THE DISH
Hitting Reset A healthy start to a new year By Jyl Benson
18 ST. CHARLES AVENUE JANUARY 2020
Edamame Dumplings and Grilled Redfish Tacos at True Food Kitchen
PHOTO BY MIKE LIRETTE
I used to go on a clean eating binge at the start of every year, sickened from the excesses of the prior season while gearing up for the ultimate excess of Mardi Gras. I gave this up two years ago when I flipped the practice of a season of vegetable-forward eating to a daily one. I knocked off 20 pounds early on, have kept it off and look and feel exponentially better. I still enjoy small samples of gumbo and remain highly susceptible to the charms of fried chicken, but now I enjoy them more as they’re infrequent treats. Here are some of my favorite places to enjoy healthy dining options that never feel like a sacrifice. I love absolutely everything about True Food Kitchen, a bright, inspiring space located on the retail floor of The Julia in the Warehouse District that opened early last autumn. The healthconscious restaurant offers a menu of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options with a smattering of highquality protein-oriented selections. True Kitchen is heavy on Mediterranean and Asian flavors represented in a plethora of choices for breakfast, starters, salads, pizzas (both traditional and gluten-free) colorful bowls, burgers, sandwiches, entrées and inventive desserts. Dazzling plant- and vegetable-oriented art pops vividly off of a backdrop of natural wood and fiber surfaces and the kitchen uses seasonal, sustainable and organic ingredients that are locally sourced as much as possible. My recommendation for the “not to be missed dish” is the Edamame Dumplings with dashi, white truffle and Asian herbs. I could enjoy this every