Marissa Vicario

Recent Blog Posts

Parking the Perfectionist

Week 4 of the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse was a no-brainer for me. I'm a recovering perfectionist and although agreeing with myself not to be perfect often gnaws at me, I live a fulfilling life knowing I'm working smarter and getting more of the things I love accomplished rather than working harder at being perfect. Sure, there are those things in life that have to be just right, but I've learned to … [Read more...]

Make Mine a Personal Pizza: Homemade Gluten-free Vegan Pizza

Ok, ok - I promise to drop the pizza talk after this post. With all my pizza blogging these days, I coincidentally found a vegan pizza crust by Namaste Foods at Whole Foods so I thought I'd try my hand at homemade gluten-free, vegan pizza. The crust was simple to execute: Combine the mix with oil and water Mix with a hand blender Spread mixture on a pan to at least 14 inches Bake for about … [Read more...]

Locavore for a Day at the Good Food Festival

Everytime I turn around, it seems there is another food festival in NYC celebrating fresh food and local farmers. The more the merrier because events like these are exactly what this city needs to raise awareness for sustainability. My boyfriend scouted today's event, The 1st Annual Back to Basis Good Food Festival in Gansevoort Plaza co-hosted by Basis and the Feed Foundation. The gathernig of … [Read more...]

Grey Day Go Away: Comforting Curry Cashew Casserole

Yesterday was a grey and rainy day in NYC and there is nothing better on those days than comfort food. Since he's British, my boyfriend loves a good "curry" so I figured I would whip up a simple vegan curry casserole. This meal is hearty enough for a hungry boyfriend and healthy enough for me -- filling and fueling for my early-morning, extra-challenging Boot Camp workout. This recipe is adapted … [Read more...]

A Better (Veggie) Burger

Having been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, I've had my share of veggie burgers. I used to rely religiously on the soy-based Morning Star Farms or Boca Burgers, especially for quick brown bag lunches that I bring to work. That was then. The basis of any diet, especially a special diet, should be whole foods. Too often, vegetarians and vegans make the mistake of replacing the animal products … [Read more...]

Obligation in Overdrive: Puttin’ the Brakes On

Fall is in full swing and life has been busy lately causing me to neglect this blog more than I care to admit. I wish I could say the same about my Inner Mean Girl (IMG)! Now way! She's been out in full force this week challenging me to feel snowed under in obligation. If you missed my summary posts of Weeks 1 and 2 of the cleanse you can find them here: Week 1: My Week without Gossip Week 2: … [Read more...]

Breakfast Blues?

Now that we've all pretty much established that breakfast is in fact the most important meal of the day, one of the questions I'm most frequently asked as a health coach is, "what should I eat for breakfast?" My answer is usually, "that depends." Truly, I wish I could give a more definitive answer but the fact is, we are all built differently and one person's fuel could very well be another … [Read more...]

The Inspired Kitchenista: Asian-style Lettuce Wraps

I love to cook but to do it well and with love, I need to be inspired. Last week, I was browsing Facebook and came across a post by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition plugging their What's On Your Plate? contest and congratulating one of the winners. This recipe is courtesy of Eleanor Haddad of Elemental Fit whose Asian-style Lettuce Wraps caught my eye and delighted my tummy. What I love … [Read more...]