Over the past four years, there have been many times when I have just wanted to get off campus for a good, healthy bite to eat. Sometimes, you just need a place where you know the ingredients are organic, fresh, and wholesome. That’s not to say that I don’t love the Bison, Caf, and other Dining Services venues. But every now and then, I want to venture outside the Bucknell bubble to cleanse my palate with a nutritious meal.
But where does one go for a healthy meal in or around Lewisburg? That’s the difficult question. Below are some recommendations of health-conscious restaurants and grocery stores in the general area:
Cherry Alley Café
I would put money on the fact that most of the Bucknell people reading this already know of Cherry Alley Café, but this neighborhood gem has really healthy meal options. Cherry Alley has many vegetarian and vegan options such as tofu and tempeh wraps, grilled vegetable paninis, a tofu scramble, and a soymilk option for coffee. Cherry Alley also embraces all the joys that Lewisburg has to offer such as local musicians on Friday and Saturday nights and Lewisburg artists’ artwork on restaurant’s walls.
http://cherryalleycafe.weebly.com
Natural Food and Garden Store
The Natural Food and Garden Store, located down Route 45 near Ard’s, is a beacon of light among the overwhelming grocery stores near us like Weis and Wal-Mart. The Natural Food and Garden Store offers many different types of food and products from local and regional suppliers, such as artisan cheese, eloquently crafted fabric art, whole and sprouted baked goods (some are gluten-free), free-range and anti-biotic free chickens and eggs, seasonal produce, and more. If you are interested in purchasing organic groceries, this is the place for you!
http://naturalfoodandgarden.com
Emma’s Food For Life
Just down the road from Lewisburg in Selinsgrove is Emma’s Food For Life, a fabulous restaurant that provides the freshest seasonal ingredients from local and central Pennsylvanian farmers. Some of their dishes include Spanakopita, Falafel, Grilled Portabella Salad, a variety of Pita Pizzas, Grass-Fed Beef Burger, Black Bean Burrito, Mushroom Lasagna and more. All of the buns and bread are actually made in house, with spent grain used in their whole wheat breads to add more protein and fiber. If you’re looking for a place to eat local, in-season food, then Emma’s Food for Life is the place for you.
http://www.emmasfoodforlife.com/Home_Page.html
Sunflower Café
Located in the bustling metropolitan area of Williamsport, Sunflower Café if a completely gluten-free bakery and café that is well-known for its soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and baked goods (breads, cookies, pies, muffins, cakes, cupcakes, brownies, etc.) Many leave Sunflower Café amazed that the delicious food they just ate was actually all gluten free! This wonderful Williamsport gem also offers cooking classes to those individuals interested in learning how to make delicious gluten-free treats. Although it’s a 35-minute drive from campus, Sunflower Café is definitely worth the trip for a healthy, gluten-free meal or treat.
http://www.sunflowercafeandbakery.com
Fresh, healthy treats aren’t that few and far between here in Central, PA – you just have to know where to look. Try these sweet spots in the surrounding areas and I’ll bet you’ll be impressed.