Sure, tacos and Tex Mex might get the glory in San Antonio’s food scene, but let’s give some recognition to the delicious islands of healthy, clean livin’ food throughout the city, shall we?
From their tiny building on the near-eastside of Downtown, Sweet Yams (218 N Cherry St, (210) 229-9267, facebook.com/sweetyamsorganic, pictured) serves healthy versions of Southern food classics, with gluten-free options for most menu items, and sells fresh organic juice. The restaurant offers patio seating as well as takeout and catering services. Notable on the menu is the organic vegan chili, full of sprouted legumes that offer a pleasant crunch with each bite. And don’t even think about visiting without trying what they call the “World’s Best Mini Sweet Potato Pie!”
The Clean Plate (1022 N Main Ave, (210) 229-9866, thecleanplatesanantonio.com) uses locally sourced and sustainable ingredients to cook up a power-packed and diverse menu of breakfast and lunch food. From spicy stuffed peppers to pork belly in a steamed bun, the Clean Plate never fails to delight and satisfy. Particularly delicious is the Asian chicken salad, with organic local shredded chicken atop a mountain of fresh organic veggies and drizzled with a light sweet-and-sour sauce, and the fish tacos, which feature wild-caught, smoked mahi-mahi.
Vegeria Vegan Restaurant (8407 Broadway St, (210) 826-4223, myvegeria.com) serves 100 percent vegan and gluten-free Tex-Mex food. Tamales, enchiladas, salads, tacos and sandwiches come filled with interesting and often seasonal ingredients that appeal to vegans, vegetarians and diners with more typical diets alike. There’s a selection of raw menu items, as well, and an impressive bakery—where else can you order vegan sheet, bundt, coffee and cheesecakes while munching on “Super Human Nachos” with black beans, quinoa, hemp hearts, vegan cheese and veggie kraut?
Green Vegetarian Cuisine (multiple locations, greensanantonio.com) is San Antonio’s definitive healthy/vegetarian restaurant. Whether visiting the newer Pearl or more established Wurzbach Parkway location, Green serves a wide variety of vegetarian bowls, sandwiches, Tex-Mex favorites, breakfast options and a famous kale salad. Indulgences with a health-conscious spin, including panko-breaded fried pickles and vegan cupcakes, round out the menu—and everything can be made vegan. Try out the avocado eggs benedict with a tasty chipotle hollandaise for breakfast and the Mediterranean bowl, complete with quinoa tabouli, falafel patties, baba ganoush and lots of other veggies, for lunch or dinner. And BYOB!
For healthy, gourmet food to go, try Zedric’s (multiple locations, zedrics.com, pictured). Order online or stop by either location, in the Colonnade or Alamo Heights, to pick up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishing up tasty options for calorie-restricted, vegetarian, low carb or paleo diets, entrees like chicken mole with calabacita or hangar steak with sweet potato hash prove tempting to anyone looking for a quick, quality meal.
