which each had their own space character on them. I especially liked the little alien guy

And the goody bags, which had some special “space food” in them (freeze dried fruit and other goodies!)

Of course, we had to have some regular (healthier) food too! Fresh fruit, fresh veggies, hummus and pita, cheese, and whole grain crackers for appetizers…

And then we also ordered pizza

Which Layla couldn’t get enough of!

It was one of the first times we had a bunch of friends over to our new house, which was also a nice way to celebrate us moving in.

Finally, it was time for cake! We bought a small cake for Layla to dig into (since everyone else had cupcakes). But it was ridiculously good: vanilla cake stuffed with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, with vanilla buttercream on top!

Layla was pretty excited to blow out her candles and dig into that cake

Time to eat! Happy birthday Layla!

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What You Should Know About Hydroponic Vegetables

Soil seems so essential to our concept of vegetables that those grown hydroponically – that is, in water rather than soil – may seem confusing. Even futuristic. But hydroponic crop farming is in fact here now. In the last five years, the hydroponic crop farming industry has shown an annual growth of 4.5 percent, according to the U.S. market research firm IBISWorld, and new companies are projected to continue to expand over the next five years.

Hydroponic farms produce high yields in a small area. Often grown indoors – in warehouses or greenhouses and in artificial light instead of sunlight – they are protected from extreme weather. Hydroponically grown vegetables, which are fed by nutrient solutions in the water, may be just as nutritious as field-grown vegetables and, depending on the solutions they’re fertilized with, can help meet the rising demand for organic produce.

Curious to learn more about hydroponic vegetables, we asked Rebecca Elbaum, MPH, RD, CDN, a clinical dietician in New York City who has worked with hydroponic farms, particularly small, rooftop gardens, to fill us in on some of the basics:

 

What, exactly, are hydroponic vegetables?

Hydroponic literally means “water-grow or survive,” so basically hydroponic vegetables are those that survive, and likely thrive, in water. Hydroponic vegetables are grown in a closed system in which their roots are submerged in water. This water is fortified or “spiked” with nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. In conventional farming, natural soil contains vitamins, minerals and trace elements that water does not, so hydroponic farmers need to add those nutrients into the water. Conventional farming also uses the natural light of the sun, which helps vegetables develop their nutrients.  Hydroponic farming mimics sunlight through greenhouses. 

 

How do they compare to field-grown vegetables from a nutritional standpoint?

It is not yet fully known whether hydroponically grown vegetables are nutritionally superior to conventionally grown ones. There are studies that show the nutrient content to be the same, while there are others that show hydroponic vegetables to be richer in nutrients than conventional. While we can artificially add nutrients to water, we might not know certain components in soil that are important for the growth of nutritious vegetables. We also don’t know the impact of natural sunlight versus greenhouse light on the nutritional quality of the vegetables.

 

What are some of the nutritional advantages of hydroponic vegetables, and what are the disadvantages?

In hydroponic cultivation, nutrient quality can be very carefully controlled. While nutrients are also added to soil in conventional farming, it is more difficult to control and more likely to have fluctuations in its nutrient content. The downside of hydroponic vegetables is that how trace elements in soil affect the nutrition of vegetables is unknown. We might not be able to replicate the nutrient quality as well in hydroponic farming.

Another advantage is we can grow almost any produce locally, all year round.  Lettuce and tomatoes grow beautifully hydroponically. A local tomato contains more nutrients than one that has been imported and has sat on a truck for a few days before making it to your plate.

 

Do you see hydroponic vegetables as assuming a greater role in American diets?

Since hydroponic vegetables can be grown just about anywhere with the right space, I do think they will become more prevalent in American diets. Hydroponic gardens are playing a bigger role in cities, with people growing fruits and vegetables on their rooftops. With a growing population and climate change, alternative methods of growing fruits and vegetables are coming into play. We may already be buying hydroponic vegetables in grocery stores without knowing it. Growing hydroponically allows us to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables locally, rather than importing them from other countries, which causes a loss of nutrition in transit. This not only improves the nutritional quality of the vegetables that make it our plates or kitchens, but it is almost more environmentally friendly.  We unfortunately won’t know the nutritional impacts of hydroponic vegetables for a number of years, as more studies need to be done, but I think we will see them become more prevalent in grocery stores and on menus.

