Eating healthy is easy, you might think, when you have all the time in the world. Think of all the hours you could spend lovingly packing salads into mason jars for lunch and running your hands over farm-fresh veggies at farmers’ markets to pick ingredients for Michelin Star–worthy dinners. For most of us with a packed-to-the-rafters to-do list, by the time the stomach rumbles hit you around lunchtime, fast might be the biggest thing on your mind—not so much fresh. But a busy day is no excuse to break all your healthy eating habits (or, heaven forbid, sneak into the drive-thru for a greasy bag of sodium) now that you’ve made that New Year’s resolution to buckle down and eat better. Forget images of anemic, wilted kale salads for your on-the-go nutritious meal. This is Westport, with a cornucopia of healthy, speedy eateries on every corner. Then again, with food so good (and good for you) you might want to clear your schedule and stay for seconds.
Acqua
43 Main St., 203.222.8899
Acqua brings the fresh cuisine of the Mediterranean to bustling Main Street. Fast without sacrificing flavor, the express lunch menu offers two courses for $17 and three for $21. For appetizers, the butternut squash and ginger purée (above) will dance on your tongue. The earthy pistachio gremalata balances the bright zing of the ginger (known for its anti-inflammatory and stomach-soothing properties), and both are rounded out by a dollop of nutmeg crème fraîche. Acqua’s chopped salad with grilled chicken and feta and drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette makes for a tasty, waist-friendly lunch. Or try the cavatelli pasta (no, carbs are not evil) with dried cherry tomato. Topped off with fresh pesto made from nutrient-rich broccoli rabe, this dish, and Acqua’s other mouthwatering light fare, is sure to please both your diet and tastebuds.
Embody
545 Riverside Ave., 203.557.4144
Embody’s Almond Buzz is an ideal substitution for a sugar-bomb morning latte. Raw almond butter, chocolate protein, flax and milk (2 percent or almond for the dairy-free) are combined with dark roast coffee for a caffeinated kick, minus the sugar crash. Hungry? With twenty-five grams of lean protein, Jack’s Morning Protein Bowl (two egg whites, two whole organic eggs, nitrate-free turkey bacon and cheddar) is fuel to conquer the day. Take it light with a freshly tossed salads.
Organic Market
285 Post Road East, 203-227-9007
The steam table at Organic Market offers mouthwatering and healthy options for a quick lunch. The specials rotate daily and include stars like organic grass-fed beef kabobs, wild Alaskan salmon, roasted vegetables with quinoa and butternut squash with adzuki beans and kale. While you’re there, knock back a nutrient-packed shot of wheatgrass, vivid green and pressed fresh from the market’s industrial juicer. Other wholesome offerings at the deli include grab-and-go items like chicken salad wraps with sumac and veggie sandwiches with rich, creamy avocado.
Freshii
1 Main St., 203.222.3599
You can’t go wrong with any of Freshii’s selections—from bowls with wholesome brown rice or quinoa topped with your favorite protein (far left), lush salads, soul-warming soups (like chili and lemongrass) or wraps. When that three o’clock snack craving hits, you might want to consider a smoothie fix. The Banana Nut Crunch Smoothie tastes like a slice of fresh-baked banana bread. With low-fat yogurt blended with banana, walnuts and almonds and finished off with a sweet note of dates, you won’t believe this treat isn’t a decadent indulgence. Looking for something more substantial to tide you over until dinner? Grab a four-piece side order of falafel, toasty-warm, resting on a nest of cabbage, carrot and beet slaw and drizzled with tahini. A heft of cumin lends an earthy punch to the nuggets of goodness.