FoodNutrition

The 14 healthy restaurants you need to try in New York City this fall

A round-up of healthy restaurants and cafes to eat in New York City, all either newly opened or starring an innovative fall menu.

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Photo: The Poke Spot
Published Oct 20, 2016

Written by 

Emily Laurence

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

With thousands upon thousands of restaurants in New York City, deciding where to eat on any given day can feel weirdly complex—especially because the dining options here tend to change by the second.

Consider this list of the best new healthy restaurants (as well as some beloved standbys refreshing their menus big-time this fall) your lifeline.

Whether you’re looking for a brunch spot, a dinner destination, or somewhere to score seriously delish takeout on your lunch break, it’s all here.

These are the 14 best healthy restaurants to eat at in New York City right now—bookmark it now so you’ll be that friend who always knows where to go.

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Photo: Instagram/@ladybird_nyc

Ladybird

After crafting a mouthwatering menu for the vegan hotspot Mother of Pearl—kalua jackfruit and dragon fried rice FTW!—chef Daphne Cheng poured her energy into Ladybird, a vegan tapas bar owned by restauranteur Ravi DeRossi of Bourgeois Pig fame. (It’s actually in the former Bourgeois Pig space on MacDougal.) Standouts include baby beets (with blood orange jelly and lemon ricotta, obvi), vegetable charcuterie (with smoked carrot, mushroom pate, beet chorizo, fig compote, and roasted grape), and smoked cauliflower (with grape relish, honeydew, and miso butter). Really, there isn’t a single dish on the menu that’s not exquisitely crafted.

Ladybird, 127 MacDougal St., New York, NY 10012, 212-475-2246, ladybirdny.com

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Photo: Instagram/@modernlovebrooklyn

Modern Love Brooklyn

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a household name in the plant-based food world—if you’re vegan, there’s a good chance you’ve at least flipped through one of her best-selling cookbooks—and her long-awaited Modern Love Brooklyn is finally open in Williamsburg, serving up “swanky vegan comfort food.” The most Instagrammable dish on the menu? The brussels and shiitake bacon, which, with its edible flowers, tastes even better than it looks.

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Modern Love Brooklyn, 317 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, modernlovebrooklyn.com

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Photo: Victoria Morris

The Wild Son

The Wild Son opened this past summer as a healthy breakfast and lunch spot serving gluten-free buckwheat pancakes and drinking vinegars with activated charcoal. Now owners Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall—the duo behind The Wayland and Good Night Sonny—have rolled out a dinner menu that also offers plenty of delicious, deceptively simple dishes. Standouts include raw walnut pate with house cashew cheese and charred kale with vegan breadcrumbs.

The Wild Son, 53 Little W. 12th St., New York, NY 10014, 212-727-7900, thewildsonnyc.com

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Photo: The PokeSpot

The PokéSpot

It’s increasingly hard to stand out in the healthy fast-casual scene, but The PokéSpot has managed it—and it’s got the lunchtime crowds to prove it. On the menu? Signature bowls like the Spicy Salmon with masago, cucumber, and Sriracha aioli (you can get it on top of rice, zucchini noodles, or salad), as well as avocado boats—where the avocado basically becomes the bowl. Um, genius.

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The PokéSpot, 120 4th Ave., New York, NY 10003, 212-933-0971, pokespot.com

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Photo: Inday

Inday

Since opening last fall, Inday has established itself as a buzzy grab-and-go destination for health-conscious foodies—and its revamped menu for fall makes it clear why. In addition to two new base options (a squash trio of roasted acorn, delicata, and butternut squash with pumpkin seeds, as well as pink kelp noodles), the menu now includes an apple lentil curry and a sweet potato and purple carrot side. Spicy, comforting, and way more autumnal than a PSL.

