Hey there strong people!
Hope all of you are having a great weekend! For anyone reading this that does not live in or around Napa, I apologize. BUT this post might encourage you to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world (given Napa is my hometown, I am totally biased….but seriously it’s gorgeous here). Napa Valley had over 3 million visitors last year (woah)! While most people think wine…wine…and wine, the food here is also amazing. The hundreds of restaurants all over the valley go from fine dining experiences at “The French Laundry” to a classic diner breakfast at “Buttercream Bakery”. The diversity of food here is dangerous (good kind) since there’s always a new dish to try from so many wonderful places.
Here’s the deal, if you visit Napa Valley indulge a little. Special life events and travel don’t happen all the time so have the burger, wine, and dessert. Having said that, there is also a way to enjoy food here in Napa Valley while being mindful of healthy options.
Quick guide to healthy eating out:
- Do some research…look up restaurants that offer options that fit your current healthy guidelines.
- Have a game-plan…check the menus before hand.
- Be nice to your server…don’t preface your dinner with I can’t have gluten, dairy, sugar, legumes, oil, meat etc… (this is where researching comes in handy).
- Choose healthy starters and skip the bread…most restaurants offer fresh starters, get those vs the fried stuff or the bread (this one is hard, I get it).
- If you know you will have dessert, have a salad or meat and veggies for dinner…because life is about balance.
Alright, bellow is a list of MY favorite restaurants that offer healthy options. They all have a combination of at least 5 paleo, gluten free, or even Whole30 options (C-Casa is 100% gluten free). If it seems like they don’t, you can definitely make some substitutions and swaps.
I also listed my most favorite items on the menu!
{CLICK ON THE IMAGE to check out their website and get more info!}
- Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
MY FAVORITE ITEM FROM THE MENU: “Salad of Lacinto Kale”-add grilled chicken (skip the parmesan cheese to keep it dairy-free). The thing I love the most about Farmstead is their farm-to-table approach. A lot of whats on their menu comes straight from their garden or farm. - Heritage Eats MY FAVORITE ITEM ON THE MENU: Salad bowl with seasonal veggies, heritage braised pork, and coleslaw. Heritage Eats is a “build your own entree” kind of place which makes it easy to know what is going on your plate. The also label all of their items GF-Gluten Free, DF-Dairy Free, and V-Vegan.
- R+D MY FAVORITE ITEM ON THE MENU: The “Macho Salad”. This is truly one of the best salads ever! It has things like mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese, almonds, corn, dates and rotisserie chicken. Remember, you can customize almost anything!
- C Casa MY FAVORITE ITEM ON THE MENU: 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken + Side Salad. I love that we have a restaurant that is 100% gluten-free. They even have tasty gluten-free donuts and other sweets (I know, sugar but remember balance).
- Gott’s Roadside MY FAVORITE ITEM ON THE MENU: Any of their salads and sweet potato fries. The great thing about most burger joints, is that they can lettuce wrap your burger if they don’t have bomb salads like Gott’s. *BURGER JOINT TIP* If I know I will have fries, I skip the bun.
Have a great week!!!
