For the past week I have been in London doing work experience at a law firm. Alongside my time at the office, I decided this would be an excellent opportunity to try out many of the vegan, gluten free, dairy free, healthy restaurants and café's which London has to offer! And I have to say, I loved every minute of it. I was definitely in 'health food heaven' for the majority of the week!
The first place which I thought was great was The Natural Kitchen. This was located directly next door to the office I was working at, so this was ideal! On the first day I picked up a LoveRaw Cacao & Maca Organic Bar as pre-workout energy before I went to Barry's Bootcamp. These bars are great, and so healthy! I definitely recommend trying one out. The bar provided me with plenty of energy for my workout. My favourite however was the 'Coconut and Chia' which is absolutely delicious! At The Natural Kitchen, they also have a selection of freshly pressed juices and smoothies. I got a celery, cucumber and apple one. They also had 100% natural coconut water, so I also picked up one of those!
The first place which I thought was great was The Natural Kitchen. This was located directly next door to the office I was working at, so this was ideal! On the first day I picked up a LoveRaw Cacao & Maca Organic Bar as pre-workout energy before I went to Barry's Bootcamp. These bars are great, and so healthy! I definitely recommend trying one out. The bar provided me with plenty of energy for my workout. My favourite however was the 'Coconut and Chia' which is absolutely delicious! At The Natural Kitchen, they also have a selection of freshly pressed juices and smoothies. I got a celery, cucumber and apple one. They also had 100% natural coconut water, so I also picked up one of those!
The Natural Kitchen has a restaurant side, as well as a more casual cafe side, which I went to nearly every day. There was a salad bar in which you could chose 3 salads, as well as a source of protein such as chicken, salmon or mackerel, or a home-made quiche.
Although in this picture the food doesn't look too appealing, it was delicious and tasted very fresh. I had chicken, butter-nut squash, broccoli and beetroot on this particular day, and on another day I had salmon.
All in all, a very good place to quickly pick up a nutritious lunch!
http://www.thenaturalkitchen.com/
Although in this picture the food doesn't look too appealing, it was delicious and tasted very fresh. I had chicken, butter-nut squash, broccoli and beetroot on this particular day, and on another day I had salmon.
All in all, a very good place to quickly pick up a nutritious lunch!
http://www.thenaturalkitchen.com/
The Natural Kitchen also had a great selection of smoothies on offer. I picked up a green smoothie before work on Tuesday, and I felt energised all morning!
It contained:
Kiwi
Apple
Spinach
Mint
Cucumber
Wheatgrass
Spirulina
It contained:
Kiwi
Apple
Spinach
Mint
Cucumber
Wheatgrass
Spirulina
For dinner on Monday night, I went to Mildred's, an organic, vegetarian restaurant in Soho. You can't make reservations for this restaurant, and it was absolutely packed - we had to wait almost half an hour for a table! Whilst we waited we had a fresh mint tea at the bar.
However, it was definitely worth the wait as they had a wonderful selection of healthy, vegetarian dishes to chose from. Options included:
However, it was definitely worth the wait as they had a wonderful selection of healthy, vegetarian dishes to chose from. Options included:
- Fresh pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with chestnut mushroom.
- Organic energising detox salad.
- Sri Lankan sweet potato and cashew nut curry served on yellow basmati rice with peas and coconut tomato sambal.
- Chickpea and cauliflower tagine.
We only had time to have a main meal as it was already pretty late and we were tired after a session at Barry's Bootcamp.
I had Asian vegetables served with organic brown rice, toasted cashews and organic tofu. It was delicious! The marinated tofu was honestly the best I have ever tasted.
I had Asian vegetables served with organic brown rice, toasted cashews and organic tofu. It was delicious! The marinated tofu was honestly the best I have ever tasted.
