The Best Vegan Dishes and Drinks at by CHLOE
With menu items like pesto meatball hero, mac n' cheese, and quinoa taco salad, you don't have to be vegan to love the food at by CHLOE. As one of the fastest growing vegan fast-casual restaurants in the country and abroad, by Chloe's has 10 locations with seven in New York City alone. Their famous Guac Burger and Matcha Kelp Noodles have their most loyal fans and new customers keep coming back for more. Not convinced that a vegan diet is best for you? That's OK! by Chloe's menu takes the same flavors and foods you love in fast foods and transforms them into tasty, plant-based fare.
by Chloe: The Best Vegan Fast Food in Town
What's even better is by Chloe makes all of its menu items—including the sauces—from scratch in-house, and the ingredients are organic and locally sourced whenever possible. The entire menu is not only 100 percent plant-based, but certified kosher, too. And you can enjoy your meal knowing that all of the food is free of saturated animal fat, cholesterol, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
While by Chloe chooses not to disclose their nutritional information for their menu in stores or online, we talked to Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD and resident nutrition expert at Betches Media , to find out the best choices to order. After all, a burger is a burger, and cookies still have sugar at the end of the day, even vegan ones.
"by Chloe is a place I would send my clients to eat a balanced, wholesome meal while providing their body with adequate nutrition," Beckerman says. Even though Beckerman recommends by Chloe to many of her clients, not all of the options are exactly low in calories or carbs, which you may want to keep in mind if you're trying to lose weight.
Even so, filling up on all macronutrients and healthy fats is key to maintaining a healthy weight. "The meals, although may be calorically dense, are filled with clean, real healthy fats that keep us full and actually provides satiety to our taste buds and brains. By eating real foods, like avocado, nuts, and cashews, you will feel fuller longer and you will reap the heart-healthy benefits from these ingredients too," Beckerman notes.
With that said, we rounded up the best entree, sandwich, burger, smoothie, drinks, and dessert to help you make the most health-conscious choices at the vegan outpost.
Best Entree
"The Greek salad packs a large dose of immune-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants from the tomato and basil," Beckerman says. Even though the standard order is pretty healthy, you can make a few simple changes to improve the nutrition. "In order to take it to the next nutritional level, ask for kale as the base instead of Romaine. You can pack in more fiber and phytonutrients with kale to help you stay healthy and strong," Beckerman adds.
She also says the chickpeas are excellent sources of complex carbs, so you stay full long after you eat this meal. "Add a side of avocado to keep you even fuller longer all while reaping the nutritional benefits of potassium, which helps you maintain a healthy blood pressure," Beckerman says.
Best Sandwich/Burger
by Chloe's burgers are known as some of the best in the vegan foodie world, but if you're not looking to splurge on lunch, then one of the sandwiches is a better option. "The 'Burg BLT is the best choice if your eyes are set on the burgers or sandwiches. It has the simplest ingredients out of the available options and uses 7-grain toast, which is packed with B vitamins, iron and folate," Beckerman says. If you want to cut back on the calories, you can still enjoy the sandwich, but with one simple tweak. "I would recommend using half the bun (or toast). You can save 80 calories if you enjoy it open-faced, and you won't fill your belly with rapidly digesting carbohydrates that can cause fatigue and irritability," Beckerman says.
Best Side
While by Chloe's air-baked fries are a better choice (especially the sweet potatoes) than your average fast-food variety, it has another side that is the real star of the menu.
"The Kale Artichoke Dip has vitamin K from the kale, which helps maintain bone health and keeps your skin looking fresh. Plus, kale has the ability to help detox and cleanse your body by protecting and maintaining liver function. No need to juice to 'cleanse' your body when you can just protect your liver, your body's natural detoxifier, with an extra dose of kale," Beckerman says.
Best Smoothie
Although Beckerman advises against enjoying smoothies as meal replacements (since she says chewing food helps you absorb vitamins and minerals better) a smoothie can make a great afternoon snack or mid-morning pick-me-up.
"The Butterfly Effect smoothie will keep you full due to the staying power of chia and flax, which are both considered healthy fats. Chia and flax seeds are also packed with omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory and may help fend off heart disease and certain cancers," Beckerman says. The smoothie is a great go-to instead of that sugary latte you might reach for when the 3 p.m. slump hits. "It also fuels you with long-lasting energy thanks to the caffeine in the butterfly pea flower and the slow digesting banana and oat milk," Beckerman adds.
Best Drink
by Chloe has no shortage of healthy drink options such as kombucha, infused sparkling water, and cold brew iced coffee. For a caffeine boost, Beckerman recommends grabbing the Iced Matcha tea or drip coffee (with a side of the dairy-free 'half & half' made with cashew and almond cream). "Matcha contains catechins, which has cancer-fighting properties which makes it a healthy beverage choice. Remember not to add sweeteners like agave, honey, or coconut sugar to your matcha because it can increase calories more than you think," Beckerman notes. Other than matcha, Beckerman says the Health-Ade kombucha and sparkling waters are other good choices.
Out of the cold-pressed juices, The Junkie is one of the healthiest. "The cold-pressed juice is going to be filled with the most antioxidants coming from the kale, spinach, parsley, and lemon. The cucumber provides a boost of hydration which could help combat bloat, improve regularity, and keep your skin feeling plump. The Pull My Daisy shooter is also a good pick-me-up in the afternoon to help improve digestion and enhance immunity," Beckerman says.
Best Dessert
Sweets by Chloe is a separate bakery next to its West Village location in New York City, and its menu has a diverse selection of vegan sweets from cookies to cupcakes to ice cream. The chain restaurants also offer desserts, so if you want to indulge your sweet tooth, there are plenty of choices. "I would opt for the Matcha Coconut Push-Pop because the matcha provides a healthy dose of caffeine and a beneficial boost of antioxidants.
Plus, the fat in the coconut will keep you full. Half a cup is the recommended serving size, so you'll need to split this icy treat," Beckerman says. But if you prefer baked goods, your best bet is the Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pecan Cookie, which has healthy fats and fiber thanks to the pecans. Beckerman also advises splitting the cookie with a friend.
