If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to eat better, Denver makes it easier than most places to stick to your goals. If you look beyond the breweries and your typical winter warmers, a number of Denver restaurants cater to specific dietary needs, from vegan to gluten-free lifestyles. If you’re just looking for a reset and to live a little healthier in 2021, there are also plenty of places to eat out while being conscientious of what you’re consuming. And with an entire outdoor playground to double as a gym, you’ll be a new you in no time. Because no one ever said a salad had to be boring…or even green.
True Food Kitchen
A mainstay of downtown Cherry Creek for years, True Food brings savory, healthy eats with seasonal flavors served up in perfect portions. Your favorite dishes re-imaged with alternate, healthier ingredients based on science, you’ll leave feeling full and satisfied yet light with no fear of overeating despite how many salivating dishes tempt you on the menu. With a focus on superfoods and mood-boosters, everything is conscientiously sourced and thoughtfully paired down to the cocktails. This year, they are also offering up a new concept: meal prep and family meals you can take out and cook at home.
The Corner Beet
100% organic, local, and homemade whenever possible, the Corner Beet has bowls, burritos, and sandwiches in a cute Cap Hill café. Perfect for a quick and sustainable breakfast or lunch, this tiny eatery is beloved by vegans and vegetarians. You can snag some cold pressed juices for a quick cleanse or opt for one of their more filling menu items like Farmer toast or Super Seed Salad.
Vital Root
A sustainably sourced, chef-driven fast-casual concept owned by the same folks as beloved restaurants, Root Down and Linger, Vital Root set out to solve the Omnivore’s dilemma by offering creative plant-based meals that are nourishing and satisfy your ethnic food cravings without sacrificing flavors. The vegan Pad Thai and stir fry woks are fan-favorites, as are the Banh Mi tacos, but make sure to give them a try for brunch, too — the ube sweet potato pancakes are worth writing home about.
Flower Child
A new addition to the Cherry Creek neighborhood, Flower Child, is an outpost of a beloved Arizona chain that delivers healthy food direct to your plate. We love the Mother Earth bowl (seasonal greens with all the fixings), the teriyaki shrimp and avocado salad, and the uber-unique avocado hummus. They cater to virtually all dietary restrictions with dairy-free, sugar-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options with protein boosts for the carnivores.
Spice Room
Flavor, spice, and everything nice can be found at the Spice Room from a culture that’s been perfecting vegan and vegetarian foods for millennia. We love the curries, Saag Paneer (Mushroom for vegans), veggie korma, and Aloo Gobi. All of their offerings come in a vegan option for stricter diets for a neighborhood Indian feast in whatever spice level you can muster.
City, O’ City
Denver’s original vegetarian restaurant, City, O’ City, has everything from early morning breakfasts to late-night snacks that’s an industry favorite. They have their own micro-farm on-site and source locally whenever. Expect small and large plates packed with flavor from curried carrot soup to pizza and Bulgogi French dips.