Need to keep those New Year's resolutions? These local restaurants can keep you on track.
While New Year's resolutions can be hard to keep up with, eating healthy doesn’t have to be.
Whether you want to cut back on fast food or be more conscious of what you’re putting into your body this year, fueling up on foods that are nutritious doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice the delicious.
Let’s face it, we all feel too tired to fuss about making dinner in the kitchen every once in a while, and you shouldn’t feel bad about treating yourself.
Feel good about what’s on your plate when dining out with these local restaurants boasting healthy fixings made with the freshest ingredients.
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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, Newark and Middletown
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 to agree.
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 açaí, 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; www.facebook.com/playabowlsnewarkde. Middletown: 832 Kohl Ave., Middletown, (302) 696-2463; www.facebook.com/playabowlsmiddletownde; www.playabowls.com
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Eat Clean, Wilmington
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 açaí 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 açaí 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 you’re 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, Lewes
Bountiful Bowls in Lewes serves various vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, with further dietary modifications available upon request.
Their menu features açaí 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 açaí 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; www.bountifulbowlsde.com
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Green Box Kitchen, Wilmington
Green Box Kitchen, run by the same people who operate Wilmington Green Box, is a fast-casual vegan restaurant serving plant-based food. It’s managed by local teenagers and aims to nourish and educate the community.
The restaurant’s menu boasts various sandwiches, toasts, açaí 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 can be served as a wrap instead.
Green box’s 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; www.greenboxkitchen.com
Poké Bros., various locations
Poké Bros. specializes in diced raw fish bowls known as poké 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 Poké 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 poké 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.
Poké Bros. can be found in Dover, Newark, Middletown, Rehoboth and Wilmington; eatpokebros.com
Bee Bowl’D, Camden
Bee Bowl’D is a family-owned business in Camden specializing in smoothies, açaí 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 açaí 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 Bowl’D also has a latte station with flavors like salted caramel mocha and peppermint white mocha.
301 E. Camden Wyoming Ave., Camden, (302) 745-4996; www.facebook.com/beebowldacai
Twist Juice Bar & Café, Rehoboth
Located in downtown Rehoboth Beach, Twist Juice Bar & Café 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 you’re feeling adventurous, most of their menu staples can be customized with your choice of add-ins.
Just a block from the beach, Twist’s “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; www.twistjuicesrehoboth.com
Bits of Goodness, Glasgow
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
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: These 8 Delaware restaurants offer healthier dining options
