New York is one of my favourite cities in the world. I love the buzz and energetic vibe, and although America is typically synonymous with bagels, cheesy pizza and deep fried fast food take away on every street corner, staying healthy in New York is actually far easier than you may think, even if you're gluten and dairy intolerant like me.
Below are my favourite healthy New York hangs, and for all you coffee lovers, don't worry, I've included a few fantastic coffee shops and cafes so you won't have to suffer the dreaded American style coffee.... or "draino" as I refer to it!
Sweet Greens - Think of McDonalds - in the sense of there's one on almost every block and they're fast! BUT thankfully that's where the comparison ends! Sweet Greens create delicious healthy salads from scratch, made from sustainably produced & locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Build your own, or choose from their menu, there really is no excuse not to eat healthy food when you are time poor with these guys around.
White Gold Butchers - more than just a butchers shop, White Gold is also a restaurant and mini deli, supplying the best of the best when it comes to grass fed, feedlot free meat and an amazing selection of cheeses - and yes they have goat and sheep's varieties. You can also buy bone broth by the cup, which makes a gut loving alternative to coffee. Visit their website to read up on the story behind their meat - now that's what I call transparency!
Brodo - Another bone broth haunt, launched by chef Marco Canora, (winner of the Best Chef award in America), and served from his kitchen window, Brodo started serving hot cups of broth to New Yorkers looking to boost their gut health and fight the inflammatory effects of living in New York. Choose from grass-fed beef with ginger, organic chicken, or their signature 'hearth' broth.
Tap NYC - this new kid to the upper west side block is a must try! They make a traditional Brazilian creation known as 'tapiocas' - best described as a grain and gluten free crepe, packed with fresh, healthy fillings. Their chicken is antibiotic free, sourced from a local farmer in upstate New York, as are many of their ingredients. I recommend the goats cheese, chicken with arugula ( rocket to us Aussie's) with their home made basil pesto. I guarantee these Brazilian delights will really knock the socks off your taste buds! They also make delicious salads and gluten and sugar free granola for breakfast.... oh and did I mention they also make fantastic coffee?
Juice Press - My go to for my morning organic cold pressed green vegetable juice! My personal recommendation the 'Mother Earth' because it contains no fruit and has a beautiful blend of vegetables and herbs, like dandelion and parsley to support your liver - which may just come in handy if you decide to hit the New York bar scene! I also like some of their smoothies, but tend to stick to the 'Clean Green' protein (they use hemp protein), but ask for no added sweetener, as the banana makes it sweet enough. You can ask to swap the banana for berries if you want an even lower fructose option. They also offer a range of additional 'boosters', including E3 live and my personal favourite the 'Volcano' immune booster - made from ginger, lime, cayenne pepper, oil or oregano and a probiotic!
Two Hands - Another Aussie owned New York success story, Two Hands has a restaurant and a cafe - located in Soho and Tribeca respectively. Their food would be described as clean and fresh, just like Australia, and their presentation is more like something out of a fine dining scene, than a relaxed and casual cafe. Oh, and if you're lucky you may just run into Mr Hugh Jackman himself who's known as a regular.
Hu Kitchen - One of my go to healthy 'fast food' haunts, this is every Paleo lovers dream. Choose from a huge range of vegetable and meat dishes, but be sure to leave room for a sneaky 'not so naughty' dessert when you visit. If you don't fancy leaving your hotel room, they also offer home delivery!
The Butchers Daughter - This trendy little hang has two down town locations in Nolita and West Village. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner, you'll find a plethora of creative plant based dishes on the menu, including, purple cauliflower grits or lettuce tortilla's filled with sauteed mushrooms, quinoa and chipotle cashew cream, cabbage, radish and avocado with a scrambled or fried egg!
Mulberry & Vine - This gem can be found in the heart of Tribeca, midtown east, or Nomad. Offering both vegetarian and meat lovers options. The part I like best is the kitchen only uses healthy oils for cooking and organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from Napa for the salads.
Hale and Hearty Soups - these guys make deliciously hearty, high quality soups, made onsite from scratch, using local ingredients. They have more than 21 locations in Manhattan alone, so finding one close by will be a breeze.
Laughing Man Coffee - Co-owned by none other than Hugh Jackman himself, this tiny hole in the wall serves up fair trade coffee with an extra special story behind it - see image below... The best part is with every cuppa you'll be helping the Laughing Man Foundation, which was set up to improve health standards for women and children in rural Ethiopia by providing access to clean cookstoves and medical supplies, as well as fund World Vision health, for education and small business projects for farmers like Dukale - the Ethiopian farmer who inspired Hugh to open Laughing Man Coffee (you can watch his story here) and their families throughout the Kochore region of Ethiopia.
Bluestone Lane - founded by a few Melbourne lads after they struggled to find good coffee in New York, Bluestone Lane has taken the big apple by storm, rolling out no less than 15 outlets in and around New York. They also offer a delicious menu packed with (mainly) healthy light meals in their cafes ... oh and if you feel like a little treat, I highly recommend their gluten free zucchini bread... followed by a walk around Central Park! My only tip - beware.... their cafes can get really busy during peak times, especially the one on the upper East side across from central Park, so get there early or grab a take-away from their coffee cart!
Joe New York - Founded by a local New Yorker, Joe's roast their own coffee in their Brooklyn roastery. With ten locations across Manhattan you're bound to run into them on your travels in the Big Apple. They also use a nice almond milk, compared to other cafes who use the Pacific brand - which personally I think tastes disgusting.
If you've got any healthy New York food recommendations, be sure to leave them in the comments below.
All Rights Reserved Sally Joseph 2017