Every other week, this column will review ways and places to eat healthy in D.C.
Where To Try
After a good workout, one of the most rewarding things you can do is get a delicious, healthy meal to satisfy your post-workout hunger. D.C. is a prime place to find great, healthy meals regardless of your taste. After trying Sweetgreen once, it’s easy to get obsessed. After a second time, it’s the only place you will want to eat. Sweetgreen offers seasonal specials, create-your-own items and a variety of year round favorites to choose from. Check out its menu and locations at its website for more information.
What To Try
ARIELLE WEG, THE EAGLE
During the summer time, Sweetgreen offers an incredible watermelon, feta and mint salad. The salad contains the obvious ingredients plus heirloom tomatoes, kale, arugula, mint, sunflower seeds, cucumbers and champagne vinaigrette. The kale and arugula base is fantastic and added a crisp bite to the salad, with just the right level of bitterness. The watermelon and feta combination, both locally produced, was incredible; It’s easily a match made in heaven. Sweetgreen provided a hearty helping of the salad, perfectly sufficient for a meal. This salad is highly recommended during summer time when watermelon is at its peak, but can be recreated with the make your own salad option.
ARIELLE WEG, THE EAGLE
One of the incredible year round salads that Sweetgreen offers is the Harvest Bowl. This salad includes organic wild brown rice, shredded kale, apples, sweet potatoes, toasted almonds, local goat cheese, roasted chicken and balsamic vinaigrette. The rice would seem to be heavy and starchy but actually had an incredible hearty, nutty flavor that mixed well with the bitter, leafy kale. The apples were crunchy and helped make the salad sweet and fresh. The goat cheese, locally produced, was fresh and creamy; it really pulled the salad together. The salad can be ordered with or without the chicken (as pictured), and is still incredibly tasteful and packed with protein!
Tips To Know
Sweetgreen offers light, medium or heavy dressing mixed into your salad. The medium choice seems to be the best option, adding just the right amount without overdoing it. Of course this depends on your taste, and you can always ask for it on the side. Sweetgreen also offers you bread to go with your salad. The bread is extremely hearty, whole grain bread and is a great addition to your meal – plus it’s free.
During the fall months, you can go in and ask for a sample of their soups. The organic lentil chickpea soup is hearty, and a bowl of it is easily a sufficient meal for a cold night after the gym.
Check out the menu online before you go because it can be overwhelming. They have seasonal additions and a create-your-own option, so knowing what you’re in for if it’s your first visit may help you make the best decision. Also, any salad can be altered, so if you want to make a salad vegetarian, feel free to ask for no chicken or substitute out anything you don’t like to make it unique.