 

What do you see as the key takeaway for consumers here?

Bottom line: Eat vegetables. These alternative methods are growing and are here to stay with the boom in agricultural technology and climate change. Since we don’t have conclusive evidence at the current time about which method produces nutritionally superior vegetables, I would tell my patients to buy any vegetables they can get their hands on. Since very few people actually consume the three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits recommended daily, I would not want to restrict consumers further on what produce they should buy. As the research continues to grow however, it will be interesting to see if indeed hydroponic vegetables can be nutritionally superior to conventional.

Also, though it would be great to have delicious local lettuce and tomatoes all year round, there is something very special about savoring the fresh tomatoes of summer while they are in season.

 

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. A regular contributor to The Los Angeles Times, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Wine Spectator, among others, as well as for Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish.

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One Week in Chile (Santiago, Colchagua, Valparaíso)

At the end of last year, during the holidays, the husband and I were lucky enough to spend a week in Chile! We left Layla with family and flew to Santiago on the evening of Christmas Day. It was the first international trip we had taken since before Layla was born (since July of 2013!) and it was the longest we had been away from her so we were both a little nervous about how it would go. But, we knew it was the right decision because there is no way she would have had fun on such a long, international trip. Layla is an amazing kid, but she is a terrible traveler: doesn’t sleep on planes/car rides/in the stroller/anywhere except her crib, really, and we knew she wouldn’t be able to remember the trip even if we did take her. So we prepped her for weeks before we left, and on the day we were leaving she didn’t get upset or cry at all – what a relief!

And luckily, the rest of her time away from us went smoothly!

As for us, we landed on the morning of the 26th in Santiago and were so excited to explore the city.

Our first stop was Cerro Santa Lucia, which had a beautiful park and a hike to the top that had the most incredible views.

We could even see the Andes!

We stayed at the Hotel Cumbres Lastarria, which was super nice and had the most epic free breakfast I’ve ever had at a hotel: hot and cold options, seriously delicious and healthy too! They even let us check in 5 hours early when we got there at 10am so we could freshen up and nap before we headed out for the day.

After we left the park, we came across an cute neighborhood called Bellas Artes. There was an amazing Gelato place here, a quaint bakery that we stopped at, and we saw some really cool graffiti and architecture.

Santiago has tons of parks and markets, and we spent the remaining part of the afternoon meandering through all of the parks until we got tired enough to go back to the hotel before dinner. At the hotel, we met up with my brother, sister-in-law and two friends that we spent the rest of the trip with!

Dinner was incredible. We found an all vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Santiago called El Huerto. They made freshly baked sprouted wheat breads, fresh juices, and there were so many veggie options it was hard to decide what to order! We each ordered 2 dishes and had dessert on top of that. Stuffed and happy, we headed back to our hotel.

The next day, after our hearty hotel breakfast, we headed to the Andes for a 10 mile hike all the way to the glacier and back! We used EcoTours and were really happy with them. They picked us up at our hotel, drove us to the base of the mountain, guided us through the hike, provided a really robust veggie lunch (sandwiches on whole grain bread packed with veggies, avocado and cheese, homemade trail mix, fresh fruit, tons of water, and even some treats like chocolate and granola bars if needed), and dropped us back at our hotel at the end of the day. It was a long day (8am-7pm) but so, so worth it! The pictures and views were unreal.

We got great weather for most of the hike, it only started to get super hot towards the end. The best part was, we had lined up another scrumptious dinner to reward ourselves with post hike!

For dinner, we went to Peumayen Ancestral Food – which had an all veggie tasting menu (but also meat dishes for our carnivorous travel buddies ). The focus of this restaurant is native Chilean ingredients, used in interesting and inventive ways.

We started off with a little potato puff, topped with an onion and mushroom relish. It was hot, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and melted in your mouth in one bite.

Then we had a tasting of ancestral breads from Chile! This was so interesting, each bread was incredibly unique and different from anything I had tasted before. There were sweeter breads made with pumpkin and sweet potatoes, savory breads made just from beans or lentils, and a flatbread with a dip that reminded me of a roasted red pepper hummus.

