My second full day in Las Vegas was jam-packed with errands, meetings and running around to do so I decided to opt for grab and go choices throughout the day.
Breakfast was a pleasant surprise at from the Starbucks inside Fashion Show Mall on The Strip. Usual breakfast options at Starbucks are typically high fat zero nutrition pastries and coffee drinks. More locations are now offering better for you options. I chose a Greek yogurt parfait and a 30 oz (Holy crap that’s a lot of coffee) iced coffee.
Greek yogurt is high in protein and lower in sugar (double-check, yoplait has been sneaking it in there) and is often served with a drizzle of honey. This parfait has a touch of the classic watery honey at the bottom, Greek yogurt in the middle and a separate cup of granola on top. Since the granola was kept separate it was still crunchy. I only used about half of the granola since there was a ton of it but the flavor was good with a toasty hint of brown sugar and an assortment of seeds and grains. Even with the sweetened granola and a touch of honey the yogurt remains neutral to sour and certainly not too sweet.
For my coffee a went with black iced coffee and 2 shots of sugar-free caramel. That much little touch of caramel takes the bitter out of Starbucks coffee. If you are not adding milk or cream it can be a bit harsh. Loaded with my syringe of caffeine and satisfying yogurt breakfast I headed off to start my day.
After running errands, checking in with a few vendors and catching up with emails it was time for lunch. Still on that end of the strip I ducked into the food court by the mall again figuring it would be a good place to find something fast. With an assortment of chains to choose from I pondered the merits of the Greek place, a crepe place and a wrap place.
The line in front of the Greek place was very long and I was in a hurry. Crepes looked good but they were all sweet, no savory. Wraps it is! Great Wraps had several to choose from and you could make it a combo for just a few dollars more. The combo gave you the choice of curly fries, rice chips or a salad. I chose a falafel and humus wrap with the salad on the side. I always feel more energized when I eat fresher veggies and healthier options.
The wrap was on a spinach tortilla loaded with fried falafel, creamy humus and veggies. falafel and humus are both made from chick peas or garbanzo beans, an excellent source of protein. While falafel is coarsely ground chick peas mixed with spices and fried into crisply little balls, humus takes the same bean and purees it with sesame paste for a creamy spread. I always think it’s interesting to have two completely different preparations of one ingredient together in a dish. Romain lettuce and diced cucumber added fresh crunch to the wrap.
The greens of the little side salad looked good, bright tomatoes popped against dark spinach, mixed with more cucumbers, red onion and romaine but the whole thing was swimming in dressing and was pretty gross. Next time I’ll ask for dressing on the side.
After a long trade show I was ready for dinner. I stopped by Isla, a Mexican restaurant and Tequila bar inside Treasure Island. I didn’t want anything too big but still wanted to treat myself. I chose the Adobo Shrimp Quesadilla and a Margarita. I was surprised to see large, plump shrimp used since I was expecting the tiny crappy ones stuffed into egg-rolls. Not only were they large but perfectly cooked, juicy not rubbery. The Adobo sauce rich in paprika, garlic and vinegar did most of the cooking in a ceviche like chemical reaction where the acid cooks delicate protein, not heat. These were cooked a little in the quesadilla as well.
My margarita was light and as Jeff would say “I can taste the tequilla, but it’s not being rude to me”. I typically like to taste more of the tequilla but when the limes are hand muddled and the salt is plentiful you can’t really complain.
Overall I felt like I had a day of indulgent, rich flavors, all while on the go and still kept it lighter and closer to the healthy side. Yes it can be done.
Until we eat again,
Jen
jensfoodadventures 