Long Beach is a haven for healthy eating. With year-round growing seasons and proximity to local farms, fresh produce abounds.
Vibrant farmers’ markets offer organic fruits and veggies, while natural food stores stock nutrient-dense staples and specialty items.
Beyond cooking at home, plant-based cafes, conscious restaurants, and juice bars extend nutritious dining options.
Meal prepping with seasonal ingredients guarantees delicious grab-and-go lunches. In a city so steeped in an eco-friendly lifestyle and surrounded by the best California has to offer, embracing healthy eating in Long Beach brings endless possibilities, from the first morning smoothie to the last goodnight bite.
An Abundance of Fresh, Local Produce
One of the best parts of eating healthy in Long Beach is the abundance of fresh, locally-grown produce available.
Farmer’s Markets Offer Seasonal Bounty
Long Beach hosts a number of lively farmer’s markets throughout the week where you can find the freshest fruits and vegetables from local farms.
The markets offer organic produce like leafy greens, tomatoes, squash, apples, citrus, and more. They are also great spots to pick up fresh-baked bread, locally-made cheeses, salsa, and more.
Some farmer’s markets in Long Beach include:
- Downtown Long Beach Farmers’ Market – Every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine
- Belmont Shore Farmer’s Market – Every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine
Be sure to arrive early to get the best selection!
Farmer’s market pro tip: Bring a reusable shopping bag and small bills so vendors can easily make changes.
Local Grocery Stores Double Down on Fresh
Several grocery stores like Whole Foods and Pancho’s Market source much of their produce, meat, and dairy locally.
Shop their selections for excellent organic greens, seasonal fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised eggs and poultry, as well as grass-fed beef.
Local Specialty Stores Focus on Freshness
In addition to large grocery stores, keep an eye out for smaller specialty stores carrying the freshest and finest local foods.
Ole’s Family Farms shop, for example, sells fresh eggs, seasonal fruits and vegetables, honey, and shelled nuts sourced directly from their family farm in central California.
The Nut House offers farm-fresh nuts and gourmet nut butter, while Primal Pastures is a butcher entirely dedicated to locally-raised, pasture-fed meats unrivaled in freshness and quality.
Health-Conscious Restaurants in Long Beach
From plant-based cafes to juice bars to restaurants offering locally sourced entrees, eating out while staying healthy is doable across Long Beach.
Healthy eating pro tip: When dining out, opt for grilled, steamed, roasted, or broiled dishes instead of those high in breading, fat, or heavy sauces. Ask for salad dressings and sauces on the side, too.
Fresh-pressed juices and Plant-Based Fare
For refreshingly healthy meals guaranteed to energize, try:
- Berlin Bistro – An organic, vegetarian café dishing up cold-pressed juices, smoothies, salads, grain bowls, sandwiches and more.
- The Green Fork – Specializing in organic, plant-based comfort foods free of gluten, grains and refined sugar. Their menu spans salads to burgers served alongside cold-pressed juices.
- Ambrosia Café – Offering nutrient-dense smoothies, fresh juices, bowls, and other vegetarian fare.
Restaurants Taking a Mindful Approach
Several restaurants are embracing the movement towards more nutritious, locally sourced dining options:
- Lola’s Mexican Cuisine highlights organic ingredients while staying true to tradition.
- Michael’s on Naples fine dining restaurant utilizes seasonal produce and responsibly raised proteins cooked to perfection.
- The Social List serves comfort foods like prime flat iron steak or herb-brined chicken breast using predominantly local ingredients.
For brunch, Swell Coffee Co. dishes up an utterly gluten-free menu alongside coffee, while The Breakfast Bar offers fresh-squeezed juices to pair with your meal.
Simple Ways to Eat Healthy in Long Beach
Adopting a healthy lifestyle in Long Beach is very doable, with farmer’s markets, specialty grocery stores, and conscious eateries just about everywhere. But healthy eating is also only an ingredients trip or meal prep session away.
Stock Up on Fruits, Veggies, and More
Fill your fridge and pantry with nutritious staples:
- Abundant fruits and vegetables, aiming for different colors as well as leafy greens
- Nutrient-rich ancient grains like quinoa, farro, or millet
- Legumes and lentils, including chickpeas, black beans, and peas
- Healthy fats and oils like avocado, olive, walnut, or flaxseed oil
- Fish and seafood, especially varieties high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon
- Nuts, seeds, and natural nut butter
- Herbs and spices to season dishes instead of excess oil or salt
Meal Prep Your Way to Health
Planning healthy meals and prepping ingredients in advance makes sticking to nutritious eating much more likely during busy weeks.
Meal prep idea: Grill or roast extra chicken breasts or wild salmon fillets on Sundays to quickly build salads or rice bowls to pack for grab-and-go lunches during the week.
Some simple yet satisfying meal prep recipes include:
- Hearty vegetable stir-fries with brown rice or quinoa
- Burrito fajita bowls with sautéed peppers and onions, black beans, grilled chicken and salsa
- Mason jar grain and greens salads to customize and shake up daily for lunch
- Healthy breakfast egg muffins with veggies and turkey bacon baked ahead
Discover New Nutritious Favorites
Finally, don’t be afraid to discover new-to-you healthy foods, ingredients, and recipes that soon become nutritious favorites to add to your everyday repertoire, like:
- Overnight oats – Soaking oats and mix-ins like fruit, yogurt, and nuts create a ready-made vitamin-packed breakfast.
- Vegetable noodles – Zucchini or squash noodles make lighter yet satisfying replacements for traditional pasta
- Chia seed pudding – Chia seeds plump up almond milk or coconut milk into a deliciously creamy, protein-rich dessert
- Cauliflower rice – Simply pulsing cauliflower florets creates a low-carb stand-in for regular rice to serve with stir-fries or curry dishes
In Long Beach, healthy eating does not need to be complicated or tedious. With so many nutritious restaurants, shops selling fresh produce from regional farms, and endless healthy recipes to try, embracing a feel-good lifestyle is completely doable…and delicious!
Conclusion
Long Beach makes it simple for residents and visitors alike to embrace healthy eating. From vibrant farmer’s markets offering just-picked local produce to restaurants focused on nutritious, responsibly sourced food, it is possible to eat well across the city.
Stocking up on natural staples at local stores and taking a mindful meal prep approach at home makes maintaining a balanced diet easy, too.
With endless healthy dining possibilities all over Long Beach, you no longer need to sacrifice taste for nutritious fuel!
