How to Eat Healthy at Coachella, According to Designer Jennifer Fisher

By Claire Stern
Updated Apr 19, 2017 @ 10:45 am
Credit: jenniferfisherjewelry/Instagram

Music may be the crux of the Coachella experience, but often overlooked (and underappreciated) is the plethora of food offerings. Whether it's tacos, poutine, nitrogen-infused ice cream, or Belgian waffles on popsicle sticks—you name it, and chances are the festival is serving it up in droves. So if you're heading out west and still hoping to maintain some semblance of a diet (presumably to fit into those jorts and crop tops), it can be challenging, to say the least.

This year, designer Jennifer Fisher, who scrapped gluten from her regimen, attempted the impossible and chronicled her food escapades exclusively for InStyle. "If you know me, you know that I am all about the food," she recently said. "It was so much fun to eat my way through Coachella, but still be super healthy by keeping it dairy and gluten-free. There are always enough good choices—it's just a matter of adjusting them to suit your needs."

Here, check out her nine culinary picks. Leave the guilt at home. 

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1 of 9

IN-FLIGHT BREAKFAST

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"We had made-to-order egg white omelets on the plane—mine was filled with veggies instead of cheese and meat. Our plane served our Universal Salt ($12; jenniferfisherjewelry.com) with every in-flight meal. It was an amazing feeling to see it being served."

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TRAVEL NECESSITIES

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"Whenever I fly, I bring all of my own snacks. I also drink tons of hot water and lemon."

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GRAB-AND-GO DINNER

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"Obviously, In-N-Out's burger is much better with the bun and cheese, but given that I'm dairy and gluten-free, I go for grilled onions, extra ketchup, and mustard instead. At 1 a.m. after flying in from New York and skipping a sit-down dinner, this lettuce wrap worked just fine, if not better."

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SEAFOOD BRUNCH

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"Everyone took Saturday morning off and we met up for an early brunch. Shrimp and avocado are one of my favorite combinations. This salad had an Asian Cobb vibe with a wasabi dressing."

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FAUX TACO SALAD LUNCH

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"Whenever I'm in California, I always try to gear towards some kind of Mexican. For this taco salad, I opted for it without the requisite fried tortilla shell."

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DINNER YOU CAN SLURP

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"For our second night, we had an amazing sit-down dinner at Mr. Lyons prior to hitting the festival. Pretty much everyone I was with opted for steak, but I opted for this amazing soup and a wedge salad. It was perfect in the heat and I enjoyed it with a few very cold martinis. It was elevated desert dining at its finest."

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MEXICAN BRUNCH

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"Huevos rancheros is one of my favorite things to eat for brunch when I'm not cooking. I tried to stay vegetarian for most of the weekend, sticking instead with egg protein and seafood. This was kind of a bummer: It came with a bean quesadilla, so I had to scrape the beans out, but it ended up being just as satisfying."

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HEALTHY-ISH LATE NIGHT BITE

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"Lady Gaga didn't go on until 11:20 p.m., so by the time we got back from the festival, it was 2 a.m. I asked room service what the fastest thing to order was. Lucky for me, it was a vegetarian club sandwich, and I opted for the gluten-free option. Yes, I ate all the french fries, with mustard—my favorite way."

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IN-FLIGHT LUNCH

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"Our flight was very mindful of my dietary restrictions. We had the option of one of these hand-rolled gluten-free veggie wraps on the way home."

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By Claire Stern