Healthy Eats: New Orleans

Two weeks ago Beachbody had their annual coach summit in New Orleans.  This is a destination known for their music, good food, and Cajun cuisine and ghost tours. While many coaches were excited to get down to NOLA and try the food I was a bit worried. Sticking to a Vegan eating plan while traveling is difficult, but I had a feeling it was going to be even more difficult in New Orleans!

I will start by saying I did find it a little frustrating at first to find a clean, vegan meal BUT with a little research New Orleans proved to have some great options for us. One tip I  have for healthy and vegan eaters is to PLAN AHEAD! I cannot stress that enough. After arriving at our hotel our first day we fell asleep due to the travel. By the time we made it out of the hotel to eat it was about 8 pm. We figured we would take a stroll around the French Quarter and find at least a salad somewhere....we were wrong. After walking up and down the street reading menus as well as being distracted a few times we finally ended up at the House of Blues. Although there wasn't a ton of salad options we decided it was suitable. When we walked up to the host to be seated we were informed that their kitchen was closed...it was 10 pm. Lesson learned, but at that point, we were hangry and were determined to do something about it. Luckily right across the street, we found a nice Mediterranean place called Attiki Bar and Grill. Not only was their kitchen open until 1:00 am but they also had a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options to choose from. We had a winner!! Thank you, Attiki for feeding two HANGRY Beachbody coaches.

These are our hangry faces

I might have gone a little crazy at that point and ordered a little TOO much food, but it was all delicious and such a good price! My friend and I decided to share several small plates which totally hit the spot. We decided to split the tabullah, falafel, and vegetarian grape leave rolls. On top of that, my friend got a vegetarian salad that she was very pleased with! 

So if you are looking for late night vegan and vegetarian options in NOLA, Attiki Bar is the place to go! They also have a nice little set up with a hookah experience if that is something you are into. I was just happy to have delicious food in my stomach!

The next morning after moving over to the Courtyard Marriot by the Convention Center so that we could attend our conference I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cafe in our lobby had some really good breakfast options. They had oatmeal with nuts and fruits, Acai bowls, and even more options for the vegetarians who eat dairy. Each morning I was more than satisfied eating my oatmeal with cut up banana, maple syrup, and walnuts. The staff also did an amazing job dealing with the influx of coaches that bombarded the cafe each morning after our group workouts. 

After the experience that we had the night before we decided to do a little research before heading out to lunch and found an awesome cafe with a ton of delicious vegan options right in the area of the convention center called Carmo. Not only was Carmo convenient with lots of options, it was ABSOLUTELY delicious! We actually went there 3 more times over the course of the weekend. At that time they had a soup special (I am sorry I forget what it was) that was the most amazing soup I have ever had in my life. I believe it was a chickpea base. 

Over the course of the next several days, I had a vegan sausage and rice special that I basically licked the plate for, 

The broken noodle salad bowl which was huge and I got to take home for a second meal, 

and the Veggie King sandwich made with vegan cheese and vegan mayo which was devoured.

Needless to say, I was extremely happy with the choices and taste of the food at Carmo. If you are in NOLA you should definitely check them out! 

With 20,000 coaches all over New Orleans, most of whom are healthy eaters it did get a bit frustrating, but overall there were so great places to go. After a late night conference, we were able to find veggie sushi with brown rice and an avocado salad at the restaurant in the Hyatt by the Superdome which I was satisfied with. Another late night menu option.

Before we left we got to visit one other vegan-friendly spot for brunch called Green Goddess.

Their menu was delicious with a ton of vegan options and a cute little location. Perfect for brunch!

I know that there were so many other amazing vegan-friendly restaurants that I could have hit up during my time in NOLA but with a jam packed conference weekend I was just happy to have stumbled upon these few that I have shared. I hope this is helpful for you if you are struggling to find food that fits your needs while traveling. Remember, google is your best friend!