I went to Mildred's with my dad, who ordered the vegan burger with organic sourdough bread, sweet potato fries, relish, red onion, rocket and tomato plus monterey jack cheese. He said it tasted even better than a classic burger and fries!
http://www.mildreds.co.uk/
http://www.mildreds.co.uk/
Another wonderful health and wellness restaurant which I had the chance to visit was Saf restaurant in Kensington, which is located inside Wholefoods on the second floor. At Saf they serve nutritious, raw, vegan, biodynamic, organic, gluten/wheat/dairy free food.
On the left is pictured guacamole with vegetable batons. This was in the 'light bites' section of the menu. As we were hungry and were curious to try as many of the different foods that Saf has to offer, we decided to order this before our starter! It didn't disappoint. This guacamole was the best I have ever tasted.
On the left is pictured guacamole with vegetable batons. This was in the 'light bites' section of the menu. As we were hungry and were curious to try as many of the different foods that Saf has to offer, we decided to order this before our starter! It didn't disappoint. This guacamole was the best I have ever tasted.
My father and I then ordered a smoothie each. Both combinations worked really well together, and I will definitely be making the one that my dad had again! You could also have superfoods added to whatever smoothie you chose for an extra 50p. The options included aloe vera juice, spirulina powder, purple corn flower, and medjool date.
I had one containing:
coconut water
blackberries
cherries
banana
coconut oil
date paste
goji berries
lucuma powder
My dad had one containing:
ginger
carrot
mango
turmeric
I had one containing:
coconut water
blackberries
cherries
banana
coconut oil
date paste
goji berries
lucuma powder
My dad had one containing:
ginger
carrot
mango
turmeric
My starter was Korean Kimchee Mandu (GF)
This was grilled rice pastry dumplings filled with sweet potato, organic tofu, kimchee, fresh mint and coriander, served with a tamari-citrus dressing.
This was grilled rice pastry dumplings filled with sweet potato, organic tofu, kimchee, fresh mint and coriander, served with a tamari-citrus dressing.
My dads starter was amazing! He had caraway coated cashew cheese (raw) (GF) served with mango salsa and flax seed crackers. A very imaginative and tasty dish.
For my main meal I had Massaman curry with mixed wild rice (GF). It contained meltingly tender pineapple, new potatoes, organic tofu and aubergine slow-cooked, in a thai coconut broth, with a sprinkling of crunchy peanuts. It was divine! We also ordered a side of fresh avocado.
For my dads main meal, he had the (GF) summer risotto. It contained organic arborio rice with a miso 'cream', fresh broad beans, grilled courgettes, roasted garlic and saffron topped with a shaved fennel salad. It was good, but nowhere near as nice as the meal I ordered!
The dessert I ordered really let down an otherwise wonderful meal. I ordered the coconut strawberry flan (GF). Maybe I made the wrong choice and their other desserts were nicer, but this was a real let down. My dad ordered the (raw) and (GF) tiramisu, and he said that also wasn't too great. My dessert tasted pretty good, but the presentation wasn't great and I was just expecting better considering how good the rest of the meal had been!
With our meal, we also had ionized filter water, which tasted incredibly pure. Ionizing water puts a negative electrical charge on the minerals within it, which is believed to counter the effects of oxidants in the body, such as ageing and diseases.
Overall, I have to say I loved this restaurant. It had a great atmosphere inside and as you can see, the food was both nutritious, and delicious! I would absolutely come back here again. However, you must make sure you make a reservation as they were fully booked when I went even though it was a Wednesday night!
http://www.safrestaurant.co.uk/kensington/restaurant-bar/
With our meal, we also had ionized filter water, which tasted incredibly pure. Ionizing water puts a negative electrical charge on the minerals within it, which is believed to counter the effects of oxidants in the body, such as ageing and diseases.
