A Semi-Healthy out-of-Sem Week

Remember when I said my blog is going to be about my semi healthy life?
Well, since my family was in visiting last week, I think this post is the perfect time to take advantage of that ‘semi’ in the tagline.
It is (very intentionally) put there for moments like last week. For special occasions like family reunions and birthday dinners. And for weekends. And Monday nights too. And for pretty much any time I feel like eating something that’s not the healthiest. It’s a pretty strategic loophole for myself, I must admit.

Except for when it becomes dangerous… like it did last week.

I was healthy. Ish. I tried, really, I did.
But how healthy can you really be when you wake up to a lavish breakfast and end the day with a dinner twice the size of your face? Salad and fish are great choices, but somehow, when you’re sitting around the restaurant table conversing over a slow dinner, it leads to tasting (more like devouring…) your sister’s pasta dish or having an overly generous “bite” of her chocolate covered waffle. And, if your family is anything like mine, they’ll secretly pretend it’s your birthday and order a dessert and laugh as the whole restaurant sings Yom Huledet Sameach to you while you sit there sinking into your chair uncomfortably (it really happened, I promise).

On that note, here’s the best of last week’s healthy-ish adventures.
Please note that there were many other splurges (you know, the occasional chocolate… or five) but not everything was photographed.

Thursday 1/21/16: Cafe Rimon

I ordered this vegan shepherd’s pie dish containing both regular and sweet potatoes sprinkled with black lentils and techina. It was light and delicious, making it the perfect choice for our late night dinner.

Friday 1/22/16: Inbal Hotel Breakfast 

Israeli breakfast, when it’s done right, is definitely my favorite meal of the day. Pictured here is some Israeli salad with mozzarella cheese, a baked sweet potato and carrot muffin, and a whole wheat cracker with bulgarian cheese drizzled with olive oil and zaatar. On the side is fresh herbal tea and a fruit cup with fresh and dried fruits.

Saturday Night 1/23/16: Ben-Ami Restaurant 

It wasn’t until late Saturday night, about 11pm or so, that we sat down in Ben-Ami on Emek Refaim St. to have dinner. We were stuffed from lunch and the thought of putting  more food into our bodies any sooner than that would have been nauseating. I ordered a spinach shakshouka with lemon-nana tea to warm up.

Monday 1/25/16: Cafe Greg

In the middle of our drive up to the Golan, we stopped for lunch in a mall which (thankfully!) had a Cafe Greg. Deciding on just one thing from Cafe Greg‘s amazing menu is always a challenge for me, but after some deliberation I decided to on the fattoush salad which contained fresh veggies, sunflower seeds and homemade breadcrumbs. I also ordered a warm drink with fresh mint, dried apples, and a cinnamon stick.

Tuesday 1/26/16: HaGoshrim Hotel Breakfast

Okay, so this is where the splurging began. Hotel breakfasts somehow cause me to loose all aspect of self control.
I know what you’re thinking – pizza for breakfast? How?
But I really couldn’t resist. It was baked fresh in a huge brick oven and the room smelled amazing. It was so good! No regrets. Well, at least I didn’t have any then…
I also had some baked apples, halva, vegetables, spinach shakshouka, and a cafe hafuch. Yum 🙂

Tuesday 1/26/16: Lunch at a Random Falafel Place

For lunch we stopped at a random falafel place off the highway #onlyinIsrael. It’s awesome that you can do that here. After my not-so-healthy breakfast, I decided that it would be best to attempt to be healthier for the rest of the day, so I opted out on the falafel and ordered the healthiest pescetarian choice on the menu – a tuna salad with techina.

Wednesday 1/27/16: Inbal Hotel Breakfast

After spending two days up north we drove back to Jerusalem and with that, of course, came the amazing breakfast at the Inbal.
Pictured here is an egg soufflé with sweet potatoes, some fresh veggies, gouda cheese, a broccoli and cauliflower baked muffin, a slice of whole wheat bread, and a combination of peanut butter and jelly in a small bowl.

Thursday 1/28/16: Lechem Basar Restaurant

I’ve always heard good things about Lechem Basar at the First Station, but it wasn’t until my family came that I actually got to try it. I ordered a perfectly seasoned grilled salmon, which also happened to be the only fish option on the menu. It came with roasted vegetables and some balsamic vinegar and was very tasty.

Saturday Night 1/30/16: Waffle Factory

 
It wouldn’t be a proper trip to Israel without a trip to The Waffle Factory. After we bought our movie tickets we had dinner in The Waffle Factory at Cinema City. We all shared two salads and then ordered waffles covered with chocolate and fruit for dessert.

Sunday 1/31/16: Foccacia Restaurant 

On Sunday night, my family’s last night in Israel, we decided to have our last dinner at Foccacia on Emek Refaim St. My parents understandably wanted to have a substantial meat meal that would hold them over until their 12:45am takeoff. I enjoyed a salmon with spinach leaves and a side salad topped with a mustard vinaigrette.

And that was last week! 🙂

I hope this food journal can provide you with some ideas of what to order when you go out to eat. Learn from the healthy choices though 😉

Be health conscious, but don’t deprive yourself. In the words of a quote I recently heard, “remember that food is an important part of a balanced diet,” so make sure to appreciate it for what it’s worth. Sometimes it’s okay to be healthy-ish. Or Semi-healthy. However you phrase it.
Just don’t forget to eat and enjoy <3