NYC has long held a special place in my heart for being forward-focused in the health and wellness space. You can expect to find the latest and greatest in healthy trends in the Big Apple. It was, after all, where I would wander aimlessly during my raw, vegan health phase 15 years ago! I felt like the energy of the city just spoke my language, you know?! Maybe I was weird and different at home, but here?!?! I could be and do ANYTHING!
I was recently in NYC with my LOVE for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s conference. It was a weekend filled with some of the most well-respected integrative/functional doctors and health and wellness professionals including Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Andrew Weil. I even had the honour of running into one of my favorite IIN alumni, Melissa Wood…aka Melissa Wood Health! If you haven’t tried her workouts, I highly recommend for those long lean lines! I’ll have to do another post on workouts later but her workouts are definitely a top pick for me and you can do them right from home with little to no props!
Having a fan girl moment with the beautiful and oh-so-lovely Melissa Wood!
But back to THE list… NYC never disappoints for having all of the latest and greatest in trends, but you do have to know where to go or you’ll waste your time. And my motto is: life is too short for a bad meal! Without further ado, here are my recommendations:
This place checks all the boxes for a nice dinner out. Romantic ambiance, great service and delicious farm-to-table fare. Most dishes can be made gluten and dairy-free.
Elegant, sophisticated and vibey decor and ambiance. Healthy, creative and beautifully presented dishes. Be sure to try the roasted cauliflower, quinoa spaghetti and mushroom bolognese.
Roasted Cauliflower from ABCV
Pure Food & Wine was my very first experience in a raw vegan restaurant and, while I’m still not over mourning, Matthew Kenney has transplanted his Venice version to the Big Apple and it eases a bit of the pain. If you’re into raw food, try the lasagna (definite throw back to Pure) and the Cacio e Peppe is one of my absolute faves!
Plant-based Mexican with tons of gluten-free options. I visited the West Village location and loved the fun vibe and decor. Personally I try to avoid corn whenever possible, which is especially tricky being gluten-free at a Mexican restaurant, but Jajaja did not disappoint! I had the Enchilada Verde but subbed the cassava “paleo” tortilla for the corn one and subbed cauliflower rice for the rice…delish! My boyfriend loved their “fish” tacos and he’s just dabbling with plant-based eating! We also had the guacamole and heart of palm “ceviche”, which we enjoyed with plantain chips instead of the corn chips…genius!
Super creative and delicious plant-based pizza spot from Matthew Kenney, on the LES. They have gluten-free crust available on request, so you know I ordered that! I’ve been here a few times and my absolute favorite is the Truffle Cream Pizza and Antipasto Salad…yum!
Antipasto Salad from Double Zero
NYC veg hipster spot, with a location in Venice, CA as well. Amazing brunch and kale caesar…’cause you know I’m an addict!
Casual Quick Bites
NYC’s very first nut milk bar, featuring a selection of nut milks on tap. My personal favorite was the tiger nut milk! Very cute and instagrammable location!
Specifically Pressed Freeze. Soft-serve, plant based, ice “cream” made out of almonds and dates…need I say more?! This stuff is the perfect treat because it’s healthy and beyond tasty. I get the vanilla, chocolate swirls with chocolate sauce and a little drizzle of almond butter…yum, yum, yum!
Juice Press is my go-to for all my healthy, quick options in NYC. I love their salads, kelp noodle “pasta”, soups (not all locations have them), their chocolate smoothies and my favourite juice here is Mother Earth. They use organic ingredients, make their own almond milk and have bottled celery juice if you’re in a pinch. Oh, and don’t miss their cookies; chocolate chip, mint chip or vanilla…they’re all delish!
Quick go-to for organic, cold-pressed quality juices and smoothies
Love this paleo-inspired, cafeteria-style restaurant for using only quality ingredients (think: no gluten, dairy, soy, corn, canola oil or GMOs). While it is certainly not plant-based, they do have a lot of great salad and veggie-side options. Great for a quick snack or lunch and their chocolate bars will ruin you for any other brand, ever. Not even kidding. Personal faves are the cashew butter & vanilla bean, dark & salty and mint chip.
Basically a healthy, vegan convenience store come to life from local NYC blogger Nicole Berri. Imagine a cooler full of delicious vegan salads, dressings, juices, snacks and shelves of all-natural, non-toxic toothpaste and skin care…sounds like we need to move in to the neighbourhood!
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