In preparation for our next course we were given a “snack” of roasted potato chips and a vegetable dip.

Then came the vegetarian appetizer tasting. I honestly can’t even remember the details of this deliciousness, other than that there was a variety of roasted veggies, spices and dips that complemented each other perfectly.

A roasted seaweed stick as a palate cleanser in between courses

And then our tasting of mains: Roasted radishes with fava beans and chickpeas, a quinoa “porridge” with roasted peanuts, and a mix of roasted squashes topped with dried pineapple and kale. All three dishes sounded so simple when described to us, but the flavors were so complex I couldn’t get enough of them!

Then came the desserts.

Shaved ice with lemon to start.

Then two different homemade ice creams, one with a pumpkin bread “crumble,” and one with a coconut crumble. And lastly, the full dessert / chocolate tasting (where every dessert had an element of chocolate to it!) A deconstructed “brownie,” a dark chocolate truffle, a corn cake with a quinoa pudding inside, to name a few!

We left totally stuffed and happy, and very proud of ourselves for finishing that Andes hike.

The next day we left for Colchagua Valley, which is essentially wine country in Chile.

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We left Santiago around 10am, and arrived in Colchagua around 1pm, where we started a 5 hour wine tour (and visited 3 wineries!)

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We used Colchagua Wine Tours for all of our transportation throughout Chile, and they organized our wine tour and tastings for us as well! They were absolutely amazing — handled ALL of our transportation at a super reasonable price: from Santiago to Colchagua, all of our transportation for the 2 days we were in Colchagua, from Colchagua to Valparaiso, Valparaiso back to Santiago, and Santiago to the airport! They are run by a husband and wife team – Connie and Fransisco – who are very nice, incredibly professional, and literally know everything there is to know about Chile — they helped us with all of our restaurant reservations in Santa Cruz, and they even helped my brother with some random travel logistics totally unrelated to their business just because they are so nice and knowledgeable!

The wineries we visited were all unique and enormous (in terms of acreage) compared to the Napa and Sonoma wineries I’m used to. We also stopped at a restaurant called Vino Bello for lunch which was veggie friendly, quite tasty given that it was Italian food in Chile, and the portions were huge! We also got to eat in their outdoor terrace where we just breathed in the perfect weather and views.

After our wine tour, we checked into our hotel: we stayed in Santa Cruz, at the Hotel TerraVina, which is a peaceful, boutique hotel on a vineyard about a mile from the center of town.

After checking in and relaxing a bit, we headed to Casa Colchagua for some more outdoor dining as the sun set, and a traditional Chilean dinner (that was still veggie friendly!)

The next day might be one of my favorites from this entire trip. We started our morning with another epic, free, hotel breakfast at Hotel TerraVina, and then around 10am headed to Pilar Rodriguez’s Food & Wine Studio for an all day cooking class that ended in a 4 course meal and wine pairing.

Pilar is an incredibly warm, enthusiastic, and knowledgable chef – who believes in making simple, tasty food with wholesome, fresh, organic ingredients.

To start, she took us to one of her favorite farms where she sources a lot of her ingredients. The farm was run by two brothers – and one of them – Luis – allowed us to explore his farm and literally pick the ingredients for our meal straight from the ground!

Luis explained to us how passionate he was about organic, sustainable farming. I had never heard anyone talk about soil as being “alive,” who took such care in their work, and who was so passionate about taking care of these delicate vegetable and fruit plants.

It was like stepping into the land of the greens.

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I was way too excited to be pulling mixed greens, chard, kale, radishes, bok choy and all kinds of other delicious ingredients straight from the ground.

It was like the mother ship was calling me home

One of the coolest ingredients we found on the farm were these garlic flowers. The white flowers were edible and literally tasted just like garlic! If you pressed the flowers, garlic oil came out. Seriously, so cool.

The farm was filled with all kinds of flowers and herbs – fresh rosemary, oregano, basil (more than 3 kinds!), lavender – to name a few!

We spent about an hour there, and each of us left with a bag full of our “bounty,” – the ingredients we’d be throwing into the best green salad I’ve ever had in my entire life.