Overall, I have to say I loved this restaurant. It had a great atmosphere inside and as you can see, the food was both nutritious, and delicious! I would absolutely come back here again. However, you must make sure you make a reservation as they were fully booked when I went even though it was a Wednesday night!
http://www.safrestaurant.co.uk/kensington/restaurant-bar/
Another good find of mine was the Wild Juicery in Covent Garden, which is again a health freaks heaven. They had a huge array of different smoothies and juices to chose from.
I had a smoothie containing:
Nettle & Rosehip tea base
Wild harvested honey
Apple
Wild Blueberries
Hawthorn
And a shot of noni juice!
I also purchased 'Raw Superfood Granola: Banana Greeny' from here, which is from inSpiral (http://www.inspiralled.net/) This granola not only tastes amazing, but is also vegan, raw, contains no sugar or wheat, and is slow-dried in order for optimum nutrition and sustained energy.
http://www.wildjuicery.com/
I had a smoothie containing:
Nettle & Rosehip tea base
Wild harvested honey
Apple
Wild Blueberries
Hawthorn
And a shot of noni juice!
I also purchased 'Raw Superfood Granola: Banana Greeny' from here, which is from inSpiral (http://www.inspiralled.net/) This granola not only tastes amazing, but is also vegan, raw, contains no sugar or wheat, and is slow-dried in order for optimum nutrition and sustained energy.
http://www.wildjuicery.com/
Directly next to the Wild Juicery is the Wild Food Cafe, which was a great place for me to have some post-Hot Pilates dinner! The food here was absolutely amazing and the pictures simply don't do it justice. I felt amazingly energised and fresh after the meal!
I had organic Ayurvedic super salad with fresh mango salsa, artichoke hearts, avocado, amaranth, courgette spaghetti topped with hijiki seaweed and red pepper and cucumber cubes.
I also had the 'Living pizza' which was delicious. It contained raw, dairy-free pimpkin seed cheeze, wild sea purslane & basil pesto, raw cultured tomato and goji berry marinara, fresh tomato & basil, turkish olives, zucchini and caper salad.
I had organic Ayurvedic super salad with fresh mango salsa, artichoke hearts, avocado, amaranth, courgette spaghetti topped with hijiki seaweed and red pepper and cucumber cubes.
I also had the 'Living pizza' which was delicious. It contained raw, dairy-free pimpkin seed cheeze, wild sea purslane & basil pesto, raw cultured tomato and goji berry marinara, fresh tomato & basil, turkish olives, zucchini and caper salad.
I also had a 'Vibrant green' smoothie with the meal.
It contained:
It contained:
- Apple
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Lemon
- Ginger
I then tried two of their delicious vegan, dairy/gluten/sugar free desserts. They were amazing! This one was the blueberry cheesecake. I also had the cacao and coconut cake, which is pictured below. I definitely recommend trying one of their desserts if you get the chance to visit this cafe!
http://www.wildfoodcafe.com/
http://www.wildfoodcafe.com/
Although every restaurant I visited during the week was pretty amazing, Nama Artisan Raw Foods would have to be my favourite, which I went to with my good friend Maddie. Maddie is also enthusiastic about living a healthy lifestyle and runs a health and fitness page on instagram which I recommend following - @cleaneatdetox.
The food here was creative, raw, vegan, organic and dairy/gluten-free. The location of the restaurant isn't ideal as it's on the outskirts of London, and I wasn't keen on the inside of the restaurant either. It's very modestly decorated, and opens out onto the street. You definitely wouldn't expect by looking at it that such delicious and impressively presented foods could be being served there! That is my ONLY complaint, but of course the excellent quality of the food made up for it.
The food here was creative, raw, vegan, organic and dairy/gluten-free. The location of the restaurant isn't ideal as it's on the outskirts of London, and I wasn't keen on the inside of the restaurant either. It's very modestly decorated, and opens out onto the street. You definitely wouldn't expect by looking at it that such delicious and impressively presented foods could be being served there! That is my ONLY complaint, but of course the excellent quality of the food made up for it.
