Fresh Smoothie Bar is now eat'z

If you're a New York Sports Clubs member or pass it on a regular basis, you might have noticed that the previous juice bar next to it, Fresh has been replaced by a new healthy eatery called eat'z.  I walked by the other day and checked it out.  It's not too different from Fresh, I don't think, aside from its neutral (and more organic-looking decor)--the food is pretty much in line with your typical health food eatery with smoothies, yogurt, fruit, sandwiches, salads and such.

I grabbed a menu and wanted to give you a little taste of it here:

Breakfast: 7 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Turbo - Four egg whites, grilled chicken, organic spinach and alpine lace cheese...$4.59
Vegetable Harvest - Choose three: red onion, bell pepper, broccoli, organic spinach, mushroom or diced tomato with four egg whites...$4.59
Very Berry Chilled Oatmeal - Chilled oatmeal made with soy milk, blueberries, strawberries, banana and agave nectar...$3.99
Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie - A blend of strawberry, pineapple, banana, coconut, soy protein, non fat vanilla yogurt and soy milk topped with granola...$5.69

Healthy Sandwiches:
Tuna Garden - Organic mesculin, line-caught albacore tuna, carrots, broccoli, red onions and cucumbers...$6.59
Vegan - Organic spinach, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, sweet corn, grilled portobello mushrooms, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes...$6.59
Southwestern Chicken Cobb - Organic mesculin, cajun chicken, avocado, sweet corn, black beans, turkey bacon, diced tomatoes and shredded cheddar...$6.59

Healthy Chopped Salads:
Monterey - Organic mesculin, cajun chicken, sweet corn, avocado, black beans, diced tomato and cheddar cheese with a low-fat peppercorn ranch...$7.99
Mediterranean - Romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, cucumbers, red onion, tomato, kalamata olives and feta cheese with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar...$7.99
Asian Chop - Grilled organic tofu, organic spinach, romaine, edamame, orange slices, carrots, red onions and Chinese noodles with an Asian sesame ginger dressing...$7.99

Healthy Brown Rice Bowls (all served over brown rice):
Tofu Bowl - Brown rice, grilled organic tofu, avocado, chickpeas, sunflower seeds and diced tomatoes with Asian sesame ginger dressing...$7.99
Grilled Chicken Bowl - Brown rice, grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots and diced tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette...$7.99
Salmon Bowl - Brown rice, grilled salmon, edamame, diced tomatoes and cucumbers with Asian sesame ginger dressing...$8.99

Fruit Smoothies (16 oz. $4.69)
Mango Tropic - Blend of four varieties of mangoes with pineapple and banana
Lemon-ADE - Refreshing smooth lemon, with a kick
Awesome Acai - A super anti-oxidant blend of acai, blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate
Strawberry Reef - Strawberries and bananas blended with fresh squeezed orange juice

eat'z - 38-01 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.626.3737
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.eatz.com

Eat 'n Run is Now Open

2 weeks ago, I talked about Eat 'n Run, a new on-the-go, casual eatery that looked like it would open soon.  Well it did - it's now open every day from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. except on Sundays.  So even though this place isn't suitable for dinner, it's good for your daily needs such as a quickie breakfast (served all day) or lunch.  An enthusiastic reader of mine, Clayton graciously grabbed a menu and passed it along.  Here's a little sample, which boasts tons of healthful options.  Not sure why but it didn't include prices, so you'll have to inquire directly with Eat 'n Run.

Eat 'n Run - Sample of Menu

Breakfast (served all day)
Cereal - Cheerios, Raisin Bran Crunch, Special K, Oatmeal
Bagels - Plain, cinnamon-raisin, wheat, energy
Danish - Almond, apple, cheese
Muffins - Bran, corn, blueberry, pumpkin
Poached egg & cheese on toast (English muffin, fitness rye)

Lunch (served from 11 a.m. to close)

Soups:
Monday - Tuesday - Chicken noodle, lentil, potato leek
Wednesday - Thursday - Vegetable beef barley, split pea with ham, tomato rice
Friday - Lobster bisque, Manhattan clam chowder, chili meat & beans angus
Saturday - Chicken summer vegetable, chipotle sweet potato, minestrone

