After the you’ve hefted the last big holiday meal onto your plate and poured the last glass of champagne, maybe you want to clear your system out with some cleaner eating. January is the time when gym memberships skyrocket, 27% of people cut out alcohol, and we all try to be a little healthier. The challenge, though, is that the dismal weather in Pittsburgh and post-holiday depression can make you want to do anything but behave with self-discipline. Luckily, eating more vegetables fand more foods from more organic sources can still be an epicurean pleasure, and doesn’t mean you should sacrifice quality.
What is “Clean Eating” Anyway?
When we say clean eating, we don’t necessarily mean cutting out everything you love. Rather, clean eating “focuses on eating whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.” So it means less processed, less salt, less sugar, more vegetables. Clean eating doesn’t always mean vegan, either, because despite meat often being one of the most processed foods, meat is a natural part of the human diet. And what’s advertised as healthy isn’t always the closest to its natural state: A protein bar is much more processed than a slice of Pecorino cheese or an egg. Protein bars aren’t bad for you, per se, but if you’re focused on eliminating preservatives, you have to look at the whole picture. For this list of Pittsburgh clean eating, we’ve focused not just on vegan or organic on the outside, but the quality of the food and its sources.
Try These Restaurants for Clean Eating in Pittsburgh
EYV
424 East Ohio Street
EYV is vegan, but their focus isn’t on replacement meats. Instead, the restaurant, whose name stands for “Eat Your Veggies”, is a vegetable-forward dining experience that elevates a food group usually relegated to a side. They have an inventive, upscale approach to vegetables and specifically make a point to source everything from local farms. Cute and creative dishes like the “oyster mushrooms as oysters” make eating vegetables into an adventure rather than a chore.
Apteka
4606 Penn Avenue
Apteka is a vegan restaurant that doesn’t bill itself as such. Now, if you’re in the Pittsburgh food scene and haven’t heard of Apteka, it’s likely you live under a rock, but in case you haven’t, it’s an Eastern European restaurant that’s all-vegan. One thing to watch out for, though: there is a lot of gluten on the menu—but the good news is that it’s all sustainable sources. They make almost everything in-house, including all the drink cordials, so you get a curated and healthy experience.
Fet-Fisk
4786 Liberty Avenue
Perhaps you think, hold the phone, the restaurant where you’re eating blackberry chicken and cavatelli is a clean eating restaurant? But, as covered above, clean eating isn’t just about a specific diet. It’s about whole, natural foods, and organic sources. Lean protein like fish, Fet-Fisk’s specialty, is also rich in nutrients. Fet-Fisk’s menu has very minimal gluten, and I’ve never walked away from a meal there feeling unwell or doubtful about what I ate. Chef-owner Nik Forsberg has worked on a number of farms and part of the restaurant’s concept is Appalachian agriculture.
Playa Bowls
1707 Smallman Street
The açai bowls you can get at Playa Bowls are healthy, indulgent, and Instagram-worthy. Açai is a superfood with its makeup of antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats—another element of seeking out clean eating is to embrace that fats aren’t a bad thing. Fats in foods like avocado, dark chocolate, or eggs are helpful to the body. Açai bowls and their cousin, Pitaya bowls, are chock-full of nutrients and make for a nice treat.
Allegro Hearth Bakery
2034 Murray Avenue
If you are craving sweeter or more carbs, Allegro Hearth is a great option where you’re not just buying wrapped-up store-bought bread or cookies. They’re a 100% plant-based facility and use all organic flour, plus they use their own sourdough starter for all of their breads. Now, at the end of the day, you’re eating wheat and sugar, but wheat and simple sugars are naturally occurring ingredients. It’s all about how you use them and how aware you are as a consumer.
Roots Natural Kitchen
3610 Forbes Avenue
The “bowl” can be a good way to hit a ton of food groups at once, with easy preparation. For me, part of the benefit of a restaurant like Roots is to go there, see what they put in their bowls, and then incorporate it into your home cooking for a quick-and-easy meal. Their Oakland location makes for a great on the go, healthy snack on the way to the Carnegie Museums or Phipps Conservatory.
Clean Eatz
20436 Rte 19 #610
Besides their restaurant service, Cranberry-based Clean Eatz also offers weekly meal prep plans with a menu that goes live every Tuesday. While you can eat in at their café, you can get grab’n go protein smoothies and healthy snacks to encourage a more protein and nutrient-rich diet.
Don’t like any of these options and want to cook at home? TABLE’s salad recipes offer luxurious, vegetable-forward meals. But don’t fret. Soon, it’ll be summer and time to sip spritzes and indulge in ice cream all over again.
Story by Emma Riva
Photo courtesy of EYV
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