Inday, 1133 Broadway, New York, NY 11010, 917-521-5015, indaynyc.com

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Photo: Instagram/@oca_nyc

OCA Positive Food

It’s a small spot, but what New York’s first Brazilian tapiocaria does, it does so well—from the decor to the food. Everything served is seasonal, organic, and locally sourced, meaning the menu changes every month. But the staple is the gluten-free Brazilian tapioca starch, used to create a crisp, flavorful crepe. It’s total perfection in dishes like the Egg ‘n’ Oca, (tapioca starch, farm eggs, parmesan cheese, oregano, and tomato)—and make sure to leave room for their strawberry cashew nut shake, a just-sweet-enough treat blended with OCA’s homemade alt-milk.

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OCA Positive Food,  250 Mott St., New York, NY 10012, 212-966-0622, ocastore.com

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Photo: Rouge Tomate Chelsea

Rouge Tomate Chelsea

Rouge Tomate’s new Chelsea location is your new date night go-to. Not only does the Michelin-starred restaurant have an extensive wine list, it also serves nutrient-dense plates like zucchini with quinoa, daikon, baby bok choy, and smoked onion, or chicken with sunflower seed “risotto” and leeks. A win for meat eaters, vegetarians, and wine lovers.

Rouge Tomate Chelsea, 126 W. 18th St., New York, NY 10011, 646-395-3978, rougetomatechelsea.com

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Photo: Farmer & The Fish

Farmer & The Fish

Do you really, truly know where your food comes from? Farmer & The Fish makes it easy, with more than three-quarters of the ingredients sourced directly from the restaurant’s farm in North Salem, New York. (The seafood is from founding partner Edward Taylor’s sustainable NYC-based company, Down East Seafood.) You can’t go wrong with the surf-and-turf offerings, but standouts include the farmer’s sushi (wild salmon, tuna, scarlet turnips, and African blue basil) or the Maine mussels (with Thai green curry broth and lemongrass).

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Farmer & The Fish, 245 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003, 646-998-5991, farmerandthefish.com

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Photo: Urban Vegan Kitchen

Urban Vegan Kitchen

Restaurateurs Pamela Elizabeth and David Tianga (who’ve been killing it with their Blossom Du Jour empire) definitely want diners to kick back, have fun, and stay a while. Need proof? See the just-opened Urban Vegan Kitchen. There’s a DJ who keeps things in party mode from brunch through dinner, all while guests nosh on cuisine like chickpea hush puppies, tacos, and Mexican street corn with chili lime aioli, and cilantro. Festive, fun, and tasty? Yes, please!

Urban Vegan Kitchen, 43 Carmine Street, New York, NY 10014, 646-438-9939, urbanvegankitchen.com

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Photo: ReViVer

ReViVer

Everything at ReViVer—which has one location in Columbus Circle and a new outpost in the Flatiron District—is guaranteed to be good for you, because this restaurant’s whole raison d’êtreis is turning out food backed by nutrition science. Each menu item has a nutrient score, is low in sugar, and was created with 10 key nutrients in mind (think vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and good-for-you fatty acids). The resulting menu is wide-ranging, including everything from apricot dijon chicken to mahi curry to—yes—burgers.

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ReViVer 934 8th Ave., New York, NY 10019, 917-475-1711 and 303 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010, 646-952-0014, revivernyc.com

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Photo: Instagram/@latinbeet

Latin Beet Kitchen

Latin Beet Kitchen takes the healthy fast-casual trend and applies it to South American food. Think zoodle bowls topped with crispy corn cancha and salsa criolla, or gluten-free arepas filled with avocado and asparagus, with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. And now the three-month-old Flatiron hotspot has rolled out a weekend brunch menu, where you can enjoy a spiked latte (made with pisco, cacao liquor, Devocion espresso, housemade cashew milk, and dates) alongside your egg-topped grain bowl.

Latin Beet Kitchen, 43 W. 24th St., New York, NY 10010, 212-929-1200, latinbeet.com

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Photo: Hu Kitchen

Hu Kitchen

Hu Kitchen is a healthy eating mainstay at this point, but its updated fall menu definitely offers something new. There’s Paleo-friendly cauliflower hummus (which is completely beanless), broccoli and “cheese” soup (with a homemade zucchini cheese), and organic chicken pot pie at the bowl station. Not like you needed an excuse to pick up one of their amazing chocolate bars….

