We’re all finally starting to venture out again. Peeking out of our apartments, wondering if it’s safe to walk the streets, and doing the mental checklist of “I got my mask, right?” One thing we’re all ready for is a real meal that we don’t have to clean up after. With COVID swirling around, the demand for healthy restaurants in Brooklyn is more pressing than ever.

Looking for heart healthy restaurants in Brooklyn? You’re in luck. Brooklyn is packed with heart-healthy restaurants that layer on the flavor. In no particular order, here are the 8 best places in Brooklyn to grab a healthy lunch, a heart-hearty dinner, or a tantalizing mid-day snack.

1. Mirror Tea House – https://www.mirrorinthewoods.com/

Mirror Tea House was created to celebrate the “Now,” and couldn’t we all use a bit of celebrating at this moment in time? This Brooklyn tea house is committed to diversity, community and collaboration, and it shows in every cup and dish. Its vegetarian friendly menu offers plenty of dramatic tastes for both carnivores and plant-lovers alike, including Tofu and Mushroom Salad Bowl, Seafood Dipping Ramen, and heart-healthy Grilled Eel and Tofu Salad Bowl. Its impressive beverage selection showcases a wide assortment of teas, banana milk coffee, sparkling butterfly soda, and a wonder of other sipping pleasures that are way off the beaten path of the usual tea house fare.

Rated 4.5/5 stars on yelp –
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mirror-tea-house-brooklyn-2

2. Nurish – https://www.nurishbk.com/

If you’re looking for places to eat healthy in Brooklyn, don’t miss Nurish in Prospect Heights. This vegetarian cafe offers sustainable meat choices as well as vegan options to please everyone in your party. Nurish’s clean, healthy food options aren’t just delicious, they’re affordable, too. Grab an organic green juice or smoothie to go, or luxuriate over a leisurely brunch or all-day breakfast of acai bowls, organic salads, farm-raised chicken wraps, the infamous avocado toast or fun dishes with names like “Bragging Rights” and “Sittin’ Pretty.”

Rated 5/5 stars on Yelp – https://www.yelp.com/biz/nurish-brooklyn-2?osq=nurish

3. Modern Love Brooklyn –https://www.modernlovebrooklyn.com/

If you loved Modern Love before the pandemic, you’ll love them even more once you find out that they’ve been active in supporting their Williamsburg community and providing $2 meals to neighbors during the COVID pandemic. Modern Love’s menu turns traditional dishes like burgers and fried chicken into heart-healthy versions packed with flavor – Like the seitan bean burgers and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms transformed into fried “chicken.” Don’t forget to order the friend cauliflower “wings” and gluten-free blueberry cashew tofu cheesecake.

Rated 4.5/5 stars on Yelp – yelp.com/biz/modern-love-brooklyn-brooklyn-2?osq=Healthy+Restaurant

4. Greedi Kitchen – https://greedi-kitchen.com/

This fast-casual vegan restaurant pulls from the tastes of the American south as well as global cuisine, making the heart-healthy food at Greedi a culinary staycation with a passport. Seasonal, local and sustainable ingredients are combined in exciting new ways that might even covert carnivores into the heart-healthy vegan lifestyle. Don’t miss the Greedi Soul Bowl, portobello mushroom sliders, gluten-free pancakes with berries and coconut cream, and fried yucca or plantains.

Rates 4.5/5 stars on Yelp – https://www.yelp.com/biz/greedi-kitchen-brooklyn-5?osq=Healthy+Restaurant

5. The Whole Bowl – http://thewholebowl.com/brooklyn.html

The Whole Bowl’s tagline is “It’s like eating a hug.” Give your body a health-inducing hug with this Williamsburg staple’s bowl concept. All bowls are nut, gluten, wheat, hydrogenated oil and guilt free. Start with brown rice and add Tillamook cheddar, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, black olives, black and red beans, salsa and mysterious Tali sauce for a heart-healthy full-belly.

Rated 4.5/5 stars on Yelp –https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-whole-bowl-brooklyn

6. Bunna Cafe – https://www.bunnaethiopia.net/

The tastes of Africa converge on Brooklyn at Bunna Cafe, a plant-based Ethiopian restaurant on Flushing Avenue. Adapting like we all have had to do during the COVID pandemic, Bunna is packing its healthy Ethiopian feasts in a pizza box to go, with assembly instructions for your meal on their website – clever and considerate for those wondering how to enjoy a healthy Ethiopian feast at home. Bunna’s meals and feasts are perfect for feeding a family, as portions are laid out in numbers of servings. Authentic African dishes include Misir Wat, Kik Alicia, gomen, Shira and more.

Rated 4.5/5 stars on Yelp – https://www.yelp.com/biz/bunna-cafe-brooklyn?osq=bunna+cafe

7. Tofubox – http://tofuboxnyc.com/tofubox/EN/index.php

Combining traditional Chinese cooking techniques with all plant-based ingredients puts Tofubox on this list in a heart healthy way that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Vegan and gluten free comfort food from this fast-casual healthy eatery is sure to set your taste buds on fire without alarming your cardiologist. And just in time for a pandemic, Tofubox is also ridiculously affordable. Try the vegetable dumplings, steamed mini soup buns, and chili oil won tons for just $5. Don’t be fooled by descriptors like “beef” and “chicken” on the menu. It’s all plant-based versions of your furry and feathered favorites.

Rated 5/5 stars on Yelp –https://www.yelp.com/biz/tofubox-brooklyn?osq=tofubox

8. Loco Coco – https://www.loco-coco.com/

Loco Coco bills itself as vibrant vegan, with its delicious assortment of smoothies and smoothie bowls pouring out of its Dumbo location. Choose from bowls based on the pitaya fruit, acai, and other Loco Coco specialities including the Emerald City – with organic spinach, kale, banana, mango, ceremonial grade matcha tea, and almond milk.  Once you’ve chosen your base, then add toppings like granola, almonds, hemp seeds, goji berries, and more, until you’ve helped craft the superfood slam that’s a Carnivale for your taste buds.

Rated 4.5/5 stars on Yelp – https://www.yelp.com/biz/loco-coco-brooklyn-brooklyn-2?osq=coco+loco