Oahu Healthy Eats
After living in Oahu for nearly my entire life and traveling back and forth throughout my adulthood, I’ve seen the food scene drastically shift from high-fat local eats to a vast diversity of dining options including some healthy joints. Here are my top 10 favorite spots in Oahu to grab a healthy bite to eat if you are traveling to the islands and still want to nom nourishing food, Hawaiian Style. Below, you can find more in-depth details of my experiences and suggestions from each spot.
TOP 10 HEALTHY OAHU RECOMMENDATIONS
Leahi Health (grab and go) - vegan plates, tacos, bowls, smoothies, wellness shots
Beet Box Cafe (dine-in) - vegan brunch fare
Juicy Brew (grab and go) - vegan brunch on the weekends, quick bentos, etc
Umeke Market (grab and go) - vegan plate lunches, signature vegan korean chicken
Mahina + Suns (dine-in) - farm to table lunch and dinner service with vegan/vegetarian options
Kalapawai Cafe (dine-in) - pizzas, pastas, salads, and seafood full-service dinner
Kaimana Farm Cafe (brunch/lunch) - healthy Japanese food with vegan options
Peace Cafe (grab and go) - vegan Japanese food
Sprout (grab and go) - sandwiches with vegan options
Banan (grab and go) - banana-based soft serve
LEAHI HEALTH
Located in Kaimuki and Aina Haina, you’ll find a humble hole in the wall food establishment with a wooden shop sign perched in front titled “Leahi Health”. It’s easy to overlook if you pass it casually on the streets but I promise you won’t want to miss out on trying Leahi Health at least once. Only the locals really know about this spot and those who go here often are die hard fans who swear by Leahi’s deliciously nourishing and satisfying vegan offerings. At Leahi Health, you can order from their wide menu selection of smoothies, salad bowls, tacos, and plates. If you do decide to venture to Leahi, come on a Tuesday or a Saturday which is when you can get the best bang for your buck by ordering the taco special that comes with two of their famous vegan tacos and a large green smoothie.
I must admit that I have a special place in my heart for Leahi Health after working in the kitchen for 6 months. During my time working at Leahi however, I learned the fundamentals of vegan cooking and how food really is fuel for your body. The owner, Jason, brings fresh produce in everyday from local farms on island to the best of his ability so his customers can get the most nutrients from their food and drinks. Another characteristic that I would like to highlight about Leahi Health is they make almost all their ingredients such as their refreshing kombucha, almond butter, hummus, and all the addictive sauces in house despite having such a small interior kitchen.
My top food recommendations from Leahi Health are the Kale Tacos with added hummus (it’s made in house), the Surfer Bowl, and the Thai Crunch Salad. For drinks, the Poi Boy with almond butter (if you want a sweet treat), the King Green or the King Cure (if you’re hungover or need a boost of vitamins to accompany your unhealthy Hawaiian foodventures), the Morning Mana (if you need an energy boost), the Green Monster (a blend of almond milk with loads of greens, almond butter, apple bananas, and added supplements like maca).
Pro tips:
You can order ahead of time to save yourself some waiting time as the locations are usually packed with customers around lunch time.
You can ask to sub anything in their menu items out for something different. For example, I used to order the Baja Bowl but with the mock tuna instead of hummus as the protein and I also would swap the almond milk in the Green Monster for kombucha.
If you aren’t a fan of the naan bread or you’re simply trying to eat low carb, you can ask the workers to use red cabbage for your tacos instead!
Locations:
3441 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
820 W Hind Dr, Honolulu, HI 96821
2752 Woodlawn Dr, Honolulu, HI 96822
BEET BOX CAFE
There are two things you need before your visit to Beet Box Cafe in Kailua town or the North Shore: a fully charged phone for taking photos of their beautifully placed food and an empty stomach. The interior replicates a vintage beach cafe with wooden walls and local art pieces of the ocean hung up to deliver a true island environment. Once guests grab a menu, they’ll discover that the offerings here are as entrancing as the plating itself with an assortment of vibrantly colored bowls, burritos, and plates that can easily be mistaken as art pieces.
Although Beet Box Cafe isn’t nearly as popular as Cinnamon’s or Over Easy, it offers a healthy local brunch restaurant that will keep you feeling naturally energized and satiated for all your future Hawaii adventures. The menu is abundant with smoothies, acai bowls, freshly made juices, vegan baked goods, and savory or sweet breakfast and lunch options.
