Eating Well in Los Angeles: A Guide to Healthy Eating and Farmers’ Markets
In an urban city where everyone’s always on the move, it’s so easy to grab a granola bar on the way into the office, rely on vending machine snacks for your working lunch, and swing by a fast food drive-through on the way home. While there’s nothing wrong with those choices, especially when you’re rushing, sticking to that routine on a daily basis isn’t great for your overall health. A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, according to World Health Organization. And it’s estimated that 80% of chronic disease can be prevented through a healthy diet and changing lifestyle habits. Choosing nutritious food more often will not only keep you healthy, but will fuel you up with energy to power you through your busy days.
In this blog, we’ll explore healthy eating options in Los Angeles, especially while you’re dining at the city’s hot restaurants and food trucks. We’ll also suggest easy changes you can start making to live a healthier lifestyle overall.
Eating Well in LA: It’s Not Just Green Juice
When you think of ‘healthy eating’ and ‘LA,’ you probably picture green juice, but it’s so much more than just that!
We all know there’s a vibrant food scene in Los Angeles from notable restaurants to must-try food trucks. Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to cook bland food at home all the time. You can still enjoy a juicy steak at a new restaurant or that hearty food truck burrito that’s all over Instagram; it’s all about choices, portions, and balance.
Los Angeles’ renowned for its diverse culinary landscape, from high-end restaurants to popular food trucks, and we’d never want to deprive you of trying the next best thing. So we have some mindful suggestions for you to consider for a more nutritious meal the next time you’re dining out.
How to make more nutritious choices while dining out
- Opt for a side of greens like a side salad, grilled or roasted veggies, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, collard greens…etc. This way, you’ll ensure you have your serving of vegetables for at least one meal of your day.
- Order a smaller portion, or eat only half your order to ensure you have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. You can always opt to share your dish with the person you’re dining with, too. If you’re eating family style, consider only taking one spoonful of each dish so you can try everything at least once instead of loading up a mountain of food on your plate all at once.
- Hydrate with water rather than a sugary soda. If you have trouble remembering to drink water during your day, an easy way to get your water intake is by incorporating at least one glass of water with every meal.
- Choose ‘grilled’ or ‘baked’ over ‘fried’ when there’s an option. Yes, we love a crispy piece of fried chicken, but if you had that yesterday, maybe try a grilled chicken today. Or opt for a baked potato over French fries.
- Don’t touch that salt shaker. Try to limit your sodium intake by avoiding excessive salt. Try savoring the natural flavors of your meal just as it is.
- Try fresh fruit for dessert. This can be super difficult, we know! But fruit is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ready to try these tips? Here are 10 restaurants you just have to try in Los Angeles. Looking for food trucks? Check out 5 of the best food trucks in Los Angeles.
While we hope you enjoy all the food LA has to offer, there are easy ways to incorporate more nutritious eating habits into your lifestyle when you’re not just dining out.
Farmers’ Markets: A Haven for Healthy Eaters
Your green juices and organic produce don’t have to cost an arm and a leg from Erewhon. While supermarkets are convenient, local farmers’ markets are great spots to pick up fresh produce, locally sourced meat, artisanal cheeses, and more. Sometimes your delicious finds will even make you want to cook at home more often for yourself and your loved ones.
By shopping at a farmers’ market, you’re not only accessing fresh ingredients, but you’re supporting local agriculture since farmers’ markets promote sustainable farming. It’s also a great way to get to know your LA community!
Farmers’ Markets in Los Angeles
- Historic Downtown Farmers’ Market: W. Fifth Street between S. Spring and S. Broadway.
- Echo Park Farmers’ Market: 1146 Logan St.
- Lincoln Heights Certified Farmers’ Market: 2800 N Broadway.
- Hollywood Farmers’ Market: 1600 Ivar Ave.
- Helen Albert Certified Farmers’ Market: 1200 N Vista St.
- Silver Lake Farmers’ Market: 1500 Griffith Park Blvd.
- Wellington Square Farmers’ Market: 4394 W Washington Blvd.
- The Original Farmers’ Market: 6333 W 3rd St.
- La Cienega Farmers’ Market: 1835 South La Cienega Blvd, Corner of 18th St. & S Holt Ave.
Looking for an apartment to rent in Los Angeles? Check out Urban LA Living’s available units here.
What are you waiting for? Put on some sunscreen and your favorite pair of shades and support your local farmers at your nearest farmers’ market. After you pick out all the market has to offer, enjoy some fresh fruit in the sunshine with some friends at the park. Here are three of the best parks in Los Angeles.
Shop Smart
If you’re unable to make it to local farmers’ markets, there are still ways to make healthier choices while grocery shopping. Here are a few tips on how to shop smart:
- Create shopping lists to avoid buying unnecessary items. This not only helps reduce food waste but also saves you money.
- Pay attention to the ingredients listed on packaged foods. Avoid items with excessive added sugars, artificial additives, or that are high in sodium.
- Buy what you need to avoid food waste and save money. While you may love seeing a fully-stocked fridge, it may not be feasible to store all that food if you won’t eat it before it goes bad.
- Try new recipes. Experimenting can introduce you to a wider variety of nutritious ingredients. Look for healthy recipes online and make it fun by cooking with loved ones or challenge yourself by trying a new recipe a week.
- Plan and prep your meals. If you’re a routine person, meal planning and prepping is a great time saver. You can prep frozen breakfast egg bites or wraps if you’re always running a bit behind after hitting snooze. Preparing your lunch the night before helps save you money from buying a lunch during your workday. Having everything you need to make a delicious homemade dinner is a relief after a long day.
If you have the space and are willing, consider growing your own vegetables or herbs. Urban gardening is so rewarding, and it can be done in small spaces, too!
In a large city like LA with all the yummy foods it has to offer, maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging, but you can have all the scrumptious delights you wish so long as you balance it out with more nutritious options. By taking advantage of the farmers’ markets around you and shopping smarter, you’ll fall into a more balanced and healthy lifestyle in no time. Nourishing yourself with wholesome foods is a lifelong commitment that’ll improve your wellbeing. Go explore the nutritious side of LA, and embark on a journey to a healthier you.
If you’re planning to move to Los Angeles or looking for a new place to call home, you can find Urban LA Living’s available rental units here