Sandwiches:
Turkey-Frutti - Turkey, granny smith apple, lettuce, mayo on dark fitness rye bread
Southwestern Turkey - Turkey, tomato, avocado, cheddar/Monterey Jack, parsley, dijon mayo on whole wheat grain baguette
Meatballs Marinara - Beef meatballs, marinara or barbecue sauce on baguette/sesame roll
Grilled Cheese & Tapenade Panini - Swiss/cheddar cheese, olive tapenade on whole grain bread
Open Face Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil - Tomato, mozzarella, pesto, fresh basil mayo on baguette
Herb Crusted Wild Salmon Burger - Herb-crusted wild salmon, tomato, lettuce on sesame roll

Salads:
Cole Slaw
Red Skin Potato Salad
Greek Pasta with Feta Salad
Carrot & Raisin Salad

Desserts:
Cupcakes - Mocha chocolate, coconut, vanilla
Pudding - Chocolate, tapioca
Kitchen Sink Cookie
Cookie Bars - Date, pecan, apricot, raspberry oatmeal

Eat 'n Run - 33rd Street & Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
718.204.2760
N/W Train to Astoria Blvd

5 Ways to Eat Healthy in Astoria

Now that the holidays are over, so are the indulgent meals.  Lots of people (including me!) are trying to eat lighter and healthier to get rid of those extra holiday layers.  Here are five suggestions to help you out, whether if you're eating out or staying in.  Enjoy them and as always, chime in with your tips.

Fresh, fulfilling salads - Although 30th Avenue isn't known for complicated cuisine, it has great staples such as Grand Cafe, Avenue Cafe and Pinocchio, which boast yummy fresh salads.  I particularly enjoy Avenue's tabouleh salad with tomatoes and grilled pita bread (pictured above) - it's fresh, juicy and healthful. 

Grand Cafe - 37-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.7321. 
Avenue Cafe - 35-27 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.278.6967
Pinocchio Palace - 32-02 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.932.4976

Savory, organic brunch - Sage General Store is my go-to place for quality food, especially brunch.  Their dishes always fill me up but never leave me over-stuffed.  I love that Sage's ingredients are organic, natural and locally sourced.  I recommend the ranchero buritto with scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, ham, tomatoes and cheese, with a side of mesculin salad.  Since this dish is large in portion, I'd eat half and take the rest home.

Sage General Store - 24-20 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City.  718.361.0707

Sushi with flava - Although I'm not a big sushi lover, I really enjoy Watawa on Ditmars and think it's a fantastic place to have a light meal.  Everything is wonderful and the portions are normal - not unncessarily oversized.  Try the soups, sushi or even their Japanese entrees such as the chicken or tofu teriyaki for you veggies.

Watawa - 33-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9596 

Cook a healthy meal at home - Astoria offers tons of eclectic food markets with fresh, healthy and inexpensive ingredients.  One of my produce favorites is the United Brothers Fruit market on 30th Avenue, where you can buy a full basket of various seasonal fruits and veggies for under $10--and I mean A LOT of stuff!  I particularly like their selection of fresh herbs.  

For fish, I hit up the Astoria Fishery Co on the corner of 31st Street and 23rd Avenue--prices are competitive and the quality of the fish is impressive. 

If I'm looking for ethnic ingredients such as Mediterranean foods, I like Titan Foods on 31st Street near Astoria Blvd.  Greek yogurt comes in many varieties, as well as phyllo dough, which you can get for under $4 per package.

United Brothers Fruit - 32-24 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.728.7011

Astoria Fishery Co - 22-78 31st Street, Astoria.  718.726.6390

Titan Foods - 25-56 31st Street, Astoria.  718.626.7771

Farm-to-table good-for-you food - Vesta is a personal favorite of mine, their ingredients coming from a nearby rooftop farm.  The food is delicious, interesting and very conducive to healthy eating.  My recommendations include a whole wheat thin crust pizza and any veggie dish such as a fresh salad of the day or the crispy brussel sprouts.

Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.545.5550