Portland, Oregon, also known as the City of Roses, is a haven for those seeking healthy and delicious food options. Whether you're a local or a visitor, the city offers a diverse range of restaurants and cafes catering to various dietary needs and preferences. From vegan and gluten-free options to locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, Portland's healthy food scene has something for everyone.
Salad Sensations: Building Your Own Nutritious Masterpiece
When it comes to healthy food, salads often come to mind. However, not all salads are created equal. In Portland, you can find establishments that elevate the salad experience to a whole new level.
Crisp Salads allows you to build your own nutritious masterpiece from a wide selection of seasonal ingredients. With a variety of greens, 10+ dressings, and numerous toppings like toasted pumpkin seeds and cranberries, you can create a salad that perfectly suits your taste and nutritional needs.
Garden Monsters challenges the "rabbit food" stereotype with massive salads that are sure to satisfy even the biggest appetites. For example, the "Paul Bunyan" salad comes loaded with grass-fed steak, red potatoes, bleu cheese, and croutons.
For those who prefer their salads without meat, Portland offers plenty of options for loading up on local, garden-fresh veggies.
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Plant-Based Paradise: Vegan and Vegetarian Delights
Portland is a paradise for vegans and vegetarians, with numerous restaurants and cafes offering plant-based options.
Harlow Cafe + Juice Bar is a popular destination that brings you fresh, locally sourced 100% gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian cuisine. From their "creamy" vegan and gluten-free mac and cheese to their bowls filled with vegetables and grains, you can experience the breadth of what it means to be plant-based. Harlow has multiple locations across the city, including one at 505 NW 23rd Ave.
Blossoming Lotus is another favorite among folks with special diets, offering gluten-free, soy-free, raw, and vegan dishes. Take your pick from their selection of bowls, salads, soups, and sweets. The juices and smoothies are excellent too.
Liquid Nourishment: Juices, Smoothies, and More
For those looking for liquid meals, Portland has plenty of options. Local juice bars like Kure, Poa Café, and Best Friend offer a wide array of fresh green juices and smoothies. You can also amp up your order with superfoods like maca, goji berries, turmeric, and spirulina. If you're still hungry, add a cozy oatmeal cup, macrobiotic lunch bowl, or raw vegan dessert.
Xocotl offers uniquely delicious smoothie toppers, like the homemade chamoy (a salty, sweet-and-sour sauce) found on their signature Chamoyada. In addition to cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and bowls, they also sell fresh-cut fruit peppered with Tajín (a mouth-watering, chili-lime seasoning).
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Gluten-Free Gems: Dining Out with Celiac Disease
For those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, dining out can be a challenge. However, Portland offers several restaurants that cater to gluten-free diets.
One diner shared their experience at a restaurant where their wife, who has celiac disease, was able to enjoy a perfect meal. They raved about the flavorful Verde enchiladas and left feeling satisfied and elated to have found a gluten-free gem.
Laughing Planet is a quick-service restaurant specializing in nutritious and delicious fare, with multiple locations across the city. Their menu offers an abundance of clean, whole foods, tons of fresh veggies, and surprising global flavors.
Restaurants with Healthy Options
Beyond the exclusively healthy establishments, many restaurants in Portland incorporate fresh, local ingredients into their menus, offering healthy options alongside more indulgent fare.
Tavern on Kruse is a restaurant that changes its menus every 12 weeks as they weave the season's perfectly-fresh and perfectly ripe bounty into their offerings. Their executive chef, Nathan Bates, spent four and half years at the Michelin 3-Star "Fifth Floor" in San Francisco.
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Marco’s Café and Espresso Bar, located in Multnomah Village, has been serving up consciously-sourced fare since 1983.
CRAFTpdx is a Northwest inspired restaurant in downtown Portland that specializes in locally sourced, seasonal food & beverage. Their menu inspiration pulls from their team's diverse culinary background, which allows them to offer their guests an ever changing menu selection.
Mediterranean Exploration specializes in serving upscale Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. The restaurant features a seasonal, market driven menu that changes daily based on seasonal varieties and the local farmers' produce available.
Higgins is fortunate to be situated in one of the world’s most fertile, productive and diverse agricultural regions.
Andina draws inspiration from the native culinary traditions of Peru, contemporary cooking by some of Peru’s leading chefs, and the local and seasonal harvests of the Pacific Northwest.
Serratto is a healthy restaurant because it uses natural meats, freshest seafood, and locally grown fruits and vegetables in its menu. Many reviews commend the freshness and quality of the food. They also have gluten-free options.
Oswego Grill is a classic steakhouse that is passionate about genuine hospitality and delivering a scratch made menu from fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Sweet Treats: Guilt-Free Indulgences
Even those with a sweet tooth can find healthy options in Portland.
Tiny Moreso is a whole food café and treat shop where you can enjoy the delicious Rawdacious Cheesecake - get a slice, try a mini cheesecake, or take a whole cake to go. Whichever option you choose, it’s 100% vegan and gluten-free.
SNAP Meal Donation Programs
Some restaurants in Portland are committed to giving back to the community. One example is a restaurant that provides bowls of chili for those who have lost their SNAP benefits. Your donation helps them to cover food costs.
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