The Burrito Babe, a mess of sautéed veggies and tofu have savory sweet curry peanut sauce dancing with powerful flavors in your mouth that can easily be eaten in house or taken on the go to the beach. There’s the Hello Burger, inspired by Lionel Richie’s classic, is a vegan dream come true. Guests are startled at how similar the base resembles real meat but instead it is a combination of beets, mushrooms, onions, rice, walnuts, and spices.
Most who visit the Beet Box Cafe for the first time will wander through more than once to have the full experience. And when guests leave, they’ll only be left with the question of how food that looks this good and nourishes the body so well can taste as delectable as this too.
My top food recommendations here are the Burrito Babe, the Hello Burger, the Mayan Bowl, and the banana oat pancakes.
Locations:
66-437 Kamehameha Hwy Ste.104, Haleiwa, Hawaii 96712
46 Ho'olai Street, Ste A, Kailua, Hawaii 96734
JUICY BRew
Although I’ve only been lucky enough to try Juicy Brew once, I can tell you that this restaurant always sells out of their food, even on weekdays. The two owners are culinary masterminds who’s mission is to serve their community by promoting healthy eating through their delectable, beautifully plated plant-based food that will make you wonder, how is this all vegan? Some items I’ve seen on their brunch menu, which is their most notable, include tamales, loaded ulu fries, burgers, curries, wraps, noodles, bentos, and more. Every item at Juicy Brew is 100% vegan but even non herbivores are obsessed with this eatery for their creative food items and constantly rotating menu to keep their customers guessing.
3392 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
UMEKE MARKET
In the concrete jungle of Downtown Honolulu, it’s difficult to find healthy food options for busy office workers. Lo and behold, Umeke Market is here to the rescue. Upon first arriving at Umeke Market, the deli offerings may look a bit unusual to a non-vegan or vegetarian but I can assure you that every house-made entree in their hot trays will quickly make you forget about eating meat. When I interned for a summer in Downtown Honolulu, I visited Umeke Market once a week as a personal reward to myself and I would order their vegan korean chicken plate which uses vital wheat gluten instead of meat that still achieves a juicy, hearty texture full of savory umami flavor. Other noteworthy items at Umeke Market are their kalua jackfruit and cabbage, a spin-off from kalua pig and cabbage, the loaded potatoes with their signature cashew-based queso, as well as their Kalo Aina burger. Check out their daily menu item specials that are always freshly made in the mornings.
1001 Bishop St Ste 110, Honolulu, HI 96813
MAHINA + SUNS
At restaurants like Mahina + Suns, owned by locavore Ed Kenney, sourcing local ingredients for guests is the only way he knows how to serve. Even the chefs have changed their cooking philosophy under the tutelage of Kenney to a more sustainable practice in their food. Hundreds of guests who enter the trendy Surfjack Swimclub Hotel on Lewers street in Waikiki can expect responsibly sourced meals on their plates from executive chef Sean Priester.
Before you decide to visit Mahina + Suns, you will need a reservation to snag a table at this popular Waikiki hotspot. To find Mahina + Suns, enter through the Surfjack Swimclub Hotel on Lewers street and you won’t miss it. What I love about this restaurant is not only does the food catch your eye but the simplistic, island-esque interior that fits the theme of the hotel to really create a chic yet homey ambiance.
The first thing that caught my eye on the menu was a 12 grain salad tossed with shaved yellow and orange carrots, pickled mushrooms, pistachios and cucumbers topped off with seared white tuna. The other item that I tried was their pizza which rotates with different locally sourced ingredients.
412 Lewers St, Honolulu, HI 96815
Kalapawai Market
If you’ve ever been to Oahu and explored Kailua town, you’ve probably seen Kalapawai’s signature green painted buildings in the area. Most tourists are familiar with Kalapawai Market for their grab and go cafe with coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. When the 4:30pm hits and tired beach goers are leaving Kailua, I recommend you stay and enjoy the sunset then head over to Kalapawai for their full-service dinner menu.
Growing up on the east side, I always saw this little hole in the wall eatery yet never cared to try it out myself until today. After all, it's still in business after all these years so it must be good.
I was pleasantly surprised with everything I saw right off the get-go. The ambiance of the restaurant is comfortable with cute beach-inspired decorations hung on the wall and a wood furnishing. The seating is small and quaint which I prefer over large dining areas congested with noise and people. We came at a perfect time with only two other parties sitting indoors for the servers to cater to. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful as well so I give their customer service 5 stars! In lieu of the menu offerings, there was a great selection for guests of all dietary restrictions including myself, being vegetarian. We ordered the brussels sprouts, eggplant bruschetta, and the gnocchi for starters and I have to say that the bruschetta and gnocchi were phenomenal. The brussels sprouts didn't stand out in comparison to the other appetizers but still roasted to perfection. For entrees, we got a cup of their french onion soup which was so delicious, I wish we ordered more to take home! We also got the pumpkin ricotta mushroom flatbread pizza and the apple beet salad which ended up being the perfect amount of food for three people. To finish, we ordered their special cranberry apple crisp ala mode which caught me off guard. The top was hot with ice cream and granola then inside an ooey gooey brown sugar and cinnamon-flavored center of FRESH cranberries and apple slices.
