Now that the winter chill is in the air, it's time to trade salads for heartier options. Comfort food is synonymous with this time of year, and with that comes feelings of heaviness and overeating, which doesn't sound too attractive to those who prefer to eat healthy.
Thankfully, there are loads of places in Boston where you can both grab some straight up comfort food without sacrificing your health conscious clean living. Here are some of my favorite indulgent dishes at Boston's wealth of healthy eateries around the city.
1. Taco Toast at Mother Juice
Mother Juice has locations at Boston Public Market, Kendall Square, and Newbury Street, which means that no matter where you are in the city you aren't too far from great finds like this taco toast.
Made with avocado, walnut "taco meat," and drizzled with house made vegan queso, this is a perfect alternative to when you're craving that Chipotle bowl.
2. Chick'n and Waffles from Veggie Galaxy
Usually when people go vegan or vegetarian they assume that they won't be able to indulge in comfort foods like fried chicken or waffles. Thanks to Veggie Galaxy, however, you can have your chick'n and eat it too with this plate that illustrates how perfect sweet and savory can be.
Perfect for Sunday brunch, this Cambridge mainstay is the place to go for veganized diner classics. Whatever comfort food you're craving, Veggie Galaxy definitely has a vegetarian or vegan version of it.
3. Avocado Pesto Pasta from by Chloe
by Chloe is well loved by the vegan community in Boston and their drool-worthy menu made it pretty difficult to choose just one option to highlight.
That being said, their avocado pesto pasta is especially exciting since typical pesto is usually not vegetarian or vegan friendly. Having an affordable and easy option to indulge in pesto is pretty exciting, and besides who doesn't crave a heaping serving of pasta every once and awhile?
4. Sriracha Fried Egg Savory Bowl from Oat Shop
Having a nice warm bowl of oatmeal is a winter staple for many people who are trying to stay healthy in the colder months; why not enhance your typical bowl with one of the insanely imaginative creations from this Somerville shop?
Savory oatmeal may seem like a weird concept, but believe me it's delicious and a welcome change from your run of the mill banana, berry, or peanut butter mixins. For those who don't eat eggs, I'd highly recommend the Sweet Potato Coconut Curry savory bowl.
5. Impossible Meat Meatballs from Clover Food Lab
This Boston based fast food chain prides itself on its fresh sustainable vegetarian fare. With that in mind, it's not surprising that they have dozens of exciting choices for those who lean towards the vegetarian side of the spectrum.
One particularly exciting offering is their Impossible Meat meatball sandwich. Impossible Meat is known for its incredibly realistic meat texture and flavor, making this a great vegetarian alternative for your meatball cravings.
6. Lentil Mushroom Chili from Juicepress
There are few better things in the winter than a hot bowl of chili, and this one made by Juicepress is sure to please.
Filled with lentils and mushrooms, it's sure to keep you full without weighing you down on those cold winter days when you want a bit of comfort food without the food-baby feeling that usually comes with it.
7. Warm bowl from sweetgreen
sweetgreen is a perfect spot to grab lunch, their salads are filling yet light and you can easily make a customizable bowl filled with healthy and delicious offerings like roasted brussel sprouts and citrus shrimp.
The best part about these salads are that they're hearty enough so that you feel indulgent but every salad is packed with healthy ingredients that will keep you feeling your best.
8. Raw vegan pies from The Juicery
I don't know about you, but the holiday season makes me crave pie like it's nobody's business. Finding the raw vegan pies that The Juicery are offering gave me a somewhat healthier option for whenever that craving strikes.
With flavors like pecan and pumpkin it's easy to stay raw during the holidays while still indulging in seasonal favorites.
9. Noodle Salad from Bon Me
Bon Me is hands down my favorite food truck in Boston. I love how you can customize your choice of sandwich, rice bowl, noodle salad, or salad with healthy yet indulgent options like spicy asian chickpeas or miso glazed eggplant and black beans.
I think I crave Vietnamese food at least three times a week, and thanks to the fact that Vietnamese food is just chock full of vegetables and herbs no matter what you get I rarely feel bad when I do indulge in these cravings.
10. Coconut Curry Soup from Life Alive
Boston University should be especially excited for this offering since a new Life Alive location is set to open on Comm Ave in January. While the BU community may have lost Panera, it gained a great spot to grab a juice or hearty salad.
Most of Life Alive's menu isn't too indulgent, but this coconut curry soup seems like the perfect to tuck into after a long day walking up and down Comm Ave and is certain to be much more satisfying than your everyday salad.
11. Stir Fry or Salad from honeygrow
Relatively new to Boston, honeygrow offers a range of customizable stir fry, salad, and yogurt, as well as cold-pressed juices.
They have plenty of suggested stir-fry and salad options on their website, like red coconut curry stir-fry and the walnut st. noodle salad, but that doesn't mean you can't make your own delicious customized bowl.
I hope these spots will keep you feeling healthy, happy, and indulgent this winter. And for those really cold days, these healthy comfort foods are perfect for take-out and delivery.