Fueling with the Delicious Creations at Fuel+

May 12, 2015May 10, 2015Leave a comment

Located at 471 Church St, Fuel+ is a must visit for anyone interested in delicious and nutritious healthy shakes, juices, and food at a price point that won’t break the bank.

I first heard of Fuel+ last summer through one of our Tribe run club leaders who would select Fuel+ as our finish location for our weekend long brunch runs. After a year of connecting online and in person I was invited a couple weeks ago to sample the upcoming spring and summer menu – shakes, fuel balls, and coffee – oh my! They shared a variety of delicious new flavours that are perfect for summer, and as I’ve already mentioned at a very low price point.

Wondering what to order on your next visit to Fuel+? Here’s my top 3 list of what you need to try at Fuel+

1. Mango Sunrise Shake

With over 20 flavours of healthy shake’s to choose from, someone might find it to be a tough decision, but for me there is no question – Mango Sunrise is my favourite Fuel+ shake. It’s made with mango, avacado, coconut, Vega sport protein and 100% mango juice – totally delicious for breakfast, especially if you like coconut. I love the fruity mango taste, the thick texture from the avacado, and the tiny pieces of coconut which shoot up the straw as you sip. And as an FYI, all their healthy shakes are plant based, gluten free, and made with real ingredients with no added sugar.

2. Fuel Ball

Fuel+ is known for many of their delicious food items, but I believe the most popular is their Fuel Ball. Made fresh daily, Fuel Balls are plant based and gluten free ingredients that range from a variety of flavours including organic peanut butter with chocolate and sunflower butter with cinnamon. Fuel+ also has a variety of seasonal FUEL Ball’s that are on rotation, changing every few months.

3. Butter Coffee

Confession: I hate coffee. It’s sharp, bitter, harsh, and I have no interest in that flavour – so I put off having a Butter Coffee from Fuel+ for months. Now this wasn’t an easy task, because Fuel+ is well known in Toronto as THE place for Butter Coffee – it’s all you hear about through social media. So after a long delay, and countless positive reviews, how can I say no? What I didn’t realize was that the butter actually cuts that bitter taste making it taste smooth and mild.

Now why butter? Fuel+ states on their website “Healthy Saturated Fat from the grass fed butter has higher Omega 3 which help raise the levels of good cholesterol HDL. With MCT Oil in the mix, it helps with absorption and utilization of healthy fats. Caffeine is of course known to help with alertness.”

And what is also cool, is that you can order a Butter Coffee in store OR you can buy all the ingredients at Fuel+ and with a quick lesson make it at home.

Fuel+ are also one of the few places in Toronto to offer Station Cold Brew Coffee. Perfect for folks on-the-go, cold brew coffee is great from the bottle or cover ice. Because it’s brewed with cold water it is less acidic and smooth, without a bitter taste.

My coffee count went from zero cups to 2, thanks to Fuel+.

Looking for the perfect fuel after a run? Or meal on your way to the office? Check out Fuel+ for your next delicious and nutritious healthy snack and meal.

Wild About It: Healthy Planet

March 25, 2015Leave a comment

Today’s Wild About It Wednesday is all about shopping online with Healthy Planet Have you heard of they?

They are an in person and online retailer of all things which support a healthy lifestyle – vitamins, supplements and remedies, as well as healthy groceries, and to my thrill, Vega! Healthy Planet’s personal goal is to make high quality products readily available and affordable for consumers, and it was that affordable part that really caught me eye.

I’m always looking for a deal on my Vega products. While they have always been part of my race plan, it was during my training for my Half Ironman in the fall, when their products really became part of my daily diet and lifestyle. And as a result, I’m always looking for ways to get it on a deal, and Healthy Planet has helped me do just that.

Their regular prices are substantially cheaper then most retailers, and often time’s they have a sale or promo code to get that price even lower. An example of this is their current web deal,Vega Energizer Acai Berry Sugar Free 30 packs, regular price: $55.89, Healthy Planet price: $42.99, on sale for $19.99. Such a great deal!

