Heather Allen-Nutrition
140 Yonge Street M5C 1X6 Toronto, ON, Canada

[CONFESSION] I’ve been eating a ton of packaged food lately. And I’m pumped about it. . 2 months without a kitchen and way too much #ubereats has me releasing the beliefs around food that no longer serve me in this exact moment. . I hold myself to a pretty high standard when it comes to food. I enjoy making most things from scratch with love and intention and I feel best when I do. BUT trying to do that without a kitchen/sink/stove has been causing me unnecessary stress and g...uilt. So I had to let that shit go, step up and do the best I can given my situation. . This realization hit me when we got slapped in the face with a 2 month extension on our kitchen renovation, I saw my @ubereats_canada bills adding up and my body was getting pissed with all the ‘healthyish’ food I was dialling in from delivery. . Perfection is a limiting belief we can all benefit from letting go of. You don’t need superfood powders, magic dusts or hand-squeezed exotic rainforest nut milks to be healthy. Keep it real (and realistic) for where you are at right now. And if right now means packaged-foods with the most real food ingredients possible, just know that I’m right there with you. . Peep my stories on Instagram @bitewithlove for a full kitchen tour and to see what other packaged eats I’ve been chowing down on! See more

[REEL LIFE VS REAL LIFE]. My first food pic in over a month! Why? Well, a TON of stuff has gone down over the past month. I lost my beloved fur son Ken and my kitchen/main floor living space all in the span of 24 hours. So I’ve been living the crockpot & hot plate life over here in construction land and learning some seriously valuable life lessons. . 1) PERSPECTIVE is everything. Keeping a positive mental attitude (PMA) has been crucial for my sanity in the chaos of renovati...on land. The hubs and I are currently living in our basement during the reno and pretending our makeshift space is a tiny apartment in New York City and that we’re on some grand adventure! Washing dishes in the shower feels like camping. What a treat! . 2) GRATITUDE. The fact that I even have an opportunity to craft a dream kitchen with my new hubby so we can start a new chapter (and maybe even a family ) is beyond amazing and is something I can count my lucky stars for every damn day. I’m also grateful for the black mold, knob and tube wiring and asbestos they found in the walls. Because now we get to take it out and create a safe and healthy home! *Not grateful for the extra invoices for that came along with it. 3) SIMPLICITY. A lack of stove, oven and sink means meals have been simplified which opens up some time to work on epic things (like the upcoming #impactlivesevent with my girl Dr. Meghan Walker ). Living with less stuff, clutter and space is something that I am absolutely loving and will carry with me as the reno completes in 8 more weeks and it’s time to ‘fill’ the space again. . 4) PRIORITIES. You make time for what matters. Eating real food is a top priority for me. Even if it means chopping veggies on a cutting board on the floor. I could easily turn to nightly pizza and takeout. I have all the excuses to make that happen, but I won’t because I want to show up as my best self every damn day. Garbage guts from nightly takeout doesn’t usually facilitate that. . So now I need your help! Hook a sister up with your best slow cooker or one-pot meals so I can keep this real eats train going! See more

Come swing by the Moss Park Market this Saturday afternoon for the Karma Kitchen Picnic! You come. You eat delicious food. You get a bill for $0. You pay what you can. PLUS you will get a chance to take home some of the luscious veggies that we've been growing with serious amounts of love at our Urban Farm at the Ashbridge Estate. Hope to see you there!

[Food Waste Hack] I’ve got a TON of herbs in my garden right now there is no way I’m letting my babies go to waste! I’ve eaten my body weight in pesto and came up with this idea so I can enjoy it all year long. (Cause #winteriscoming). I’ve been whipping up huge batches of pestos and freezing them ice cube trays so I can pop in a punch of flavour when dinner is a bore and fresh herb season has abandoned me.

Get your hands on some of our locally grown basil this weekend by visiting the Moss Park Market tomorrow between 10am-5pm. And be sure to whip up a batch of my super simple pesto while you're at it!

If you are what you eat, it looks like today I’m going to be a vibrant, homegrown, powerhouse who’s quick and easy. I have mixed emotions about this... . Breakfast can easily become a ‘sea of beige’ when we load up on the ‘basics’ of hash browns, toast, pancakes, French toast and bacon. . If you’re not down with feeling beige on the daily, you’re going to want to hit up Momma Nature for some help. Throw down some of her bold colours to fuel that bodacious bod of yours to the next level. #thebattleofthebeige

Do your pickles have super powers? I’m a big fan of these mouth watering, jaw tingling little critters but as with most foods that come in containers from the grocery store, it’s important to check your labels to make sure you’re getting some top notch eats because not all pickles are created equal and if you pick your pickles right, you can get a mega dose of probiotics! Say what?! Pickles are traditionally made via lactic-acid fermentation which basically means beneficial b...acteria, salt and water work together to make magically delicious and gut-loving, probiotic-rich pickles! BUT most pickles don’t roll like that anymore and simply use vinegar as a processing agent instead. Not a big deal but if you’re eating something, why not get the most out of it, ya feel me? Check out my story on instagram (@bitewithlove) for a quick rant on what to look for when buying pickles.. . Now and most importantly... Dill or Sweet ?

Pesto: I put that sh%t on everything. Eggs, pizza, pasta, salads, bowls, sauces. You name it, it’s getting a shlop of the good green stuff. . This version features some of those gnarly looking garlic scapes you may have seen at your local farmers market but had no idea what to do with them. So go grab some of those beauties this weekend and which up a batch of this super simple green goodness. . Here’s the how-to:... Ingredients: 6-7 chopped garlic scapes (approx. 1/3 cup) 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (roasted or lightly toasted) 2 cups fresh basil 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice Hefty pinch of sea salt *to taste . Instructions: Toss all ingredients in blender or food processor, minus the olive oil. Pulse a few times until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending to incorporate all that goodness together and avoid separation. Put your new saucy baby in the a sealed jar in the fridge and shlop on all the things. * Almost any nut/seed you have on hand will be a tasty substitute for sunflower seeds. * Add more or less olive oil to reach desired consistency- I like MORE! See more

Free-run, cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, Farm-fresh, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, organic or grain-fed? Since when did buying eggs get so complicated?! On Tuesday July 17th at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, I'll be doing a talk on 'How to Make Sense of Food Labels' so you can navigate the noise and make top notch choices at the grocery store. Grab your seat here --> https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca//making-sense-food-labe/

Feeling super fortunate to be part of this awesome project and learn from Noel & Jacqueline from the The Toronto Black Farmers and Food Growers Collective. The food we grow together with the help of Building Roots is donated to the Moss Park Market and sold at affordable prices, serving the community with organically grown and super local food. Stop by the market today to get a taste of what we're growing!

Well, its been a slice but I'm off to join the vegetable orchestra. That Cucumber Oboe just gets me. Okay bye.

Do food labels have you dropping F-BOMBS in middle of the grocery store? Let me help. On July 17th, I will be doing a talk at the Toronto Botanical Gardens on 'HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF FOOD LABELS' so you can sift through the BS and become a label navigating ninja. Grab your spot here --> https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca//making-sense-food-labe/

Raspberry Kittay. The kind you find in a local food store. . What does summer taste like to you? Hit me . Ken and I are smitten kittens now that’s it’s berry season! There’s nothing quite like biting into a juicy, freshly picked, sun-kissed berry to remind you that summer has arrived. (Well that and the current sweaty Betty heatwave we’ve got going on in Toronto).... . Now if only I could find a way to keep Kenneth’s dirty paws off of these seasonal beauties, we’d be good to go... See more