The innovative dishes are out and the rave reviews are in – guests at Optimum Health Institute (OHI) San Diego and Austin are loving the brand new 21-day menu.
“One of our Thursday dinners actually got a round of applause from guests,” reported Chef Amber Santa Cruz. The chilled gazpacho spotlighted all the regular favorite vegetables – vine-ripened organic tomatoes, freshly picked cucumbers, and chopped organic red bell peppers and onions. Now, thanks to the new 21-day menu, the savory soup is enhanced with complex new dimensions of flavor from exotic spices and fresh chopped herbs.
Another big hit, said Amber, is the raw vegan pad Thai featuring fresh zucchini “noodles.” “Guests really enjoy the sauce, which we make from soaked sesame seeds, avocado and ground spices,” she said.
Another standout meal, according to Amber, is Friday breakfast. “Guests break out in the biggest smiles when they pick up their bowls of buckwheat granola with seed milk, topped with mixed berries and sliced apples. The hypo selection (low glycemic alternative) is sliced avocado over a bed of greens, chopped vegetables and sprouts, with guest’s choice of a variety of new dressings.”
While the original idea behind introducing a 21-day menu was to provide a different lunch and dinner selection for all three weeks of the OHI healthy lifestyle program, the OHI kitchens have delivered so much more. After months of chopping, juicing, dehydrating, fermenting and tasting, said Amber, they’ve been able to concentrate delicious flavors while actually decreasing the number of ingredients in each dish. The results are palate pleasing and visually beautiful dishes that satisfy while complying with all of OHI’s strict nutritional guidelines.
Lentil chili with onion “bread,” breakfast applesauce with dehydrated crackers of apple, flax seeds and sunflower seeds, a huge assortment of vibrant new salad dressings to enhance fresh garden greens and chopped vegetables – guests are eager to sample each new kitchen offering.
“Guests tell me they’ve been coming to OHI for decades, and this is the best the food has ever been,” said Amber. “Guests frequently ask for recipes, which we’re happy to share. To me, that means they intend to continue eating nutritiously when they get back home. I’m thrilled to show them that healthy can be delicious, too.”
Come experience what “healthy” tastes like, and learn how to bring your body, mind and spirit into healthy balance at OHI missions in San Diego and Austin, Texas. Our caring team can help you achieve your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual goals for optimal health. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org , and call us at (800) 993-4325 to make your reservation.