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Hu Kitchen, 78 5th Ave., New York, NY 10011, 212-510-8919 and 1536 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10028, 212-335-2105, hukitchen.com

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Photo: Stephanie Munguia

Divya’s Kitchen

This new East Village restaurant is the very first to apply the ancient principles of Ayurvedic cooking to Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, and Asian cuisine. The result? Delicious, veggie-first dishes served with quinoa and whole grains. Plus, everything on the menu is paired with suggested teas, tonics, cold-pressed juices, or house-made herbal juices. Good for your doshaand your tastebuds.

Divya’s Kitchen, 25 1st St. New York, NY 10003, 212-477-4864, divyaskitchen.com

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Photo: Rayna Greenberg

Nix

No one takes brunch as seriously as New Yorkers and this fall the always-packed vegetarian restaurant Nix (which opened its doors earlier this year) is getting in on the game. The cashew yogurt topped with toasted coconut granola and berries is creamy and just sweet enough, while the Egg In The Hole is a seriously delicious way to enjoy your eggs and toast. As with dinner, reservations are strongly encouraged.

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Nix, 72 University Place, New York, NY 10003, 212-498-9393, nixny.com

Don’t have time to sit and linger? These are the best (healthy) cafes in NYC right now. And if you’d rather cook at home, all of these dinner recipes can be made in 15 minutes or less. 

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FoodNutrition

Looking for a Nutritionist? This Online Service Makes It Easier Than Ever to Work With an RD

Fay Nutrition is on a mission to make nutritionists more accessible to Americans. We tried out the service—here is our honest review.

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Published Jan 29, 2025

Written by 

Christina Manian, RD

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

As a registered dietitian (RD) with more than a decade of experience, I’ve worked in a range of healthcare settings over the years— from inpatient hospitals and outpatient clinics to private practices—and the one issue that continues to plague all of these establishments is lack of insurance coverage for nutrition consultation.

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While patients in a hospital can typically seek the counsel of an RD as part of their stay, many won’t be able to continue that care once they go home as insurance coverage in outpatient and private practice settings is hard to come by. If clients do have coverage, it’s often for a very limited amount of sessions (around two per year maximum) Given that proper nutrition is one of the primary ways to prevent several types of chronic diseases, working with a nutritionist on healthy eating habits is something that almost all adults could benefit from.

Thankfully, one company has made it their mission to address these long-standing issues for patients and nutrition professionals alike…and that company is Fay Nutrition. As an RD, I tested this online service to get firsthand insight into how it works, what it offers, and if it’s worth trying.

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What is Fay Nutrition?

Fay Nutrition is an online platform that connects board-certified registered dietitians/nutritionists (RDs and RDNs) to individuals through insurance-covered virtual or in-person appointments. It’s also the nation’s biggest and fastest-growing network of dietitians.

Fay was started by Sammy Faycurry, co-founder and CEO of Fay Nutrition. “Both my mom and sister are registered dietitians, and before starting at Harvard Business School, I was helping them with their private practice,” he said. “What I learned was that many dietitians struggled to accept insurance and open a private practice, yet so many people needed the help of an affordable, personal dietitian.”

Faycurry soon made it his mission to empower RDs and make medical nutrition therapy more affordable and accessible to Americans. “In America, over half of adults1 have one or more preventable conditions linked to eating patterns, but access to nutrition care has been gate-kept by prohibitively high costs and obstacles for dietitians to accept insurance,” he explained. The company aims to help millions of Americans live longer, healthier, and happier lives through the power of nutrition.

My Experience Using Fay Nutrition

A platform linking you to RDs that take your insurance certainly sounds alluring, but what is it actually like to use? Here’s how my test run went.

Given that I was trying the platform on a demo, I was given a special link with an accompanying payment method to use upon signing up. For at-home users, you’d sign up as you would for any other service, inputting your basic personal and payment information (for co-pays if you have any). You then enter your health insurance information. If you don’t have health insurance, your journey on the platform will end here as it hinges upon this prerequisite.

