Continuing down the Pacific Coast, our next stop is Portland, Oregon! I’m lucky enough to call Portland home and couldn’t be more excited to share some of my favorite healthy hangouts with all of you!

Recently, Portland has come to be known as quite the food town, and a healthy food town at that. It is truly a locavore’s paradise (see video at the end of this post!), with almost all of the popular and trendy restaurants serving only local, organic dishes.  In addition to the booming restaurant scene, Portlanders have taken their food obsession to the streets in the form of dozens of food cart pods littered around the city.

When we’re not eating in Portland, we’re out enjoying the natural beauty that is the state of Oregon. With the majestic Cascade Mountain Range only a short drive away in one direction and the Pacific Coast in the other – not to mention the miles and miles of forests, trails, rivers and lakes in between – there is never a shortage of outdoor activities in the area!

Now that I’ve (hopefully) successfully sold you on a trip to Portland, check out our list of healthy restaurants to try while you’re there. Can’t make it to Oregon? Check out our other Healthy Living Guides for recommendations in your area!

Restaurants

	Vita Café 3023 Northeast Alberta Vita Café is a long time Portland favorite, serving mostly vegetarian and vegan food, along with some all-natural, hormone-free meats and eggs, since 1999. All ingredients are organic and locally sourced from the Northwest. Everything on the menu is delicious, and as a bonus, kids eat for a buck every day from 5 to 7 pm!
	Blossoming Lotus 1713 Northeast 15th This café specializes in Asian-inspired cuisine with a vegan or live food twist. They are located on the Willamette River in Portland’s Irvington District, and are open for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. All of the meals are nourishing and delicious, but we especially love the Live Pesto and Portobello Pizza!

You probably know how certain foods make you feel. The foods we choose, not only have an impact on our bodies but also on our environment.  Most people do not think about the energy and resources it takes to get the food to the table. Our food travels far and wide before it lands on our dinner table. This journey is referred to as food miles. The more distance the food covers the larger the impact on the environment. Think about it.

The cherries or corn you bought at your grocery store were not grown out back. They had to come from a farm hundreds or thousands of miles away. They probably traveled by truck or plane, which used fossil fuels. The same goes for meat. The corn that cows are fed require oil-based fertilizers. Before you buy meat, get to know where it came from. Get to know your local farmers or ranchers and look for meat that is grass-fed, certified organic and local, whenever possible. When food is locally produced and sold you cut energy use and leave a smaller impact on the environment.

Benefits of buying local food:

• tastes better
• supports local farm families
• promotes environmental sustainability
• fresher and contains less pesticide residue than regular produce

Check out more benefits on buying locally.