Busy lifestyles, especially when traveling often, can lead to an empty refrigerator. That's one of several reasons that I happily accepted the invitation to review Farmbox Direct. Having been away from home for two months, the timing was perfect. I truly missed eating a lot veggies and fruit while away.  Plus - I loved reading about the company's mission to provide healthy organic and natural produce while supporting local farmers. As an Ambassador for Global Wellness Day --and-- as a certified Ambassador of the World Food Travel Association, I love sharing ways to live better, healthier and more socially conscious.

This  lifestyle hack to help you stay on track for eating well and good while saving time and having to decide what plant based food you want to shop for.

Farmbox Direct is a door-to-door service that deliver fresh vegetables and fruits from farmers markets to your home and is available throughout the continental United States. The selection changes with what's in-season and local.  and, unlike other subscription services, boxes can be customized to accommodate allergies and preferences.

As a food lover, I was excited to rip open my box and discover what was inside. First impressions matter and I was impressed at how well the produce was carefully wrapped and packed. Asparagus, organic rainbow carrots, an onion and organic kale were rolled in paper, while sprouts were in plastic bags with holes to ensure freshness. Red potatoes and perfectly ripe organic green peppers were included. There were apples, naval oranges and kiwis, along with  pears and avacados. The unveiling of the fruits and veggies was a lot of fun - it felt like Christmas for the plant-based foodie.  All of the produce with the exception of one red potato were in perfect condition and fresh. My only suggestion to FarmFresh is to have an insert saying what's in the box as they do on their website. I wasn't sure which box I received but after checking, it looks like I received the Medium Organic Box. Most of the produce had organic stickers but not all.

Upon receiving my box, I immediately set to work  - first staging a few photos and then I made a huge batch of vegetarian soup that incorporated the carrots, onion, kale and potatos. I added in my own celery and a can of fire-roasted tomatos, added a few fresh springs of thyme and added a box of veggie broth. It was that simple - and super delicious. Just saute the onion, carrots and celery first until the onions are translucent. Then add the kale and saute.  As this was happening, I cooked the potatos in my new InstaPot. Then added the broth and tomatos and let simmer along with the thyme branches (which I pulled out later.) I still have a whole lot of fruits and veggies to use and will probably most of the veggies for dinner tonight and enjoy the fruit over the next couple of days.

The FarmBox Direct organic box ranges from $45.95- $66.95 or if you prefer to save a few dollars, the all-natural boxes range from $41.95- $51.95. There are 9 boxes to choose from: small, medium and large organic boxes and small, medium and large all natural boxes in addition to green, orange and red juicing boxes.

Bonus #1: customers can customize their box with up to 5 substitituions with each delivery.
Bonus #2: No commitment
Bonus #3: You can also customize your schedule

 ​https://www.farmboxdirect.com/

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this review. I did receive the product for the purpose to review the product/service. My opinions are my own.

As a girl who likes to eat, I am always happy to try new restaurants and food concepts.

Invited to preview The Harvest Bar before it officially opened in LA , I was truly impressed at the fast casual/grab-n-go outlet. This superfoods cafe offers a good variety of smoothies, breakfast bowls, warm savory bowls and a selection of coffee and tea. Personalization in LA is key and there are options for vegan, gluten-free and spicy eaters and customers get to select exactly what they want in --  or added to --  their bowls. 

Being a huge wellness advocate, I loved hearing that the owner was inspired by street food in Brazil and is motivated to democratize good, fresh, local food options. Pretty sweet! 

I went with my best friend and we agreed that this was a great place and would come back on our own. I highly recommend the Butter Coffee which is blended organic coffee with organic coconut oil and grass-fed butter. For BulletProof coffee fans, you know what I am talking about! My friend intially went "yuck" until she tasted mine and changed her mind. Yummy!

Another hit was the Avochoco Smoothie - which again, my friend squinched up her nose but ended up loving it.  (Avacado, coconut milk, dates, coconut butter, organic coconut oil, cacao and chocolate nibs) While probably not light on calories - I have to say - heck yes!!!

Ingredients:

• Protein Blend: organic acai, peanut butter, banana, hemp protein, dates, hemp milk.
• Toppings: almonds, pumpkin seeds, bee pollen, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, goji, your choice of fruit.
• Personalization: We selected blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. 

What I Learned:
Bee Pollen: The little yellow things are bee pollen, which, according to the U.S. National Libary of Medicine, "... demonstrates a series of actions such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer immunostimulating, and local analgesic." 

Hemp Seeds: A little woo-wooy and crunchy-granola, hippyish was my initial reaction, until I liked what I tasted and then was curious to know more about hemp seeds. Hemp is good for your heart and is high in Omega 3 & Omega 6. If you want to know more click here.

​I ended up buying both as Sprouts and have included bee pollen and hemp in my daily diet.

• Ingredients: organic quinoa, brown rice, black beans, homemade jackfruit carnitas, locally grown baby wild arugula, cilantro, red onion, mango salsa, lime, avocado cilantro cream.

What I Learned: Jack fruit was used to mimic the taste of carnitas. It was so good then I could not tell the difference between carnitas and the plant-based version. True! Not kidding! 

Curious to learn how to do this myself, I found this article, "Jackfruit: This BBQ pulled "pork" is the healthy food trend you need to try."  

• Ingredients: dragon fruit, strawberry, banana, agave, apple juice.

What I Learned: This was good to the last drop! Refreshing and a gorgeous color to boot, this was one of my favs that is perfect on a hot day.

For More Info, please visit: The Harvest Bar