From there, it offered me a list of RDs to choose from based on my location, insurance company, and primary nutrition concern. With each listed RD, you can read a little bit about their philosophy and what areas of nutrition they specialize in.

The first RD I chose wasn’t actually available to see new clients—which was a little confusing, to be honest—but the next one I picked was. However, even though available for both virtual and in-person appointments, this next RD was located in Connecticut—a very long drive from my home in Colorado for an in-person session. If I hadn’t been looking for a virtual appointment, this would have required additional time and searching to find a Colorado-based RD.

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Thankfully, virtual worked for me, so I went with the Connecticut-based RD and was able to get an appointment within a week of booking, which is impressive given that many outpatient and private practice RDs are booked out for weeks (if not longer). Booking was simple and I received plenty of helpful email communication after the fact, sharing everything I needed to know before the appointment, as well as frequent appointment reminders. Logging into my appointment was just as simple—I clicked the Zoom link in the email and entered right into the meeting.

My RD was very competent with an impressive 25 years of experience working in a range of settings with a variety of patients. She did all the right things when it came to an initial consultation: inquiring about my medical history, family history, basic biometrics, typical eating patterns, activity level, and more. She then offered very sound nutrition advice (I opted to receive general nutrition information) that was catered to me, recommending balanced eating practices that included all the major food groups (in line with my dietary preferences) to provide the correct amount of macro- and micronutrients.

We also had a candid conversation about who I was and what I was up to. This RD had nothing but positive things to say about working with Fay as a long-time professional in the field. She explained how Fay took care of all the behind-the-scenes insurance work, freeing up RDs to see more clients and often landing patients several covered appointments. This has allowed her to have long-standing relationships with Fay clients, making an even bigger impact on their health through nutrition therapy.

She shared several Fay client success stories with me and assured me that she was being compensated competitively by the company—all things I love to hear as an RD who supports other RDs.

Final Thoughts

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Pros and Cons of Fay Nutrition

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use
  • Accessible, no matter your location
  • Works seamlessly with your insurance provider

Cons:

  • Fewer options for in-person appointments
  • Only accessible for those with insurance
Find a Nutritionist
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Overall, I think Fay Nutrition is providing a great service for both RDs and patients. Throughout my career, I’ve seen time and time again how problematic a lack of insurance coverage for nutrition services can be for those who need it.

Fay addresses this by doing the grunt work for users and dietitians—a middleman that serves both sides. This enables more Americans (with health insurance) to receive nutrition care, while also empowering RDs to build up their businesses. The company also has an extensive vetting process for new hires (according to the RD I spoke to), ensuring that only experienced and well-qualified providers are featured on the platform.

So if you’re seeking nutrition consultation and have health insurance, it’s more than worth logging onto Fay to see what your options are. It’s far quicker and less frustrating than calling your insurance company for coverage confirmation and then doing additional leg work to find covered RDs in your area.

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FoodNutrition

4 Easy Ways to Beef Up Your Cooking Skills—One Recipe at a Time

Leveling up your cooking skills can feel super intimidating. But if you can fry, sauté, or blend, you can make these recipes. Really.

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Photo: Becca Jacobs
Published Jan 27, 2025

Written by 

Emily Ziemski

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

Staring down the barrel of a brand-new cookbook can feel super intimidating (especially if you only purchased it because the cover was so! cute!). While it’s exciting to pick up a new cooking guide, it can often introduce you to new language and techniques that feel out of your wheelhouse, leading to a Schitt’s Creek-level cooking meltdown.

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So if you’ve ever felt out of your depth, let me tell you a secret: In culinary school, students dedicate literal weeks to learning just one thing. When I attended The Culinary Institute of America, I had a three-week course on cookies. Imagine: a full 15 business days to master the art of combining butter, sugar, and flour. But if you’re a home cook, you’re typically left to your own devices, making it difficult to take your skills to the next level when you’re not sure how much you’ve “mastered” in the first place.

