Chicago is known for hot dogs, steaks and lots of sports, but we also have some awesome healthy trends, too. What? TONS of runners, fitness studios and new awesome healthy eating options popping up all over town.
As a member of Windy City Bloggers Collective, I had the opportunity to check out Fresha Place and Chicago’s first SoulCycle Studio. Fresha Place is “the Loop’s newest spot to enjoy the best tasting foods with a natural fusion of flavors in every bite.” All of their delicious, healthy meals are under 550 calories too. SoulCycle is New York’s celebrity spin location. They have “revolutionized indoor cycling and taken the world of fitness by storm.”
Stacy and I went to check out Fresha Place. It is a small, clean cafe with plenty of places to sit and a friendly staff. I met the owner, Paul Chaudury. They had a business in Geneva, IL and decided to move downtown to offer health lunch choices to Loop diners for under $10 and under 550 calories. He says what they offer is “not health food – but food for healthy foodies.” Yes, please!
The menu has wraps, quinoa bowls, salads and flatbreads. Susie was raving about the cilantro lime vinaigrette. She also said that the quinoa bowls had greens, so I got the Baja Quinoa with both dressings. Stacy got the Chicken Avocado Wrap. I loved the amount of greens and the mix of flavors in my Quinoa Bowl. It was fresh and nutritious. Susie was right, I loved the dressing! (The dressing like everything else is made fresh daily.) Stacy enjoyed her wrap, as well. We both want to come back to try the rest of the menu! Check out Fresha Place at 171 W Randolph and Instagram your meal for a chance to win one!
I tried SoulCycle in NYC once because my bestie, Kath, is a devotee. When they opened in Chicago, WCBC was invited in for a class. The class was filled with fun bloggers, great music and motivational words. There is no competition like in FlyWheel. There are definitely some interesting moves that take getting used to. It was a sweatfest – you felt like you got a workout for sure! One caveat – it is pretty pricy! $20 for first timers, but $30 for single classes. So check it out and see if it moves you and if it does, but a pack of passes to save a bit of dough.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a tasting luncheon for the launch of Jewel-Osco’s newest line of organic and all natural products – O Organics and Open Nature. The luncheon was at the flagship store on Des Plaines in the city. If you have not been, check it out. They have amazing, healthy options at super affordable prices.
The luncheon had an awesome spread of lunch items made with O Organics and Open Nature products. Their head chef came out to discuss the foods with us, too. There were not a ton of gluten free and dairy free options, but all of the items I did try were terrific. I especially loved the tomato soup and kale salad. They also said that they are launching a healthy, gluten free line soon, too! Check out more info on these great product lines on their blog HERE.
For other health options in Chicago, check out my Chicago Road Trip summer guide from last year at Abe’s Market.
Want to see what other people are trying on Tuesday? Check out the Tried It Tuesday link up at Lake Shore Runner!
Please note: I participated in these events and tested products at no cost in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
PS. Don’t forget my great giveaways happening now, too!