Are you a Gwinnettian with a healthy outlook for the new year? Then look away from hefty calories and artery-clogging indulgences at area restaurants. Instead consider places to eat and drink that will leave your conscience intact. Below are four options.
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Pita Corner
Ever heard of the Mediterranean diet? Its denizens obviously know how to eat right. Take a casual cruise of the region by picking out some of the healthier items on this menu. A veggie pita loaded with a portobello mushroom, a shwarma salad with chicken, hummus, grape leaves, charbroiled chicken kabobs and more live here.
911 Duluth Highway, Lawrenceville, 678-878-2077, pitacorners.com.
Sage Juice Bar & Cafe
Don't let the fact it's next to an old gas station fool you. The staff at Sage pumps fuel to promote body wellness. Tip back a Sweet Beet juice (beet, pineapple and apple) or a Lean Green smoothie (spinach, apple, kale, kiwi, banana and flaxseed). A salmon burger on a croissant and a spicy black bean burger make up a portion of the sandwich list. You can add turkey, salmon or a black bean patty to one of its salads. If you have a cheat day, go for the vegan carrot cake.
3255-B Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, 770-232-4844, rawblisslife.com.
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Juice Bar
The Suwanee location of this chain offers juices, smoothies, casual bites and more. A selection of essential oils helps keep customers healthy. They bill the Sniffle Stopper (lemon, ginger, cayenne and a blend of essential oils) as its answer to the flu shot. The Super Greens juice fills to the brim with wheatgrass, kale, spinach, cucumber, parsley, lemon and celery. Nibbles include a sprout sandwich, a kale and quinoa salad, hummus and veggies, and a fruit cup.
1095 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, ilovejuicebar.com/suwanee.
Juices Wild
It's a one-stop shop for vitamins, juices and smoothies. The Pink Horizon smoothie melds vanilla almond milk, organic strawberries and bananas to create a base. Steel-cut oats, almond butter and coconut oil bring the finishing touches. For those looking to compensate for the lack of vegetables in their diet, spike any smoothie with a greens booster. The Juices Wild staff describes it as a full spectrum, whole-food, bio-nutritive superfood complex. It's vegan, raw, and gluten and yeast free.
4450 Nelson Brogdon Blvd. NE, Buford, 678-714-7747, gojuiceswild.com.
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