How to eat well when travelling – Manly, NSW

If you are anything like me, I will choose a home cooked meal over uber eats any day. There is something more nourishing about have 100% control over the ingredients that make up your meal; less oil, less salt and more love.

I would be a hopeless business traveller, I think my body would go into complete shutdown mode by constantly eating out despite trying my hardest to make healthy choices. I am conscious that part of what drives my health is the fact I play a part in the making of it. I am a self-confessed food control freak.

Friends and family are always commenting that why would I eat out when I can cook the way that I do, I take this as a compliment. I value the importance of food grown and cooked with integrity and food that has a story. I value the cycle of food from plot to plate; I support biodynamic and organic practices and understand that food grown and produced in its natural state is better for me.

Are superfoods that super?

I am a sucker for a superfood, yep I have joined the bandwagon when it comes to the benefits of super greens, turmeric and super foods such as quinoa, maca powder and acai. I am also very aware of the ‘super food tax’ that sometimes appears on café menus but you know what, I’m OK with that. I want to eat the food that is most beneficial to me and if every now and then I pay a little more than I ideally like, then so be it – it’s all an investment in my long-term health. Pay now. Save later.

When I travel locally, interstate or overseas I do my research when it comes to finding cafes and restaurants that are going to feed me well and most importantly feed me quality plant-based vegan fare. This is not to say it’s not easy to find vegan food, it really is and anything can be adapted; even if you just end up with avocado on toast, eating a plant-based vegan diet is not hard.

Surf and Sand

On a recent long weekend trip to Sydney, I stayed in the tree-fringed suburb of Manly, a ferry ride across the harbour.  Manly is super relaxed with a 24/7 holiday vibe and with the surf and sand at your doorstep you can’t help but slow down, replace the high heels with flip flops and see bikinis as your new café wear. There are surf shops, running shops, pubs and cafes galore and here we enjoyed an amazing selection of food that restored faith that you can eat out and feel all the better for it.

We selected wisely over the course of our stay; choosing cafes & restaurants that had a story, an ethos that resinated with ours and were proud of the foods they served up happily promoting the source and benefits for both them as a business and us as the customer.

The normal vegan

It’s becoming more ‘normal’ for a plant-based vegan to be in a dilemma when looking at a menu because there is just so much to choose from and a stomach only so big to handle the food to be eaten. But this is the most satisfying part; we have choice.

Recommended cafes and restaurants in the wellness suburb of Manly

The Cook Room
5/49-53 North Steyne, Manly
thecookroommanly.com

Pure Wholefoods
5/10 Darley Road, Manly
purewholefoods.com.au

Hemingway’s Manly
48 North Steyne, Manly
hemingwaysmanly.com.au 

Market Lane Cafe
32 Market Lane, Manly
marketlanecafemanly.com

Bare Naked Bowls
Market Lane, Manly
barenakedbowls.com.au

Ruby Lane
Shops 1&2, 200 Pittwater Road, Manly
rubylane.com.au 

Ora
17B Whistler Street, Manly
oramanly.com.au 

Maestro & Co
50 East Esplanade, Manly
maestroandco.com.au

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