“We believe that preparing food is a
labor of love and that health beauty
and art can be served on a plate.”
charlotte lifestyle may/june
8
tri-color Quinoa and grilled vegetables
for lunch or dinner. It is delicious,
satisfying and healthy.
Of course if you are like me, it
may be hard to walk away from the
table without dessert. My personal
weakness is ice cream. Rather than
avoid my craving, I indulge in it. Halo
Top ice cream available at Harris
Teeter and Publix will give you the full
experience. It is made with coconut
milk, real sugar (yes real sugar) and has
only 240 -360 calories per the entire
pint. It comes in 17 fabulous flavors
and is high in both protein and fiber.
Try it once and you will never deny
yourself ice cream again. My personal
favorite is the Peanut Butter Cup; it’s
smooth and creamy, has the perfect
balance of chocolate and peanut butter
and is the ideal end to any meal.
Another way I satisfy a late night
craving………………frozen grapes. If you
haven’t tried one, you will be amazed
at the experience. No embellishments
required; they are perfect from the
freezer to the bowl to you. Be sure
they are dry before you freeze them
or they may become sticky. Twenty
grapes equals only 69 calories, are full
of flavor, refreshing and very high in
antioxidants. For those of you who
often feel the need to reach into a bag
of chips while watching your favorite
late night television show, try reaching
into a bowl of frozen grapes instead.
Now I’m not oblivious to the fact that
we live in a fast paced world, and we
are often looking for a quick and easy
way to satisfy our cravings. I believe
there is no greater place than Charlotte
to do this and to do it in a healthy and
fully satisfying way. So let’s talk about
how easy that really is!
The Living Kitchen is a delightful
local restaurant boasting 2 locations
here in Charlotte, one in Raleigh
and one in Chapel Hill. They pride
themselves in producing only plant
based food. They are the perfect
place to stop, especially on a hectic
day. The open atmosphere is full of
natural light and warm tones that
will very quickly put your mind at
ease well before you begin eyeing the
selections on the menu. If you are
Vegan or Vegetarian or anything else
you have no limitations on this menu.
If you are gluten free you won’t be
disappointed either. Each dish is very
carefully prepared and presented, is
derived with all organic, plant based
ingredients and will fully compliment
the experience you are already having
as a result of the environment. They
produce their own custom drinks as
well, which are available with your
meal or bottled if you’re on the go.
The Living Kitchen is the inspiration
of Juliana Luna and Stephen Edwards.
Their passion for plant based food gave
birth to their first location on South
End in 2012 and has become a staple
for not only the local community but
also from all areas of Charlotte. Their
Photo by Dawn Gaddy
>>
Avocado Basil
Sandwich from
The Living Kitchen