Whole Story

We’re excited about showcasing Brett Dennen in April’s “Artist Discovery” initiative. Brett’s new CD, “Loverboy,” comes out April 12 and is already creating quite a buzz. Brett opened for John Mayer and has toured with Dave Matthews, Rodrigo y Gabriela and the John Butler Trio. He’s also made big splashes at Bonarroo, Austin City Limits, Coachella, and the Newport Folk Festival. You may also have heard his work on Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, House – or a slew of other shows. We hope you enjoy his music along with his tips for eating healthy while on the road. I eat very healthy. Ninety percent healthy. The other ten percent of the time I allow myself to indulge; but for the most part, I’m healthy. I consume lots of raw foods and when I eat cooked foods, they tend to be whole foods: vegetables, sea veggies and quinoa. I am pretty much a vegetarian, except for seafood. I love sushi! I love oysters! Whenever I explain my eating habits to people, I always hear, “How do you eat healthy on the road?” It’s actually quite easy. Every city of some significance has a Whole Foods Market, or something similar. At every venue I ask that they stock up on foods I like so that it is there waiting for me when I arrive. When I have some time to kill, I go out shopping and stock up on items to put on the bus for days off or for some of the places I may go where I know that healthy food is harder to find. It’s not just me. Everyone in my band and crew loves to take trips to Whole Foods. There are so many options. Everyone is satisfied. If we can’t decide on a restaurant, Whole Foods has something for everyone. Here are my tips:

• Sushi- Most Whole Foods have sushi bars, and if you talk to the chefs, they can make you something special, like a salmon avocado hand roll with no rice – epic!
• Raw Food Section – Essential Living Foods and Two Moms in the Raw are my favorite brands.
• Avocados – you can NEVER buy too many. People are always swiping mine, so I buy extra.
• Juice bar – I bring a juicer on the road, but I still hit the Whole Foods’ juice bar. Juice is always good. Most juice bars will juice any produce you buy at the store. Kale-apple-lemon is my favorite blend.
• Sprouts – it’s hard to sprout on the bus, so at Whole Foods I buy sunflower sprouts! It’s the perfect food.
• Seaweed and seaweed salad.
• Coconut oil – good for everything. Read up on the stuff. It will change your life. I swear.
• Salad Bar – my favorite place to hang. I go kale, beet, carrot, fresh jalapeno, oil and balsamic.
• Guilty Pleasure – if the store has a taco bar, then they usually fry up their own restaurant-style corn chips. I buy a fat bag of those and then some of their fresh pico de gallo, and oh yeah…guacamole.

Don’t forget to bring your own bag. Stay healthy, it’s one of the best things you can do for the world, and yourself.