For 2018, Lifestyle Asia was able to try a bunch of new restaurants and food establishments. It was all about binge eating and drinking. Now, we’ve decided to focus on the healthy throughout January. It felt appropriate, as everybody is heading back to the gym to try and burn that holiday fat away.
We went through our archives and found five healthy food establishments that we recommend for clean eating this 2019…
Alive! at The Farm at San Benito
Just a 90-minute drive outside of Metro Manila, Alive! Restaurant emulates The Farm’s mission to provide patrons with services to help achieve healthy, well-balanced lives. They serve clean, good food to help fuel “the mind, body and spirit to combat the daily aggressors.” This they do through their all-vegan menu, which has won a total of nine international awards recognizing unique and exemplary culinary experiences. All ingredients at the restaurant are all-natural and hand-picked from the luxury resort’s very own organic gardens. “The farmers, soil, water and sunshine are all nature’s gifts. All harvests are result of the positive energy invested to the farm,” they shared in a statement.
Cooking methods at Alive! Restaurant have been specially designed and studied to retain the maximum number of nutrients and enzymes need our bodies need. Vegetables and fresh fruits are often prepared blanched or raw. The restaurant’s Chef Francis often uses the methods of dehydration and fermentation while preparing his vegan cuisine. This allows longer shelf-life for vegetables, while allowing enzymes to covert the plant’s nutrients to Vitamin B complexes. – words by Chino R. Hernandez.
Alive! is located at The Farm at San Benito. For more information or reservation, please contact +632 884 8074/ +63 918 884 8080 or email [email protected]/ [email protected] or visit www.thefarmatsanbenito.com.
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The Good Seed – All-Natural Café and Grocery
Denise Celdran went through a drastic lifestyle change after being diagnosed with a thyroid problem. She opened The Good Seed as a way to spread healthy eating. The extensive menu at the eatery includes items such as Bulgogi Tofu Steak, longganisa, Risotto Balls with Marinara Sauce and even Vegan Laksa. “Before I became vegetarian, I loved eating those dishes. Now, I enjoy the versions we serve, which aren’t only meatless, but are actually healthy because we use ingredients that are good for the body like coconut oil and organically-grown vegetables. The menu is so diverse because when I like a particular dish, I try to “veganize” it so we can serve it at the café,” she said. “One thing I’ve heard a lot from our customers is that they wouldn’t mind becoming vegetarian if it meant eating the kind of food we serve.”
Celdran says that studies done on health and food continue to change. It is now commonly known that sugar affects the body far more negatively than fat. The Good Seed menu features Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, Lacto-ovo and Keto-friendly meals. It’s a matter of respecting what a person chooses to put in their body. Recognizing that many would like to eat healthier meals but are daunted by the prospect of having to prepare it themselves, Celdran carries a line of easily-prepared frozen vegan deli items like tapa, longganiza and sisig, plus ready-to-eat bottled dips and sauces like vegan bagoong and mushroom tapenade as well as dessert goodies such as Choco Coco Paleo and Energy Date Balls. – words by Rissa R. Garcia.
The Good Seed is located at 3 Brixton St, Pasig. For more information or inquiries phone (02) 584 9080.
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Gusto
Food lovers will love The Corner Market at the newly-renovated Podium Mall. One of the options for healthy and fresh fare is Gusto. Selling salads, smoothies and fresh produce from the family farm in Rizal, Gusto is a welcome addition to the metropolis’ healthy eating scene.
Owner Pia Ojeda says the concept came from her wanting to offer something different. “We wanted to produce clean, naturally-grown food for the everyday diner. Our goal was to make it approachable and accessible to our market.” The idea fell on her lap while helping her grandmother and sister’s farming venture. They first sold produce at weekend markets, bazaars, and agri-expos, then began supplying some restaurants. Linfred Yap, managing director of the Relish Group, invited Pia to open a stall in his new food hall. – words by Sara Siguion-Reyna.
Gusto is located at the Corner Market at The Podium, ADB Ave., Ortigas, Mandaluyong City. For more information, please phone (02) 638 2485.
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Paleo Manila
Paleo Manila is an online food company that puts a premium on top-notch service while serving delicious, freshly-made cuisine. If you are looking for pre-prepared, healthy meals for your diets, then check out Paleo Manila.
It’s easy to sign up. Simply visit their website www.paleomanila.com, and click on the sign-up button. Meals are delivered fresh and daily. The diet is based on the Paleo Diet Principles, which means consuming all-natural good while getting all the nutrition that you need.
Paleo Manila food plans serve five meals a day in three calorie tiers: 1,200-1,400 kcal/day, 1,500-1,700 kcal/day, and 1,800-2,000 kcal/day. They also offer Keto options. The company also prides themselves with their wide array of food options. Meal plans include (but are not limited to) cuisine from Brazil (Moqueca stew), Morocco (chicken tagine), Sweden (meatballs), Korea (bibimbap) and the Philippines (Manong’s fish balls). Patrons can adjust and curate their meals based on their lifestyles. All it takes is a quick email to Paleo, and the friendly staff will be more than happy to attend to your needs and questions. – words by Chino R. Hernandez.
For more information or to apply for a meal plan, visit Paleo Manila at www.paleomanila.com.
Real Food
In April 2016, Real Food at the Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang opened its doors to an appreciative community. Today, it has become a charming little store filled with carefully curated products from various suppliers all over the Philippines—cashew nuts and honey from Palawan, tablea and chocolate bars from Davao and Cotabato, adlai and coffee from Bukidnon, lemons from Surigao, chilies and vinegar from Quezon, ginger products from Zambales, and artisanal cheeses from Bacolod, to name a few. What’s remarkable is that most of Real Food’s suppliers are small to medium scale farmers, cooperatives and producers, who also happen to be social entrepreneurs and/or environmental advocates.
Every visit to Real Food is a different experience because there’s always a new product to discover. One day, it may be oven-baked, vegetable-based pasta noodles or coconut flour lumpia wrappers. The next day, it may be frozen yogurt and goat’s milk ice cream. Organic eggs come in a charming, bamboo packaging that holds three extra large eggs; but what’s even more special is that the orange egg yolk tastes so rich and flavorful.
Those looking for healthy snacks will be amazed at the wide variety of choices in Kale Chips with gourmet flavors like Rosemary Peppercorn and Margherita Pizza; Mixed Root Chips made with taro, cassava, ube, and sweet potato; Skinny Veggie Chips made with squash, cassava, carrots, spinach and kamote tops; and the most addicting Toasted Coconut Chips. Of course, healthy food should be complemented by healthy drinks, as well. Basic Juicery puts a variety of beneficial ingredients like turmeric, lemongrass, almond and moringa in each bottle, while Planteology drinks are packed with protein. – words by Nina Daza Puyat.
Real Food is located at Molito Lifestyle Mall, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For more information please phone (02) 772 0131.
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