Healthy Eating in New York City

Hello! So if you didn’t already know, last month I celebrated my 30th birthday in New York, and as well as wanting to share the news with you all that I got engaged (hurray!! – scroll down for a pic of Oliver my fiancé!) I wanted to share with you what I ate and drank, and in particular the restaurants and eateries that I personally recommend.

 

New York is honestly the most amazing city that I have visited, but it can seem a little overwhelming to begin with. After asking for multiple suggestions of places to eat and see I took my pick and have narrowed down my favourites for you in this blog post.

 

My ‘eating style’ is the 80/20 rule where although I eat healthily most of the time, I do like my indulgences too (in moderation!)! I wore my Misfit whilst I was in New York and walked around 10 miles a day without trying (on our top day we walked 30,000 steps!!); because of this I managed to burn off the extra calories coming from wine, cocktails and cake (we celebrated a lot!!) and came back the same weight as when I went; bonus!!

 

So, if you’re interested to hear me talk through my trip to New York check out my new video, or keep on scrolling for all of my suggestions.. from where to eat and drink to where to stay and see too! I really hope that you find this blog post useful!

 

 

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

SPECIAL OCCASION BREAKFASTS

• Mandarin Oriental – Asiate (I pronounced this VERY wrong in this video!) – We ate here on my birthday and it really was the most amazing breakfast that I’ve ever had. We had an amazing view overlooking Central Park (35 floors up!) whilst I ate my delicious chia seed bowl with fruit and sipped on a green juice and cup of green tea. The staff were just superb. Oliver had Eggs Benedict and we were given a chocolate cake for dessert for my birthday.

• Sarabeth’s – We actually went to Sarabeth’s for lunch but I would highly recommend it for breakfast or brunch instead if you are after a more traditional ‘American’ breakfast. Our good friends ate here on their visit and their food looked amazing!

 

 

MORE AFFORDABLE BREAKFASTS

• Hale & Hearty – This soup and sandwich shop was near to our hotel and on a drizzly morning we picked up both on our way to the Natural History museum. Both were delicious and were brimming with healthy ingredients!

• Starbucks – I don’t think that I need to introduce this one. Starbucks is well known world-wide and New York has them on nearly every corner (!). They are a good option for a reasonably priced coffee and breakfast options for on the go including fresh fruit and bars made of dried fruit (oh and water too!). I drank my fair share of skinny lattes whilst I was there I assure you (the jet lag was a killer on the first 2 days!).

 

 

SPECIAL OCCASION LUNCH

• Loeb Boathouse – On my birthday we went to the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park and it was lovely. The view of the lake was perfect and I enjoyed a tuna salad with blue potato! I had a glass of bubbly with it and to finish a cup of herbal tea and a complimentary chocolate cake (yes my second one of the day!) – it was delicious!!

• Sarabeth’s – We visited Sarabeth’s near Central Park for lunch one day and although they have a good range of food options (and the food was delicious!) I wasn’t very impressed with the staff; maybe we visited at a bad time but the price of lunch didn’t seem to match the service which was a shame! I should also point out that it’s suggested to tip 15-20% of the bill in America.

 

 

MORE AFFORDABLE LUNCH

• Egg Shop – If you visit Soho then you must visit Egg Shop. I had the Spandex; a bowl of quinoa topped with greens & an egg. I opted for an extra poached egg, a green tea and water to wash it down. It really is such a cute shop!

• Butcher’s Daughter – The Butcher’s Daughter is located close to the Egg Shop and has such a delicious and healthy sounding menu. Although I unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to eat here I definitely will be making a beeline for it next time!

• Georgia’s Pizzeria – So I’ll admit it, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this establishment after Oliver requested a ‘traditional American pizza for lunch’, but I was pleasantly surprised! I ordered a HUGE grilled chicken salad and enjoyed every mouthful. The place was bustling with city workers and I could tell why; great food at affordable prices.

• Starbucks – Again, no introduction needed. Starbucks sell the usual lunch options that they do in the UK as pictured below – great for on the go whilst site-seeing!

 

 

AMAZING EVENING MEALS

• Buddakan – You may recognise this restaurant from the Sex in the City movie (where Carrie had her pre-wedding evening meal!). It served the most delicious, healthy food and the waiter service was brilliant. I ordered what he suggested and had fish for my starter and main.

• Beauty and Essex – This prohibition restaurant was recommended to me several times and it certainly did not disappoint. It serves amazing cocktails and food and has such a fun and lively atmosphere. This was my favourite place to eat and drink of the trip (watch my video above to hear more about it!).

• David Burke fabric – Situated at the bottom of the Archer hotel, this restaurant was recommended and booked by our concierge and we enjoyed an amazing 3 course meal; avocado dip, grilled chicken salad & a tall strawberry cake (the best dessert I have ever eaten!).

 

 

CHEAPER EVENING MEALS

• Shake Shack – This was the only ‘burger joint’ that I visited in New York but it really was good. I had a ‘garden hotdog’ and ‘shroom burger’ (vegetarian option) and both were delicious. You can help yourself to fresh water via the taps provided whilst sitting back in the trendy sitting area. We ate near Brooklyn Bridge after visiting Brooklyn Heights.

 

 

BARS

• Spy Glass – The Spy Glass bar is situated at the top of the boutique Archer hotel and the views are incredible. A word of note though, if you look under the age of 40 then remember to take your ID!

• Back Room NYC – An original 1920’s prohibition bar and a must see. We had a cocktail here (served in a traditional tea cup!) before heading to Beauty & Essex and I enjoyed every sip. Finding the bar is an adventure in itself; I won’t spoil the surprise!!

 

 

SNACKS

• Starbucks – For the third and last time I’ll mention this popular coffee shop! For snacks it was ideal; I enjoyed dark chocolate and kale chips from here (both featured below)

• Smaller Shops – Every where you turn there seems to be another shop to discover and from an eating point of view I enjoyed frozen yoghurt (I had two of these actually during my trip!) and multiple Quest bars which were more expensive than I thought they were going to be!

 

 

WHERE TO STAY

After lots and lots of searching online we came across Chambers Hotel which was in the most perfect location; just off 5th avenue, a 5 minute walk to Central Park and a 10 minute walk to Times Square! The staff here were just incredible and the rooms were lovely with amazing views of the cityscape.

Every day our beds were made up and fresh water and a chocolate left for us; there were tea and coffee making facilities in the mezzanine and on request you could have a kettle in your room too. This hotel has got to be the trendiest hotel that I’ve ever stayed in! We stayed in a deluxe king FYI.

 

 

WHERE TO VISIT

 

PLACES TO SEE

• Times Square – Surreal and amazing.

• Top of the Rock – Great views of Manhattan.

• Central Park – The most beautiful park I’ve ever seen (& where Oliver proposed!)

• Highline – A disused tramline and great picture opportunities.

 

 

• Chelsea Market – A brilliant indoor market for shopping

• 5th Avenue – Shops, shops and more shops!

• Grand Central – The most beautiful train station I have ever seen.

• Public Library – The most beautiful library I have ever seen.

• Wall Street – The financial district (featured in many films!).

• 911 memorial – No words can describe this.

• Brooklyn Bridge – An amazing sight and walk across both day and night.

• Brooklyn Heights – Great views and stunning houses.

 

 

Phew! I really hope that you find this blog post useful/interesting. I would love to hear if you go to New York and where you end up eating so don’t forget to comment below or get in contact through my social media (just search for nicsnutrition)! Have a great week. Nic x

 

 

 

 

P.S. If you have any more questions about eating in New York just let me know!