Stepping into SAMA Food for Balance is like an express trip to the west coast. The trendy white furniture mixed with exposed wood accents is unlike anything else in Atlanta. (And, of course, there are succulents displayed on every table.) However, it’s not just the interior of the café that inspires a Cali mindset- it’s also the organic and locally sourced food and attached meditation studio.
Breakfast (aka the best meal of the day)
Visit in the morning and you’ll find “brekkie bowls,” each of which has an açai smoothie, chia seed pudding, coconut yogurt, or almond crumble base. These are topped with goods like cashew cream, cacao nibs, peanut butter, and pomegranate seeds. And, because it is a #basic health café, there’s an extensive selection of freshly pressed juices and smoothies available too.
Drinks we love a latte
Despite these great breakfast options, the most unique aspect of the morning offerings might well be the lattes. This is because SAMA uses adaptogens, natural healing powders originally used in Chinese medicine to balance, reduce stress, and energize the body. For example, the popular Magic Sparkly Beast latte combines freshly made vanilla almond mylk (mylk denotes that the milk doesn’t come from animals), ginger, lemon, blue magik (blue-green algae), dates, and the adaptogens ashwagandha and maca. Ashwagandha reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, while maca inspires energy, boosts the immune system, and has a high level of calcium. If the addition of these super-healers isn’t enough to convince you to get the drink, the rainbow sprinkles on top are definitely reason enough!
Lunch Time!!
Come eleven o’clock, the lunch menu opens, which primarily consists of nourishing balance bowls. Customers can either make their own bowl, or pick from one of the tried and true combinations. Brown rice, cauliflower rice, or power grains are used as the base for the make-your-own bowls, and are then topped with proteins such as salmon and falafel. Additional sides such as avocado, sautéed kale, summer squash, and sweet potato are added and the whole thing is finished with an homemade dressing.
However, there is also something very unique about the pre-designed bowls- they are each based on a specific dosha. What in the world is that? Great question! Doshas are personality types that originate from ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine and represent a specific mixture of space, air, fire, water, and earthly qualities. There are three different doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and all humans are a mix of them all in varying proportions. Each dosha has foods that are especially well digested and effect the body in different ways, so ordering your dosha’s bowl ensures that you will be getting the foods that are the best for your body. And let’s be real, we all need all the help we can get…
Other Awesome Stuff
Although all of these food options are enough to convince any health foodie to check out SAMA, the café takes it one step further by offering free meditation classes once or twice daily in the adjacent meditation room. These classes allow customers to not only honor their body with great food, but also their mind. Make sure to check out the website to see the class times. Additionally, the café is also located right next to the Red Hot Yoga studio, making the whole trip a true wellness adventure! Just be careful- SAMA isn’t open on Sundays (#relaxation).
No matter if you’re a wellness junkie looking to do yoga and meditation, or you simply want to experience some GREAT health food, SAMA Food for Balance is definitely the newest Atlanta destination worth checking out.