For my starter I had a Falafel wrap with a pumpkin seed & sun-dried tomato falafel mix, 'roasted' Mediterranean vegetables, courgette & cashew nut hummus, rolled in a dehydrated veggie wrap. This tasted very meaty and I really enjoyed it.
Maddie had the Mango Ceviche for her starter, with fresh mango, diced avocado, chilli, red onion, orange and coriander cured in lime juice.
My main meal was Lasagne verdure with layers of pomodoro sauce, herbed nut, seed & yellow pepper cheese, pesto & marinated spinach served between courgette 'pasta' strips. This was also delicious, it tasted cheesy (despite having no cheese!) and the basil pesto sauce tasted wonderful.
Maddie's main meal was spiralised zucchini noodles served with a Pomodoro sauce, sundried tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, caramelised onions and olives. I had a taste of this and it tasted very similar to spaghetti bolognese, just in less than half the calories and bursting with nutrients and goodness as opposed to fattening dairy and carbohydrates!
For dessert, I had the fermented blueberry cheesecake and the chocolate ganache tart. The chocolate tart was my favourite, it tasted so indulgent. And the best part? You can enjoy them guilt-free, knowing you're providing your body with the goodness of nutrients and natural enzymes!
So why Raw?
When you heat food above 46°C you lose at least 30% of the NUTRIENTS and 100% of the NATURAL ENZYMES. Cooking food can change the molecular structure creating toxins and FREE RADICALS.
You should try to eat your food as close as possible to its NATURAL STATE. Slow drying food keeps it at its OPTIMAL NUTRITIONAL value.
Organic RAW FOOD is the most NUTRITIONALLY DENSE and it’s the best way to get your VITAMINS, MINERALS and goodness. Which in turn gives you more ENERGY, BETTER FOCUS and OVERALL HEALTH. Raw food also ALKALISES the body, which is very important for us. Our body requires 80% ALKALINE and 20% acidic FOOD BALANCE. Alkaline foods give you ENERGY, REVERSE DISEASE, and keeps us LOOKING YOUNGER.
http://www.namafoods.com/
When you heat food above 46°C you lose at least 30% of the NUTRIENTS and 100% of the NATURAL ENZYMES. Cooking food can change the molecular structure creating toxins and FREE RADICALS.
You should try to eat your food as close as possible to its NATURAL STATE. Slow drying food keeps it at its OPTIMAL NUTRITIONAL value.
Organic RAW FOOD is the most NUTRITIONALLY DENSE and it’s the best way to get your VITAMINS, MINERALS and goodness. Which in turn gives you more ENERGY, BETTER FOCUS and OVERALL HEALTH. Raw food also ALKALISES the body, which is very important for us. Our body requires 80% ALKALINE and 20% acidic FOOD BALANCE. Alkaline foods give you ENERGY, REVERSE DISEASE, and keeps us LOOKING YOUNGER.
http://www.namafoods.com/
On Saturday I went to Borough Market next to London Bridge. There were lots of seasonal, organically sourced and healthy products around. It was definitely foodie heaven! I purchased two oat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free cereals from Mini Magoo's, the FUNSTUFF
SEEDS & NUT MIX WITH CINNAMON and the GRANOLA
WITH GINGER (http://www.minimagoo.com/) as well as a gluten-free 'Linseed & Quinoa Porridge' from Flax Farm (http://www.flaxfarm.co.uk/) which contains no wheat, sugar or nuts, and it is absolutely delicious! There was also lots of gluten and dairy free sweet treats around, so I had a few of those too!
SEEDS & NUT MIX WITH CINNAMON and the GRANOLA
WITH GINGER (http://www.minimagoo.com/) as well as a gluten-free 'Linseed & Quinoa Porridge' from Flax Farm (http://www.flaxfarm.co.uk/) which contains no wheat, sugar or nuts, and it is absolutely delicious! There was also lots of gluten and dairy free sweet treats around, so I had a few of those too!
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