Chef Elizabeth Mehditach’s mission is to unite people through food. With a specialty in the fusion of California, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, Mehditach is all for eating healthy, as long as you remember that it’s okay to make exceptions.

“If you have a cheat day, just get back on [the wagon],” Mehditach told the Journal. “And the next meal you have, make it a healthy one.”

Studies show that most people ditch their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January. Regardless of the time of year, there are certain things you can do to incorporate healthier foods into your routine. One of the best ways to do that is alter your grocery shopping habits.

“A physical trainer will tell you [to] stay on the outer rims of the supermarket,” she said. “Don’t go into the aisles.”

Buy whole foods – items in their natural state with nothing added to it – and try to avoid processed foods. For instance, she explained, sourdough is the healthiest bread because it’s fermented.

In Mehditach’s grocery cart, you will find staples from fruits and vegetables to cheese and yogurt to garbanzo beans. She also likes proteins, such as chicken, turkey, fish and steak. The freezer aisle is fine, just stick with frozen fruits and vegetables and avoid the pre-made meals.

“A tomato off the vine with a little salt with a little olive oil [is] a great snack,” she said “We’ve convinced our palates that just raw tomato doesn’t taste as good as a potato chip.”

Mehditach added, “It’s all about habit, and it’s about retraining your palate, retraining your body, retraining your mind.”

One of her favorite healthy recipes is quinoa salad; it makes a great lunch or a fabulous side dish. That recipe is below.

Quinoa is high in protein, and it’s also a carbohydrate. And you can add whatever protein you want. Then, top it off with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder. She adds grapes to it too.

“It’s all about those textures and hitting those different notes of salty and savory and sweet, crunchy and smooth, cool and hot,” she said. “That keeps your tongue entertained, your mouth entertained, your brain entertained; you think you’re eating something exciting that’s actually really good for you too.”

Mehditach attributes her love of cooking to her upbringing. Her parents are immigrants: her mother was born and raised in Tehran; her late father in Jerusalem. They moved to Hollywood in the 1960s, which is where she and her brother were born. They lived amongst a melting pot of cultures and cuisines; Mediterranean food was at the top of the list.

She said those flavors of mint, cilantro, dill and parsley really sparked joy within her.

“We all crave that Mediterranean, easy-breezy, hair-loose-in-the-wind, sunbathing on white sand [lifestyle],” she said. “We crave eating olive oil and olives and feta cheese on pita or flat breads.”

There’s something special about authentic, organic food.

“It’s the real deal,” Mehditach said.

Learn more at LizaMichelleLifestyle.com and follow @Chef.Leza on Instagram.

For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:

Fresh Quinoa Salad

30 min prep/cook time- Serves 4

1 1/2 cups quinoa (tri-color is fun too)

3 cups water

Feta cheese – crumbled, measured with your heart

4 Tbsp diced red onion

1/2-3/4 cup diced fresh grapes or dried cranberries – measure with your heart

1 cup drained and rinsed garbanzo beans

1/2 – 3/4 cup almonds slices, chopped pecans or walnuts

2-3 cups baby arugula

1/4 – 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon juice from 1 medium lemon

Garlic powder (measure with your heart)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Optional add-ins: sliced sun dried tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, sliced grape tomatoes, sliced artichokes (in oil), grilled eggplant or zucchini. Additional Protein: swap out garbanzo beans for cannellini beans or great northern beans. Add lean grilled chicken breast or salmon.

Add quinoa to a pot and cover with 3 cups of water. Cook according to package directions. When done, fluff quinoa onto a platter to cool. While quinoa is cooling, in a bowl add the veggies, beans and nuts.

When quinoa has cooled sufficiently add to the veggies. Add olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

Toss, taste for seasoning. Serve. Bon Appetit!

Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: tastebuds@jewishjournal.com.