You know that girl who's always munching kale from a Tupperware while you sneak another Haribo from your desk drawer? Or who always has a tip for moisturizing your face with, like, sesame seed oil she got from a holistic healer upstate? Who loves and makes fun of Gwyneth in equal measure? That’s Sky! In Sky High on Health, she reports on nutritional, wellness, and green lyfe fads both crazy and helpful.
I always love an adventure in Chinatown. Some of my earliest grocery shopping memories (yes, I have enough of them to catalog) involve heading south of Canal with my dad and stepmother to pick up fresh lychee nuts or Asian pears that were stacked high in the cluttered stands. I know this sounds like something out of the “Novelty Family Time” section of Fodor’s New York City Travel Guide from 1995. But give me a break––my stepmother is Chinese. And even a young Sky understood that food is the way to a... new stepmother's heart!
Today, I'm so grateful for that early introduction into the world of all that unfamiliar lumpy, leafy, and fuzzy produce––seriously, it's probably the only reason I’ve been able to retain the title of “World's Healthiest Eater” all these years. Eating healthy, for me, is all about variation––keeping things interesting by diversifying flavors and ingredients. I mean, girl, you know I love Whole Foods but––seeing the same produce all the time? That sh*t gets boring! If you’re in New York, Chinatown is likely anywhere from a few train stops, to a few blocks—maybe even a few feet—from your door. Which, I believe, in Chinese translates to “no excuses.” Seriously, if you aren’t swayed by my healthy eating spiel, let me assure you of how much fun you will have with all the strangely shaped produce, wacky packages, and funny brand names. Think of the Instagram opportunities.
As follows is my best-of-the-best produce shopping list, compiled with the help of my friend Paul on a recent trip to Grand Street. It should help you keep things interesting and, of course, healthy.
I always love an adventure in Chinatown. Some of my earliest grocery shopping memories (yes, I have enough of them to catalog) involve heading south of Canal with my dad and stepmother to pick up fresh lychee nuts or Asian pears that were stacked high in the cluttered stands. I know this sounds like something out of the “Novelty Family Time” section of Fodor’s New York City Travel Guide from 1995. But give me a break––my stepmother is Chinese. And even a young Sky understood that food is the way to a... new stepmother's heart!
Today, I'm so grateful for that early introduction into the world of all that unfamiliar lumpy, leafy, and fuzzy produce––seriously, it's probably the only reason I’ve been able to retain the title of “World's Healthiest Eater” all these years. Eating healthy, for me, is all about variation––keeping things interesting by diversifying flavors and ingredients. I mean, girl, you know I love Whole Foods but––seeing the same produce all the time? That sh*t gets boring! If you’re in New York, Chinatown is likely anywhere from a few train stops, to a few blocks—maybe even a few feet—from your door. Which, I believe, in Chinese translates to “no excuses.” Seriously, if you aren’t swayed by my healthy eating spiel, let me assure you of how much fun you will have with all the strangely shaped produce, wacky packages, and funny brand names. Think of the Instagram opportunities.
As follows is my best-of-the-best produce shopping list, compiled with the help of my friend Paul on a recent trip to Grand Street. It should help you keep things interesting and, of course, healthy.
1. Lotus root
Lotus root is such an incredibly versatile vegetable—you can eat it any number of ways. Slice it and eat it raw on top of salads; pickle it, bake, steam, or sauté. And, for those of you who love mashed potato alternatives, I bet you’ve never tried lotus root purée. Don’t be alarmed by the creepy exterior. Once it's been cleaned and cut, it can almost be mistaken for a cartoon vegetable. 2. Chinese okra
Chinese okra is also known as Luffa gourd. A fun fact about the Luffa gourd—the similarly sounding shower accessory, the “Loooo-fah,” originates from this plant. The young Chinese okra you see in my photos are the more easily digestible kind. Once matured, the insides become spongy and coarse and relatively inedible. I have yet to test the exfoliating capabilities of week-old Chinese okra but, when eaten fresh, it's bizarre and delicious. 3. Bitter melon
I’m just going to say it: the bitter melon looks like a cucumber with genital warts. Did that make you go "yum"? Doubtful. OK, so its appearance is clearly not its selling point, but it's not on this list for no reason. Although the name would suggest fruit, bitter melon is a vegetable—a gourd, actually. In Chinese cooking, it's used like any other bitter green like sautéed arugula.