SALINAS, CALIFORNIA –
Focusing on a healthy diet is a particular challenge during the holidays. Everywhere we go we are presented with sweet treats that we share at work, celebratory parties, and family gatherings with an emphasis on food, and while it is impossible to avoid all of the tasty treats, there are changes we can make to make things healthier. Gordon’s Café and Catering in Old Town Salinas is a restaurant recently named Blue Zones. Owners Maribel and Roman Monjaraz are eager to add healthier options to their menu and are proud to be part of the Blue Zones movement in Monterey County.
Blue Zones Project is a community-wide wellbeing initiative to make healthy choices easier for everyone in the community. The Blue Zones Project promotes change in our community that leads to healthier options. When our entire community participates – from our workplaces and schools to restaurants and grocery stores – the small changes result in great benefits for all of us: lower healthcare costs, improved productivity, and a higher quality of life for all.
Blue Zones began as the New York Times bestseller by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner and has now grown into a global movement inspiring people to lead longer, more active lives with fewer chronic illnesses. From Sardinia (Italy) to Okinawa (Japan) to Loma Linda (California), hundreds of people lead vibrant, active lives. Büttner calls these areas Blue Zones, and they are the inspiration for his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from People Who’ve Lived the Longest. Büttner’s research, along with a longevity study, has resulted in a program that will help us live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Blue Zones has identified nine ways that can help you achieve these goals: finding ways to get more exercise, making sense of life, finding ways to reduce stress, and stop eating when you’re 80% full , focus on a plant-based diet, enjoy a glass of wine with good friends each day, join a faith community, spend time with family, and surround yourself with supportive people.
Blue Zones Project Monterey County works to engage businesses, schools, restaurants, grocery stores, religious and other organizations in this community-wide effort to reduce obesity, smoking and chronic diseases to create a healthier and happier place to live, work and play. That includes signing up restaurants that commit to offering healthier options on their menus.
And this is where restaurants like Gordon’s Café and Catering play a key role. The idea is to make it easier for people to make healthier choices. With this in mind, we had a challenge for Chef Roman – prepare a delicious Christmas dessert that even children will enjoy. He developed Pumpkin Tapioca – a sweet preparation with seasonal flavors. It can be served hot or cold, although Roman says the flavors are more intense after the pudding cools. Our little taste testers were delighted. The Magana brothers told us it was creamy, refreshing and tasted like pumpkin ice cream. And they ate everything – a sure sign that they liked it. Chef Roman says most recipes can be changed to make them healthier, and for those at home who are intimidated, he says the easiest way is to visit the internet. Roman says there are plenty of cooking videos out there that show you exactly what to do. We’ve included Chef Roman’s recipe for Pumpkin Tapioca and a few other healthy ideas for your holiday table. Have a nice and healthy Christmas season! Enjoy!