So, to help you level up your cooking this year, I’ve tapped a few chef friends to create a set of simple recipes that play off the basics you already know. Love roasting vegetables in the oven? Great—here’s a crispy chickpea mix that’ll have dinner guests clamoring for the recipe. Do you make a daily smoothie? Use those prep skills to blend up a quick dairy-free pudding. Sautéing no longer making you cry? Elevate your work with a pesto orzotto that’ll become a new weeknight dinner staple.

From there, you can keep stepping up these basics until you’re the best home cook your kitchen has ever seen—no culinary degree required.

If you can fry an egg, you can make this dressing

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Photo: Getty Images/VeselovaElena

Fried Egg Dressing

From https://www.tiacarmendesertridge.com/
Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 5 minutesServings: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

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Steps:

  1. 1.
    In a medium-size skillet, add 2 ounces grapeseed oil and heat the pan on medium until hot.
  2. 2.
    Add the eggs one at a time, keeping them separate, adding garlic and thyme around the egg whites. Cook, sunny side up, using a metal spoon to coat the eggs with oil occasionally (aka basting), until eggs are set and the garlic is aromatic (meaning the whites are cooked through and the yolks are still runny). Season with salt.
  3. 3.
    Remove from the heat and place into a blender.
  4. 4.
    Add water, dijon mustard, cheese, and lemon juice to the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth.
  5. 5.
    Once the mixture is blended smoothly, slowly add the oil to create an emulsion with a steady drizzle while the blender is running on medium speed.
  6. 6.
    If you find that the dressing might look as if it’s breaking or separating, add a couple tablespoons of water and keep adding the oil until all the oil is absorbed by the dressing.
  7. 7.
    Turn off the blender and refrigerate and reserve for up to a week.

If you can roast in the oven, you can make this snack mix

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Photo: Getty Images/oksix

Protein-Packed Crispy Chickpea Snack Mix

From Emily Ziemski, Well+Good’s senior food editor
Prep Time: 7 minutesCook Time: 22 minutesServings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

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Steps:

  1. 1.
    Heat the oven to 425°F
  2. 2.
    Prep the chickpeas by draining and rinsing. Place on a sheet tray. (Or two, if you need more room. You want each chickpea to have a little space). Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  3. 3.
    Place in the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
  4. 4.
    Remove carefully, then add olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning mix of your choice (I like something with a little balance, like Desert Dust, which has flavors of dates, paprika, AND garlic for a savory-sweet combo!). Shake sheet tray to thoroughly coat the chickpeas.
  5. 5.
    Return to the oven and roast for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
  6. 6.
    While the chickpeas are roasting, roughly chop the thyme.
  7. 7.
    Remove the chickpeas from the oven, let cool for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (pretzels, Cheez-its, thyme) together in a big bowl, and toss to combine. Make sure you let any extra oil drip into the bowl, it’ll help the thyme stick! Store extras in an airtight bag or container for up to a week.

If you can sauté, you can make this skillet orzotto

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Photo: Becca Jacobs

Skillet Pesto Orzotto

From recipe developer Becca Jacobs
Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 25 minutesServings: 6

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Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. 1.
    Add olive oil and diced onion to a skillet over medium heat and sauté for about 3 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. 2.
    Stir in the orzo, add the wine, and continue to stir to avoid any orzo sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  3. 3.
    When the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid for about 3 minutes, add 1 cup of the stock and continue to stir.
  4. 4.
    Add the next cup of stock when most of the liquid is absorbed.
  5. 5.
    Repeat with the remaining stock until it has all been absorbed. This process will take a total of around 15 minutes.
  6. 6.
    Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, and peas, cooking until the peas are warm. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto, then season with salt to taste.
  7. 7.
    Divide amongst bowls and serve with additional cheese on top.

If you can make a smoothie, you can make this pudding

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Photo: Becca Jacobs

Creamy Blender Chocolate Pudding

From recipe developer Becca Jacobs
Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 30 minutesServings: 6

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Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. 1.
    Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and run it at high speed until the mixture is uniformly dark brown and homogenous, about 5 minutes. Pause and scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor as needed.
  2. 2.
    Spoon the mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  3. 3.
    Serve with a pinch of flaky salt and an extra drizzle of olive oil on top.

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