The Healthy Food Cafe pops up with colorful decor and tropical plants.Photo by Julia Spalding
AS CERTIFIED Personal trainer Erica Bryant understands the value of good nutrition, having become interested in the subject while working in hospitals as a medical assistant and attending nursing school. “To me, healthy eating means nutrient richness,” she explains. “It’s something that provides you with the vitamins, minerals and proteins that your body needs.”
To that end, the U.S. Navy veteran prepares tasty and healthy meals at healthy food coffee along the lines of grilled Cajun shrimp tacos, bone broth, five-cheese quesadillas, and BBQ chicken flatbread pizza. She’s not shy about serving meat, poultry, and seafood, but almost everything on the menu also has a vegetarian alternative or vegan counterpart. “People really love our Asian grill bowls,” she says. “We don’t use oil to make them, just organic vegetables, and customers can choose their own protein.”
The cafe transitioned from a food-truck concept to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2015, but closed in 2020 due to flooding and ongoing repairs. Fortunately, Bryant was able to regroup and reopen in September on Stop 11 Road, just 2 miles west of its original space. “The response has been really good,” she says. “Our old regulars quickly found us at the new location, and we added new regulars who didn’t know anything about us before.”
The Healthy Food Cafe also houses a full bakery and serves a selection of cold-pressed juices and specialty organic coffees. Although the menu remains fairly consistent year-round, Bryant cooks up many specials to showcase seasonal ingredients – October’s “shake of the month”, for example, is a variation of sweet potato pie with protein powder, cinnamon and a choice of Le Lait. Gluten-free desserts, such as cheesecake and black bean brownies, make a sweet addition to any meal.
On the horizon, Bryant is working to find a way to restore breakfast hours and reinstate the 24-hour food pickup service she offered at her old location. She is also accepting donations for the healthy Thanksgiving meals she plans to provide to those in need. 1155 E. Stop 11 Rd., 317-476-2361
Comments are closed.