These 8 Delaware restaurants offer healthier dining options – The News Journal

Grandpa Mac dishes on vegan restaurant trend in Delaware

Orion Cameron, co-owner of Grandpa Mac in Rehoboth Beach, discussed the trend of vegan restaurants in Delaware. Grandpa Mac offers both vegan and non-vegan menu items, which allows them to cater to all customers.

Andre Lamar, Wochit

While New Year's resolutions can be hard to keep up with, eating healthy doesnt have to be.

Whether you want to cut back on fast food or be more conscious of what youre putting into your body this year, fueling up on foods that are nutritious doesnt mean you need to sacrifice the delicious.

Lets face it, we all feel too tired to fuss about making dinner in the kitchen every once in a while, and you shouldnt feel bad about treating yourself.

Feel good about whats on your plate when dining out with these local restaurants boasting healthy fixings made with the freshest ingredients.

More:Struggling to keep New Year's resolutions? Here's how to actually set doable ones for 2023.

Plus, we know how hard it is to keep those resolutions going for more than the first few weeks of the year. If you become a regular at one these spots, you can pat yourself on the back for sticking with the habit well into the rest of 2023:

Playa Bowls is a smoothie bowl and juice shop that calls itself a slice of summer.

With a menu bursting with bright flavors and fresh ingredients, we have toagree.

Patrons can enjoy smoothies, fruit bowls,juices, poke bowls and more tasty treats made with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Smoothie bowls come in a variety of base flavors, including aa, pitaya, chia pudding and oatmeal, and are served with cut fruit, nuts, sauces and other toppings.

Some of their smoothie bowl options are the Almond Joy, a chia pudding base topped with granola, sliced almonds, bananas, coconut flakes, raw cacao and honey; the Pacific, a green base topped with granola, strawberries, bananas, shaved almonds, chia seeds and honey; and the Dragonberry, a pitaya base topped with granola, strawberries, blueberries and honey.

Among their drink options, you can find a Gingerbread smoothie made with bananas, vanilla protein, blueberry flax granola, gingerbread spice, cinnamon and almond milk; the Kowabunga smoothie made with bananas, strawberries, blueberries and coconut milk; and the Beach Break juice made with pineapples, carrots, ginger and lemon.

Newark: 134 E. Main St., Newark, (302) 286-5196; http://www.facebook.com/playabowlsnewarkde. Middletown: 832 Kohl Ave., Middletown, (302) 696-2463; http://www.facebook.com/playabowlsmiddletownde; http://www.playabowls.com

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Eat Clean is a juice bar on Market Street and in DE.CO Food Hall,serving comfort food in a health-conscious way.

They offer cold-pressed juices made with local organic produce along with build-your-own smoothies and aa bowls, breakfast foods and more.

Some of their bestsellers are their homemade oatmeal and the Morning Kick smoothie made with kale, bananas, pineapples, ginger and chia seeds

The smoothie bowls come with either an aa base or a kale base and can be customized with two fruits and two seed toppings. Smoothies can be customized with your choice of fruits, vegetables and liquid base, or you can pick a recipe on the menu.

The Green Dream smoothie is made with spinach, strawberries, mango, honey granola and almond milk. When your sweet tooth gets the best of you, the Smooth Chocolate smoothie made with bananas, peanut butter, cayenne pepper, agave nectar, cocoa powder and almond milk might do the trick.

If youre feeling a bit under weather this winter, stop by Eat Clean and try a ginger or elderberry wellness shot to help ward off the sniffles.

Storefront: 225 N. Market St., Wilmington, (302) 476-8928. DE.CO location: 111 W. 10th Street, Wilmington; eatcleande.com/home

Bountiful Bowls in Lewes serves various vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, with further dietary modifications available upon request.

Their menu features aa and pitaya bowls, harvest and seasonal bowls, healthy snacks, smoothies, salads, cold-pressed juices and various lunch items.

Highlights include the Midnight Moon Bowl, a superfood blend aa bowl topped with blueberries, blackberries, cacao nibs, granola and honey drizzle; the kale and quinoa Powerhouse Salad made with seasoned quinoa, kale, yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, dried cranberries, feta cheese and your choice of vinaigrette; and the Pump You Up Pumpkin smoothie made with pumpkin, banana, almond milk, sweet potato, dates, cinnamon, agave, almond butter, vanilla and vanilla protein powder.

Bountiful Bowls also has sweet treats for a midday pick-me-up like the PB & chocolate chip energy balls, paleo nut bars and banana-maple walnut overnight oats.

33809 Dreamweaver Lane, Lewes, (302) 490-1287; http://www.bountifulbowlsde.com

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Green Box Kitchen, run by the same people who operate Wilmington Green Box, is a fast-casual vegan restaurant serving plant-based food. Its managed by local teenagers and aims to nourish and educate the community.

