We are constantly going out for dinner and trying new restaurants so while we're at it, we will be sharing the "Tovita Approved" options at some of our favorite spots. A healthy diet does not have to mean staying home and cooking every night. We love to show people how to navigate almost any menu to find healthy and satisfying options. Have a favorite restaurant and want to know which dishes are nutritionist-approved? Send it in and we will review the menu!

What we love about Mediterranean restaurants is that there is always a simple grilled fish, filling hummus, and an abundance of vegetable options. One of our favorite mediterranean restaurants in NYC is Meme Mediterranean. If you haven't tried it, you have your next destination!

Lunch/Brunch Options:

Egg white frittata
Shakshuka moroccan breakfast
Mediterranean brunch, we ask for a 1 egg, 2 egg white scramble
Grilled shrimp or chopped salad
Seared tuna salad, no potatoes
Chicken or salmon kebabs, skip the fries (sorry!)

Dinner Options: Meme's is all about sharing, so we like to load up on shared appetizers and small plates and if we have room, share an entree

To start, we love the combination platter of all of our favorite mediterranean spreads. Ask for cut up vegetables like peppers, cucumbers, or carrots to dip rather than pita
The small plates are where it's at. We love the almond crusted scallops, grilled octopus, yellow fin tuna ceviche and the chicken kebobs. Hard to pick!
You can't go wrong with any of the salads. This time we went for the chopped salad. All of the salads are cheese heavy so you can always ask for no cheese or share with someone else to avoid going overboard
Out of the entree options, the organic roasted salmon is a favorite. Beware of the risotto, take a few bites and focus on the delicious vegetables and salmon on the plate!
The 7 roasted carrots or roasted cauliflower are our favorite side options

If you make it over to Meme's, let us know what you think! Share your meal with us on Instagram using #TovitaTastes

Can you remember the last time you ate a bowl of spaghetti carbonara with bacon and felt great about it?

(recipe adapted from By Chloe's very own vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli)

Didn't think so. Well, we're about to change that. We have put our touch on one of the least diet-friendly dishes to make it completely Tovita approved. We hope you are as excited as we were when we discovered this recipe. We love using spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta but feel free to use zucchini noodles, whole wheat or quinoa pasta, or shirataki noodles as you prefer!

Spaghetti Squash: 2 spaghetti squash serves 4-6 people

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line baking dish with aluminum foil or parchment paper
Cut spaghetti squash in half using chef's knife and scrape out the seeds with a fork
Place squash face down and bake for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked
Scrape out the spaghetti squash with a fork and place in a bowl

Shiitaki Bacon

Ingredients:

1 pound shiitaki mushrooms
1/4th cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Toss mushrooms with oil, salt, and pepper on baking sheet
Bake for 30 minutes turning frequently with a spatula until crisp

Vegan Carbonara Sauce

Ingredients:

14 ounces soft organic tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic gloves, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons water
1 and 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Pepper
Chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:

Heat olive oil on skillet over medium heat and cook onion and garlic until soft and browned. Remove from heat
In blender, combine the onion, garlic, tofu, water, lemon juice and salt. Blend on high until creamy consistency. Should be around 2 minutes. Let the sauce sit for about 5 minutes to allow to thicken
Add the sauce to the spaghetti squash and top with the shiitaki bacon and parsley garnish.

Enjoy!

Find us on Instagram @tovitanutrition:

Tovita Tastes: Meme Mediterranean

Vegan Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Shiitake Bacon