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Move Over, Chipotle, Our New Fave Spot is Real AF.

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVA chapter.

One of my favorite movements on social media right now is the real food movement — the holistic view on health that food is more than just what you eat: it’s where it comes from, with emphasis on supporting local and sustainable sources. Not to mention, it’s about eating what makes you happy, with people that make you happy, not necessarily just eating what’s “right” or lowest in calories. After all, healthy is both a lifestyle and mentality, not simply an adjective. It’s staying real; true to yourself, true to your community, and true to your sources. (There’s even a Real Food Movement you can read more about to get involved in here.)

Well, the expanding casual chain Dig Inn is doing exactly that, and more. Currently, they have locations all over New York and Boston, and we hope more in the works. With their emphasis on community, they source the realest ingredients from local farmers, insuring the best quality and taste in their food. Their chefs prepare food from scratch, too — none of the preprocessed stuff (I’m looking at you, Chipotle).

Also, Dig Inn not only sources their ingredients from real farmers, they feature rotating, seasonally based menus that have relevant ingredients! Eating what’s in season is not only good for you, it is good for the planet and your wallet since the transportation costs are so much lower when you eat what’s available nearby. The market bowl options come in around $9 to $12, a price we can ALL respect for good quality food.

Let’s talk options:

At Dig Inn, you start by making your own bowl. You can easily satisfy your vegetable cravings with DELICIOUS options such as perfectly roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed broccoli with lemon, coconut roasted carrots, and so much more. Not feeling like veggies? No problem, Dig Inn has mac and cheese, and it’s some of the best in town, a claim I don’t make lightly. This three cheese blend is creamy and decadent. 

So yeah, I’ll take ALL the veggies, and more please. 

What more exactly, you may ask?

Well, since those are only some of the sides, let’s talk about protein. Dark meat chicken lover? Go for the charred chicken. White meat? Herb roasted chicken breast. Steak? Herb grilled steak. Fish? Salmon, a personal fave. Vegetarian or on a plant-based diet? Organic tofu. More? Meatballs. It’s all there. 

#SpoonTip: They also have breakfast options and coffee/tea/matcha at some of their locations, so it’s…literally…all…there.  

Needless to say, I’m a huge fan, and you’ll catch me here over Chipotle anytime, any day. It’s amazing to see companies making these little changes and choosing to make sustainable options available to their customers — helping to turn this movement into a revolution. And not only am I supporting my body and eating good food by doing it, I’m eating real food. And that’s pretty cool, if you ask me. 

#SpoonTip: Get the broccoli, sweet potatoes, and salmon. Flavors on POINT.