The restaurants menu boasts various sandwiches, toasts, aa bowls, smoothies, vegan Belgian waffles and their latest addition of the Buddha bowl.

Buddha bowls are customizable harvest bowls that come with a variety of grains, vegetables, dressings and more. Some popular Buddha bowl ingredients include quinoa, kale, avocado, spinach tomatoes and hemp seeds. Each bowl canbe served as a wrap instead.

Green boxs menu also has a fan-favorite vegan tuna sandwich made from chickpeas, PB&J toast with the basics plus granola, banana and agave drizzle, and tasty smoothies like the bestselling I Need a Vacation which has frozen strawberries, bananas, pineapples, fresh pineapple juice and agave.

Stewart Management Company: 400 N. Market St, Wilmington, (302) 274-2195; http://www.greenboxkitchen.com

PokBros. specializes in diced raw fish bowls known as pok bowls and originally served Columbus, Ohio, before branching out to more of the Midwest ,and the East Coast.

Sushi-lovers can check out this spot to build their own sushi-in-a-bowl or try a signature bowl off the Pok Bros. menu.

The high tide bowl comes with chicken, shrimp, edamame, carrots, pineapple, green onion, avocado, corn, cucumber, sriracha aioli, sweet soy and OG sauce.

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For a traditional raw bowl, check out The Duke. This dish features tuna, salmon, shrimp, seaweed salad, jalapeno, sweet onion, edamame, cucumber, ponzu, OG sauce and gochujang.

Aside from pok bowls, you can find enjoy sides of spicy kani salad and seaweed salad, or indulge in dessert with mochi ice cream flavors like passion fruit, raspberry crunch and salted caramel.

Pok Bros. can be found in Dover, Newark, Middletown, Rehoboth and Wilmington; eatpokebros.com

Bee BowlD is a family-owned business in Camden specializing in smoothies, aa bowls, lattes and cold-pressed juices.

The Delaware Peach bowl features acai topped with granola, bananas, peaches, sliced almonds, hazelnut spread and honey. The Apple Harvest bowl uses an acai base, topped with granola, bananas, Granny Smith apples, sliced almonds, cinnamon, apple butter and honey.

Smoothie flavors include the Key Lime Colada, made with almond milk, coconut, pineapple, Key lime and vegan vanilla protein powder; the Bee Incredible, made with coconut almond milk, pineapple, bananas, vegan vanilla protein powder and plant-based multi-nutrient greens; and the Love Punch, made with almond milk, pitaya, banana, mango and vegan vanilla protein powder.

Each aa bowl and smoothie can be customized with your choice of add-ins, such as cacao nibs, Greek yogurt, goji berries, coconut flakes and more.

For the coffee lovers, Bee BowlD also has a latte station with flavors like salted caramel mocha and peppermint white mocha.

301 E. Camden Wyoming Ave., Camden, (302) 745-4996; http://www.facebook.com/beebowldacai

Located in downtown Rehoboth Beach, Twist Juice Bar & Caf focuses on health-conscious dining options such as grain bowls, wraps, acai bowls, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and more.

Some of their vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options include the buffalo jackfruit bowl made with white rice, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, celery, pickled red onion, matchstick carrots and buffalo jackfruit topped with ranch dressing; the mermaid toast made with cream cheese, blueberry jam, fresh blueberries and mint; and the refresher smoothie made with pineapple, mango and cold-pressed cucumber juice.

If youre feeling adventurous, most of their menu staples can be customized with your choice of add-ins.

Just a block from the beach, Twists nice-creams, a dairy-free ice cream, would make the perfect addition to your beach day once the weather warms up. Nice-cream options include strawberry sorbet and chocolate decadence, both of which can be loaded up with your favorite dessert toppings.

First Street Station, 26 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach,(302) 212-2605; http://www.twistjuicesrehoboth.com

Bits of Goodness is a juice bar in Glasgow that began when the owners wanted to create food options that were enticing to picky eaters and contained essential nutrients after their daughter was diagnosed with autism.

The shop brands itself as a utopia atmosphere where patrons can relieve daily stresses and find peace of mind while connecting with others. With a tasty menu to go along with those values, Bits of Goodness could be the perfect place to pop in for a midday meal break.

The menu features a variety of cold-pressed juices and smoothies, salads, soups and sandwiches.

Some of their bestselling drinks include the sunshine, which is known for providing energy and can replace your daily coffee, the elderberry hibiscus lemonade intended to boost immunity and the transfusion, a beet and cherry juice intended to improve blood flow.

Other menu highlights include the sweet & sassy garden salad made with apple, cranberries, pecans, goat cheese, spring mix lettuce and honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing; the Odessa stew made with okra, onions, tomatoes, celery, vegetable base and fiber spices; and the plant-based waffle, which can be topped with fresh fruit and other goodies.

2275 Pulaski Hwy., Glasgow; bitsofgoodness.net/home

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These 8 Delaware restaurants offer healthier dining options - The News Journal