I highly recommend coming here for date night or with friends to share tapas. Although I didn't partake in their wine menu (if I wasn't with my family, you already know I would've been on that), they have a wide selection on their drink menu that is worth checking out to pair with your meal. The top items from my experience were definitely their unique pumpkin pizza, the gnocchi, the eggplant bruschetta, and the french onion. The salad was mediocre and not worth the price but I've heard good things about their other salads so I guess this won't be my last time coming here. P.S. They have a case of delectable pastries and desserts including their famous salted chocolate chip cookie which you can order to your table ala mode style as well.
750 Kailua Road, Kailua, HI 96734
KAIMANA FARM CAFE
In Hawaii, the Japanese population is strong and the Japanese food reigns supreme for its authenticity and taste. Kaimana Farm Cafe is my favorite healthy brunch or lunch spot near town where you can grab a delicious hojicha latte and chow down on homestyle local Japanese food. This quaint and humble restaurant in Kapahulu menu consists of omelettes, fried rices, bentos, plate lunches, benedicts, steaks, and more. The staff are all Japanese and deliver their warm hospitality to every customer, really making you feel like a guest. If you read the writing which can easily be mistaken as art or decoration, you’ll learn that all their produce is sourced from farms on the island and all their food aims to fuel you with natural organic ingredients.
The top items I recommend here are the souffle omelette, the power bento (choose 5 items out of their deli and be sure to get the potato croquette), the kale benedict, and the dijon chicken salad.
845 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
PEACE CAFE
You can find Japanese food practically everywhere in Oahu but Peace Cafe delivers an entirely plant-based menu while still paying homage to their culture. In McCully near Ala Moana, Peace Cafe is located on the corner of a large park with their adorable hand-painted store sign that you can’t miss. When you enter Peace Cafe, the decorations and wall art emit positive natural energy to match their delicious, refreshing and vegan food offerings. The owners, a couple whom you will often find working the cash register and the kitchen simultaneously, share their warm hospitality and passion for plant-based eating.
My top recommendations are the tofu katsu, the poke bowl, the new Yogini, and my personal favorite is the Peace Sampler which comes with brown or black rice, hijiki, tofu scramble, yuzu carrot, cucumbers, tomatoes, mung beans, tofu poke & nori flakes, avocado, mixed greens, alfalfa sprouts, TVP, sesame kale, and their house-made dressing. If that’s not what you’d consider a mouth-watering nutrient-dense meal, you need to go and try this plate yourself.
2239 S. King St. Honolulu, HI 96826
SPROUT
There are many great sandwich spots on Oahu to try but my healthiest suggestion is Sprout, located in Kaimuki. Whenever my friends and I would go to the beach for the day, we would always stop by Sprout to pick up a fresh sandwich. Honestly, there’s nothing like eating Sprout’s fresh, veggie-loaded sandwiches on the beach to keep you feeling amazing all day. Their sandwiches are just the right size to keep you satisfied due to how the workers pack it with local vegetables galore. I highly recommend the Sproutwich (vegan) or The No Comply which is dressed with their outstanding macadamia nut pesto.
1154 Koko Head Ave, Honolulu HI 96816
BANAN
The true Hawaii foodie experience should always include shave ice but add Banan to the list if you’re looking for all-natural, one of a kind dessert to appease your sweet tooth cravings. Before nana nice cream became viral on the internet, there was Banan’s food truck on Monserrat serving their signature banana-based soft-serve. When you’re in the hot sun, you can easily get dehydrated from all the beaches, the hikes, and the high-fat foods, so why not eat something delicious that won’t leave you with a sugar crash? Banan offers a variety of natural toppings to add sweet and crunchy textures onto your soft-serve such as their famous mac nut honey butter, lilikoi jam, puffed quinoa, and fruits. As of recently, they also added shave ice to their list using only fruits for their syrups and no artificial flavors.
If you’re really trying to capture the best photo, you can also ask for yours in a papaya boat for an additional cost or even bring your own a papaya boat which they will fill up for you with your soft-serve choice.
Locations:
2301 Kalakaua Ave,Honolulu, HI 96815
609 Kailua Rd, Kailua, HI 96734
2161 Kalia Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815