Categories: Eat & Drink; Fitness & Health

A Guide For Health Nuts In NYC

By Chelsea
updated about 1 month ago

I've found that it's extremely difficult to remain healthy in NYC. You sacrifice an hour at the gym, and make up for it by walking an extra block...which is hardly the equivalent of a nice sweaty work out. Instead of lifting weights, you carry a box up the stairs of your six floor walk up and because you have a six floor walk up, you feel less guilty eating dessert four times a week. You don't drink? Well, then-you probably have a nonexistent social life, New Yorkers like their Happy Hour and Happy Hour doesn't translate to "Healthy Hour." The health nuts are underground in NYC, but they do exist. If you're ready to get your ass in shape for the summer, here's your guide, consider yourselves part of a secret society.

Energy Kitchen

782 Christopher, New York, NY 10001

The thing that sucks about staying healthy and eating healthful foods is that it’s extremely BORING. After a couple days of egg whites and chicken breasts, you’ve lost the JOY of food and are ready to binge on maple syrup, straight from the bottle. Energy Kitchen is awesome because it fools you into feeling like you’re at a fast food restaurant. You can still order a burger but keep it healthy by making is a Bison or an Ostrich burger, don’t cringe….they’re totally delicious. Want a brownie…how about a PROTEIN BROWNIE….then you don’t completely F up the “health kick.”

Organic Grill

123 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

CREATIVE CHOICE: Challah French Toast Topped With Bananas And Walnuts with choice of tempeh bacon or soy sausage

Blueberry Orange Mini Loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup 2 percent milk
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons extra-light olive oil
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat two 4-by-6-inch mini loaf pans with
nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Stir in blueberries and make a
well; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into well in dry
ingredients and stir until mix is just moistened and batter is still slightly
lumpy.
Pour batter into pans until they are three-quarters full. Sprinkle remaining
1 teaspoon sugar evenly over both loaves. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until tops
are light golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5
minutes in pan on a rack, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Nutritional InformationPer serving: 219 calories, 5 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (1 g
saturated), 2 g fiber

Clay

25 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011

If the whole “GYM vibe” isn’t your scene, you may like Clay.. much more unconventional than the average gym, Clay feels more like a spa. Try Vinyasa yoga or pilates

Equinox Fitness

54 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007

Does the loud Top 40 music get your heart racing, do men in muscle shirts make you walk an extra floor on the Stair Stepper?? Then this is the place for you. Hell, even start some sessions with a personal trainer, squats, lunges and all the groovy stuff.

Better Burger

587 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10036

Here’s another joint that still has the “feeling” of a traditional fast food type restaurant minus the fat ass the goes along with it. Their fries are AIR BAKED not fried, which just sounds fancy and feels healthy….you don’t want to curl up into a ball and cry like you do after most fry consumption, i.e. McDonalds…I ate some Mickey D’s the other night and was begging my body for forgiveness.