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.
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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