Maui Munchin’ Part 1

Oh Maui… you’re a beaut…with your golden beaches, bright sunshine, turquoise blue water, cute turtles and striped fishies, and oh my those Acai bowls… you have my heart.

We’ve been in Maui for almost a week now and have been enjoying it fully! I had the chance to scuba-dive for the first time ever which was an awesome (and slightly freaky!) experience, and I’ve snorkelled my heart out every day swimming with the Maui sea turtles … the coolest thing ever!

On our first day in Maui the Hubby and I made a stop at Whole Foods and Costco to stock up on healthy eats! Every time we travel we go the vacation rental route so that we have our own kitchen. We love to cook our own food and dine out a couple of times on our holidays to stay healthier and of course save some moola as dining out every day can get pretty pricey so this really gives us the best of both worlds!

At Whole Foods we also took advantage of their amazing deli and grabbed lunch, pictured above. I went with peppered sirloin, apple and fennel slaw, and green beans almondine! Delish!

We stocked up on (mostly) healthy foods including fresh fish (we are in Hawaii!), organic chicken, organic breakfast sausage, organic eggs, almond milk, almond butter, veggies and fruit galore including pineapple of course, hummus, salsa, tortilla chips, and a few other little treats here and there!

Breakfasts have been a mixture of eggs, organic chicken sausages, along with oatmeal or Ezekiel bread toasted with almond butter and fruits! I love to eat simple in the mornings and I’m a creature of habit so the same breakfast every morning really doesn’t bother me!

Lunches and dinners this past week have been a lot of fresh local fish including ahi tuna with salad and avocado salsa, or mahi mahi with veggies, quinoa, and a fried egg, or we’ll do grilled chicken with salad!

At Whole Foods I also stumbled across this delicious chocolate mousse from a local cafe called Joy’s Place made from cashews, cocoa, agave, hemp, irish moss, and vanilla bean! It was super yummy and I’m definitely going to attempt to recreate this at home!

Another delight – which I mentioned before are the Acai bowls. We’ve had our fair share so far from Choice Health Bar and the Farmers Market and Deli Store both in the Lahaina area. These amazing bowls are made of frozen Acai berry puree (the Sambazon brand) which is blended with banana to create an “ice cream” like mixture which is then topped with organic granola, more fruit, and other yummy toppings like coconut, cocoa, bee pollen, and honey!

They are truly a healthy indulgence!

I love how Maui really emphasizes the use of local products and many of the stores it seems carry locally produced foods like Pono Pies – healthy, naturally sweetened pies that mimic a good cheesecake but are made with nothing but whole natural ingredients including Maui breadfruit (and no gluten, dairy, eggs, or anything GMO)!

The pie below was Chocolate Coconut … it tasted so rich I was able to stretch it out over 3 days as a little post-dinner treat!

Along the highway during a drive to a nearby beach for extra spectacular snorkelling we stopped at a roadside market with an organic garden in the back. It had a funky little juice stand and plenty of delicious produce including the best mango I have ever tasted!

I always love the bright bursting colours of fresh fruits so I took the opportunity to snap some photos!

I’ve got to say Maui could easily turn me into a Fruititarian with all the fresh local fruit to be found!

These mangos were so ripe and fresh the skin just peeled right off, the hubby and I mowed down on it like an apple in the jeep! So fresh and yummy!

I also got a kick out of the macadamia nut-cracker-device they had set up at the market! I’m a big fan of macadamia nuts and to eat them right out of the shell this way was a treat!

Crack!

..and Eat!

Yum!

We’ve just moved to our next condo location in Maui and my parents have made the flight down yesterday to join us! We are off to O’o Farm tomorrow for an organic farm tour and a forage-your-own-food lunch to follow – I can’t wait! I’ll be sure to make a post on the experience and of course, I’ll be doing more of what I came here for… relaxation and taking in the ocean… ah, bliss.