There is actually a location near my work, but their website, with free shipping when you spend over $49.99 (it’s only $7.50 if you are below), just makes fitting shopping into a busy lifestyle so much easier. When I went to the site I had a one track mind – Vega. I quickly searched in the tab and every current available Vega product came up, including the hard to find Coconut Almond and Mocha shakes. Both $20 off the regular retail price, and available in three different sizes. Amazing! I stocked my cart full of various Vega bars – no need to buy a box of one flavour, with the great price here you can mix and match and get a variety of yumminess.

Checking out was simple and fast. I choose to have them send me email alerts and I’ve been receiving additional promo codes to save on the items I love about every other week.

If you frequently buy health related goodies, I highly suggest you check out Healthy Planet online and search their thousands of products for the ones you love. To get you started here is a coupon code to save you 10% on your purchase! Enter Heather10 at checkout and save!

How do you save on the healthy products you love? Share your tips in the comments!

Long Run #bRUNch

March 6, 2014March 5, 2014Leave a comment

There are many blog post and research articles available to tell you the importance of fueling post run – what to eat and when. While after some runs we’d rather be showering, or lying in bed, fueling is key for a speedy recovery. This post won’t tell you what to eat after you’ve drained the tank – instead, here are my three favourite Toronto restaurants to hit up for post long run #bRUNch!

3. Sadie’s Diner and Juice Bar.

Located at 504 Adelaide St W. Sadie’s Diner and Juice Bar offers an extensive menu of “comfort foods, updated.” The usual omelets, pancakes, and French toast are featured on the breakfast menu along with items such as tofu scramble, which is scrambled tofu served with home fries, veggie bacon or veggie sausage and toast, as well as Huevos Rancheros, which is two eggs over easy on corn tortillas with salsa, refried beans, guacamole & cheddar cheese (there is also a tofu version of this dish). The staff are pleasant, and atmosphere is quaint (be sure to check out their Pez wall), I do suggest bringing cash, as when I was there the debit machine was down and our whole group and to add on to our run to find some cash to pay.

I recommend: The Huevos Rancheros with scrambled eggs.

2. Thompson Diner.

Located at the Thompson Hotel, 550 Wellington Street W, Thompson Diner, although the most expensive brunch spot on the list, offers a variety of post run fueling options in both food and liquid form. You’ll find classic items on the menu including omelets, breakfast burritos, pancakes, and oatmeal, but you’ll also find items such as their Breakfast Poutine, made of fries, chopped turkey sausage, poached egg, hollandaise sauce and gravy, or their famous Brunch Burger, which is a beef burger with a fried egg, bacon and melted cheddar served on a powdered donut. The service here is what you’d expect from the Thompson Hotel (friendly and professional) and chances are pretty good that you might see a film star or professional athlete dining at the booth next to you. Open 24 hours.

I recommend: The buttermilk pancake with your choice of banana. blueberry, or chocolate filling.

1. What A Bagel.

Located at 130 Spadina Ave, What A Bagel, is a dine in and take out bakery and eatery. Their menu contains a variety of items served is sizes perfect for someone who has just rocked a long training run (they’re big with lots of sides). You can order omelets, breakfast sandwiches, a variety of specialty eggs including benedict florentine and benedict with salmon, French toast/pancakes/waffles, fresh fruit bowels you design, fresh bagels still warm or my favourite chocolate croissants hot from the oven (I’m pretty sure these are the best in Toronto – if you know of better please share!). The seating exists in a variety of configurations so they can support run clubs of larger sizes, just be sure to arrive early, because it gets packed! Weekend hours: 8am-5pm.

I recommend: Making your own custom 3 egg omelet. Get it the way you want and it’s served with sides galore! And of course you need a chocolate croissant on the side!