Back in the kitchen, we began cooking! Because there were so many of us, we were able to whip up a 4 course meal in under 1 hour. The entire meal was vegetarian, and ridiculously good. We used all of the ingredients we picked from the farm as well as some interesting additions like seaweed (to be added to veggie burger patties!)

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We also took green onions, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and blended it until smooth. Then we drained out the oil, took the solids that were left and mixed the solids with quinoa. Then we took the green oil and turned it into salad dressing for our greens. Such a simple idea, but it made the dish burst with flavor!

Once we were done cooking, it was time to eat!

We started off with a fresh tomato gazpacho with banana peppers.

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Followed by fresh ricotta bites with avocado puree and a cucumber and onion relish, served on the most unique plate I’ve seen.

Then came our green salad, with pumpkin seeds, the quinoa mixture and our delicious homemade green dressing.

Third up, a quinoa “veggie burger” made with – of all things – seaweed. But it didn’t taste sea-like at all! The seaweed just gave it a really meaty texture. It was topped with a roasted caramelized onion, served with a fava bean puree and the garlic flowers from the farm!

Pilar and her team also made fresh focaccia and other breads for us to enjoy during the meal with fresh butter

For dessert, we had a lemon sorbet, served with a berry “soup” and fresh cherries.

After our long and satisfying meal, we headed out to Pilar’s garden for some coffee, tea and hot chocolate to round out the day.

We were there for over 5 hours, and it literally flew by! I learned so much about Chilean food and farming from Pilar, it was truly a priceless experience. And I got some great recipes to try at home too!

After our day with Pilar was over, we left for Valparaiso, which is a 3.5 hour drive from Colchagua. Valparaiso is a little town near the ocean, and we stayed in an AirBnB house in the hills.

The house we stayed in was literally a mansion. It had a gorgeous courtyard, like 10 bedrooms (way more than we needed!) and the most eclectic, interesting decor inside. It was a really fun house for all of us to stay in for the last few days of our trip. It also had a decent sized kitchen, so we were able to buy some groceries and cook in the house a bit for a few of our meals (mainly breakfast).

The next day, we explored Valparaiso, which is a bohemian, free-spirited town with the most incredible graffiti art I’ve ever seen. We literally just walked through the hills of the city, exploring the various graffiti for an entire day.

For lunch, we stopped at this tiny vegan place: La Chuchoca. It felt like a true hippie spot: you take off your shoes when you enter, you sit on the floor, and you “pay what you think the food is worth,” which I thought was so cool. Throughout the restaurant there are messages about giving back, doing good, etc.

They had a set menu that changed each day, with fresh juices and a 3 course lunch! And the food was super healthy but also very very tasty. The only downside was because they made everything fresh to order, it took a while to get our food – we were there for 1.5 hours! Definitely worth stopping in though if you have the time.

We continued on our self guided tour of Valparaiso, and came across beautiful views of the ocean from the top of the city.

And more graffiti of course! Like this staircase painted like a piano…

This Van Gough on the side of a building…

And we marveled at the rich colors of the town – it was like looking at a rainbow of buildings.

The next day was New Years Eve – where we headed to Fauna for dinner, drinks and a spectacular view of the fireworks at midnight! The restaurant overlooked the water, and we sat outside where we could truly enjoy the ambiance.

The meal was surprisingly good for a prie fix new years eve menu! We started with a fresh salad made with a variety of veggies (squashes, radishes, broccoli, to name a few – all shaved razor thin) and seasoned perfectly. Then we had a homemade pasta filled with a ricotta and squash puree, with a fresh herb and pesto sauce. And our dessert was actually 4 courses, so they definitely didn’t skimp on that!

Once dinner was over the fireworks began! (Yes, they took a looong time between each course haha!)

The sky was illuminated, and the husband and I were so excited to spend our first new years eve out and about (instead of at home with Layla asleep!)

It was a fantastic trip. It was obviously hard to leave Layla for 7 whole days, but also so worth it because of the experience we were able to have! The weather was fantastic, it was the perfect break from the winter in Ann Arbor. We felt like we spent the right amount of time in each place, so we didn’t leave wishing we had gotten more time there or that we wanted to do an activity we weren’t able to do. And one of the best parts was the delicious, healthy, flavorful and tasty food we had for every meal in Chile. Really unforgettable and a great start to 2017!

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