
Classic macrobiotic meal with brown rice, beans, and steamed vegetables at a spot in the 4th arrondisement in Paris.
Confession: I like spending as little time as possible in the kitchen. But it’s never at the expense of making right food choices. My solution? My childhood foods from the macrobiotic diet that my parents championed are always the easiest and fastest to prepare since the ingredients are so familiar to me, but also because these foods are the simplest, most nutrient-dense and can be flavored in the most delicious way.
Every week, I meet with a few of my wildly inspiring friends to hatch ideas and ignite the fire in our work and creative projects. Since we’ve begun our sessions last summer, they have each slowly adopted a plant-based diet and have contributed to some of my favorite recipes here, with the macrobiotic foods being an easy daily go-to for them. The key is in the layering. We layer proteins (to pack them in since these dishes are sans animals) and build heaps of goodness making it a perfectly balanced meal with leafy greens, whole grains, plant-based proteins like tempeh and hummus, and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil. And if you know me well, you’re aware of my hot sauce obsession (this is the non-macrobiotic part of the meal–I love the idea of gourmet hot sauces and sriracha-inspired tastiness. This video on how to make it is amazing! So hot sauce optional for all of the below). Here, the top 5 of-the-moment macrobiotic meals I’m loving.
Recipe: Forbidden Black rice + Tamari Tempeh. Simple black rice with stir-fried tamari tempeh topped with avocado, scallions, nori strips and olive oil and himalayan sea salt.
Recipe: Lucie’s Magical Protein Salad. Lucie’s delicious quinoa salad mixed with arugula, stir-fried tempeh, a scoop of garlic-dill hummus, avocado, walnuts and an olive oil tamari dressing.
Recipe: Olivia’s Mexican-Macro Nachos. A medley of organic corn chips, nori, black beans, avocado, cilantro, tomatoes with a side of cashew creme makes this a crunchy favorite.
Recipe: Kale Salad Nori Wrap. Maybe closer to a snack, but the fastest + yummiest combo I know. Baby kale salad mixed with avocado, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, olive oil and sea salt wrapped in crunchy squares of roasted nori sheets.
Recipe: Brown Rice Balls. A macrobiotic classic (and lunchbox favorite), the brown rice balls are super convenient because they don’t need to be refrigerated or heated, making them the perfect on-the-go option. Directions on how to prepare here.
My mom sent this photo in of one of her favorite snacks: simple steamed corn with the Umeboshi Plum, a pickled plum from Tibet. Stands in for a much more delicious and healthier version of corn and butter.




































