12 Jul Need to Lose Weight, Go on a Diet, or Just Want to Stay Healthy? Here’s Where to Find Healthy Foods and Drinks in Cagayan de Oro
You think of fruits and vegetables when you think of health food. While this is true, there’s more to healthy foods than just plant based food. Actually, contrary to popular belief, our body needs all types of food from all the food groups (yes, even fats), so eating healthy also means eating a balanced diet. What becomes unhealthy is when we eat too much fatty or sugary foods and not balancing it out with fruits and vegetables. Many don’t like the concept of eating healthy because they don’t like the constant taste of just plant based foods. And that’s where you’re dead wrong because, as they say, if you can skin and cook pork a hundred ways, there are a thousand and one ways to cook veggies, and a thousand more to prep up fruits.
So whether you need to go on a diet for weight loss or you want to eat healthy to stay healthy, here are the places around Cagayan de Oro where you can buy healthy ingredients or dine out on healthy foods and drinks.
Gulp Juicery
Image Source | www.facebook.com/GulpJuicery
Located at the Grand Central Building along Hayes Street and Velez Street, this cool café originally opened to serve healthy juices and smoothies.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/GulpJuicery
Everything is prepared right in front of you. No preservatives are added. In reality, their veggie and fruity drinks and smoothies are delicious and definitely the calorie busters perfect after a workout.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/GulpJuicery
Eventually they leveled up to salads, sandwich meals, pasta dishes, rice meals, and ready-to-eat meals or ingredients sold in plastic pouches and sachets. They even opened an aisle store at SM City in upper Carmen. They now also sell healthy condiments, non-dairy milk, organic coffee, and chocolate drinks in bottles.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/GulpJuicery
The sweets they sell are refined sugar-free and gluten free. They are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. They are considered the only all-natural ingredient and all-around health food store in the city thus far. All their health foods are compatible with those with heart conditions or diabetic.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/MangoManiaCDO/
Any health food enthusiast will be drawn to this new health joint at the Lifestyle District on Corrales Avenue Extension (in front of Capitol University).
Image Source | www.facebook.com/MangoManiaCDO
However, while the main staple of their healthy food is mango, they serve other food and desserts using other fruits and vegetables.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/MangoManiaCDO
Uniquely open from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., they also serve up delicious drinks and smoothies with coconut, sago, fruits, and glutinous rice ingredients. Their pomelo and banana desserts are well worth it, and talking of price, they’re quite affordable.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/MangoManiaCDO/
If you want to indulge a bit (if it’s your cheat day), there are options to top off selected desserts with their homemade ice cream. And their newest addition is their French press coffee. Those with heart conditions, the elderly, and even diabetics swear to Mango Mania that all their ingredients are all-natural.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/Bigbys
People will probably be surprised that Bigby’s actually has healthy foods to their menu lineup. This most well-known name in the city when it comes to fine cuisines and meals actually serves up very healthy salads using only the freshest veggies and ingredients.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/Bigbys
Their Bermuda, Emperor Caesar’s Salad (with or without Chix), Tiki Wacky Chicken Salad, Zen High Salad, Mandarin Haystack Salad, and Southwest BBQ Fish Salad are all great veggie health alternatives.
Their Blossoming Spinach Dip is also a healthy alternative. For their smoothies, try their yellow or green mango varieties.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/Bigbys
They have locations at the ground floor of the SM City in upper Carmen and at the Ayala Centrio Mall.
Pengoo
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PengooCdeO
Supposedly a play between the words penguin and igloo, this place is actually a snow cream cooler open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PengooCdeO
They are located on the 2nd floor of the Divisoria Arcade (beside Dunkin Donuts).
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PengooCdeO
Though their snow creams are actually made from shaved ice cream that has less sugar than the commercial brands, the alternate here is to go for the healthy frozen yogurt that is almost sugar-free.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PengooCdeO
Pengoo is becoming a big hit with students because of the very affordable prices.
Kiwi Swirl
Image Source | www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwi-Swirl-Frozen-Yogurt
Another growing favorite with students at the corner of Velez Street and Justo Gaerlan Street, the place serves up surprisingly healthy foods.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwi-Swirl-Frozen-Yogurt
Their healthy alternatives include frozen yogurts, fruity smoothies, and healthy pasta dishes with tuna and mushroom instead of meat.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwi-Swirl-Frozen-Yogurt
They even have healthy frozen yogurt sandwiches.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwi-Swirl-Frozen-Yogurt
Image Source | www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwi-Swirl-Frozen-Yogurt
One factor that adheres it to its regular customers is that it is a bit distanced from the main Divisoria area so there isn’t that much noise even from passing vehicles (Gaerlan Street isn’t that busy, though Velez Street can be just a little bit).
Image Source | https://www.facebook.com/kenko.naicha
This teahouse isn’t just one of your run-of-the-mill teahouses that serve cheap milk tea imitations. They serve an Asian milk tea called Nai Cha that is always freshly brewed from fresh tea leaves with no artificial flavors or sweeteners added, so this is good news for health buffs in search of the elusive milk tea health alternative.
Image Source | https://www.facebook.com/kenko.naicha
In fact, customers can choose their “sweet” levels and so is a good healthy drink even for the elderly and diabetics. Their main branch is in Carmen, beside the SSS Building, with branches at the Ayala Centrio Mall, SM City, and at the Limketkai Center.
Plato Wraps
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PlatoWrapsOfficial
This aisle counter store at the SM City in upper Carmen serves meal sets wrapped in grilled flat bread, served hot and ready to eat.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PlatoWrapsOfficial
There are a variety of fillings to choose from but for the health conscious buffs the tuna wraps and vegetable fillings can keep those calories down.
Image Source | www.facebook.com/PlatoWrapsOfficial
They recently opened a full store on the 2nd floor of the Limketkai Center.
Aside from the above-mentioned health food places, health buffs who prepare their own food at home will be wise to visit the frozen vegetable and health food counters at the Rustan’s Supermarket (Ayala Centrio Mall), Shopwise Supermarket at the Limketkai Center, Puregold Supermarket at the crossroads of the C.M. Recto Highway and Agora Road, and any Savemore Supermarket around the city. Bon a petit!
No Comments