#FoodieFriday featuring The Bodhi, Sasha Bayat

ASU alum shares a recipe for a nutritious almond dip, advice on eating healthy

portrait of ASU nutrition alum Sasha Bayat

ASU nutrition alumna Sasha Bayat, co-founder and owner of The Bodhi.

By Macey Sierka |
February 24, 2021

ASU nutrition alumna Sasha Bayat, co-founder and owner of The Bodhi restaurant, and the College of Health Solutions helped the ASU Alumni Association kick off its newest virtual event series, #FoodieFriday, which features an ASU alumni-owned or -operated restaurant. In the first event, Bayat demonstrated how to make a healthy almond dip.

After suffering a stroke during college at the age of 24, Bayat decided to use food and nutrition to help ease the pain and stress she experienced. She returned to ASU to study nutrition where she was eventually inspired by some of her peers to start a restaurant. The Bodhi, which began as a meal delivery service, is now in the process of moving to a new Tempe location and will be opening another in Hayden Library soon.

Bayat and co-founders of The Bodhi spent time developing a variety of healthy sauces for the restaurant. “The sauces are so flavorful,” Bayat said. “We make them from scratch and they tie everything together."

After developing the almond dip recipe, she didn’t think people would like it. To Bayat’s surprise, it is one of their most popular items on the menu. “You can add it to your bowls, salads, wraps or dip your vegetables in it,” she said.

While creating the almond dip, Bayat shared this advice for making healthy eating affordable and attainable: Keep staple items like canned beans, frozen vegetables or nut butters in the house all the time.

One of many bowls from The Bodhi: the "Mother Earth Bowl." It includes organic quinoa, onion, sweet potato, mushroom, red pepper, spinach, cucumber and pesto.

Photo courtesy of The Bodhi
Inside the original location of The Bodhi in Tempe.

Photo courtesy of The Bodhi
"Beets by Bodhi" is a nourishing juice that contains beets, aloe, apple, orange, parsley and lemon.

Photo courtesy of The Bodhi

She noted that Arizona grocery stores are fortunate to have a great selection of fresh produce.

Here’s how Bayat stays motivated to eat healthy: “I try to consciously think about how (eating healthy) is helping my body, and that makes me feel better about the actions that I’m taking.”

In case you missed the live version of #FoodieFriday, sponsored by Liberty Mutual, and want to learn how to make The Bodhi’s almond dip, you can view the recording. The next #FoodieFriday event will feature the owner of Someburros, ASU communications alumnus Timothy Vasquez. Register today for the March 19 event.