We are so lucky to live in an area like Denver that provides so many restaurant options for specialty diets like gluten free, vegan, keto, etc. Here are a few of my favorite restaurants, many focusing on locally sourced and organic ingredients. Eating locally sourced and organic ingredients is best for ensuring maximum nutrient availability and freshness.
This Cherry Creek staple is always busy, and for good reason! Founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, a renowned physician and doctor and integrative medicine, this restaurant’s whole paradigm and menu is rooted in nutrition and wellness. What I love about this restaurant is that they offer all day lunch, a classy/fancier dinner arrangement, brunch on the weekends, and a full menu of cocktails and mocktails. They even offer a paleo-friendly menu with many choices, which makes it super easy to adhere to specific dietary concerns.
2. ReWild at Nurture Wellness Marketplace
Find this new dinner concept located inside the Nurture Wellness Marketplace. I love their daytime cafe option for coffee, tea, smoothies and paleo pastries and I am so excited to check out their dinner concept that just launched June 2022. Rewild sources organic ingredients, sustainable meats and cheeses, and is mindful of their own carbon footprint-providing a health focused holistic meal! The ambiance is on point in there and the raw strawberry cheesecake is just divine!
This juice bar/coworking space/bright vibey cafe is my favorite Boulder transplant to move to the Platte River Park area in Denver. The juices are so delicious and combine fruits, vegetables, and herbs in such a unique and truly vibrant way that my taste buds just sing with excitement with each sip! They utilize a bottle return program to decrease waste and only use glass bottles, reducing exposure to harmful plastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In the winter months, check out their bone broth or vegetable broth for a warm and nourishing treat!
Located just down the road from Onyx, this plant-based restaurant has all your favorites, but more healthy! Fast food doesn’t have to be greasy and inflammatory. Vital Roots transforms old classics like french fries and banh mis into vegetarian creations that are so craveable (even for a carnivore like me!). This fast-casual concept makes healthy food more accessible and it’s super affordable too. The restaurant group that Vital Roots comes from, Edible Beats, is also 100% wind powered and they maintain a 6,000 sf organic garden that supplies 20% of the seasonal herbs and vegetables for their restaurants.
If you are following the Whole 30 Diet or stick to a paleo-based whole foods diet, then this is the place to go for breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal kits and sweet treats. The restaurant boasts being the only place in Denver that is 100% gluten, grain, & refined sugar free (yes that means everything on the menu)! Their nourishing menu leaves you full and satisfied and feeling good about your food choices. Also located in the Platte Park neighborhood near Wonderpress, Just Be Kitchen is the perfect place to stop before a day of shopping at REI or biking along the bike path. They are always hosting great educational events from local wellness and health care practitioners and are so passionate about providing healthy food that powers you and tastes great.