Top 10 Restaurants for Protein Bowls in AZ
Top 10 Restaurants for Protein Bowls in AZ
Finding ways to eat healthy can be a struggle with a busy schedule. While always having meal prepped food on hand is the best way to consistently eat healthy, we understand you are human and are going to need some more options every now and then.
A quick introduction on me, I currently hold two certifications in nutrition through the International Sports Science Association, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I have been a personal trainer for five years and bodybuilding for over six years. I have done two bodybuilding shows and qualified nationally in men’s physique in 2020. One of the biggest problems I have seen clients have is their lack of knowledge around how to find a good ratio of how much protein, carbs, and calories someone should have a day.
In this article, we are going to give you our top 10 healthy lunch spots to get some of the best protein bowls in the valley. Why did we choose protein bowls? Because protein bowls, like our meal prep foods, are some of the healthiest options you can choose from at restaurants. They are high in protein, low in refined carbs and sugars, and are whole foods.
1. Chop Shop: Chop shop is a great place for quality protein. What they do well here is their bowls. If you are going to order here, stick with the whole foods in the bowls and stay away from the sandwiches and burritos that are much higher in carbs and calories. Bowls here average from $9-$12 so they are actually on the cheaper side of the industry.
2. Flower Child: This is another great place if you are looking for healthy, whole foods. Not much here is all that bad for you as everything is gluten free and there are little to no refined sugars and deserts. At this location though, the protein bowls are going to be a lot more expensive when you are looking at up to $15+ for a bowl and extra meat (extra meat is an extra $5).
3. Protein House: As the name goes, this place is great for a lot of protein. Prices range widely from $12-$17 for a bowl. What is nice about it though is how much protein you get with each meal. The con of going here is being tempted with all of their other options from burgers, to pancakes, to shakes. Definitely not the best healthy place to eat at unless you know what you are ordering.
4. Modern Market: This place is great if you are looking for fresh meat or seafood in a bowl form. As the bowls are a bit smaller with less protein here, they are a bit cheaper. Starting from $6 for a tofu bowl, up to $14 for a tuna bowl, the prices range a lot. Again, the problem here is the amount of sugary deserts, waffles and pizza they serve here that can be very tempting.
5. Cava: Cava is a new restaurant that offers unique proteins bowls. This is not your basic chipotle style of food as their protein options are meatballs, lamb and falafels. Bowls here range from $10-$12 dollars or more depending on how much more meat you want to add ($2 for extra meat). Be careful here not to add too much extra sauce as this will bring you calories per meal up quickly.
6. Bowl of Greens: Like the name goes, Bowl of Greens is all about salad bowls. Similar to the Chipotle style of restaurants, these bowls range from $12-$17 and do not have as much protein in them per bowl, unless you ask for more. They have lots of other healthy options of whole foods as well. I would stay away from their wraps, deserts, and pita pizza if you are looking to lose weight.
7. Clean Eatz: These bowls are great and you can build them yourself. These prices range from $10-$12 per bowl. There are lots of other unhealthy food options here like snacks and nachos, flatbreads and burgers. What is nice is that you can build your own options here and no matter what you pick, you can air on the side of health and be more in control of your food.
8. Freshbox: This is another restaurant that allows you to choose what you want in your protein bowl. They are a bit more expensive with bowls ranging from $12-$17. You can easily add or subtract from any bowl you are buying which makes it easier to make the perfectly tasty and healthy bowl of your choice.
9. Wild Flower: As Wild Flower does not have protein bowls per say, they do have salads with protein in them. These prices are consistently at $13 per. Most of the menu here is sandwiches and foods that are high in refined carbs which is why we have them at the bottom of the list in terms of health. Not many high protein options here.
10. Tropical Cafe: This is on the bottom of the list as Nektar is more of a smoothie place than a place for quality protein and whole foods. They do offer protein bowls though, and add whey protein with an acai bowl for example. These bowls range from $9-$11 dollars and do not have as much nutrients as whole foods with lean meats, vegetables and potatoes or rice. For just a couple more dollars you can eat an actual meal, or for less money, have a whole meal shipped directly to you at Arizona Meal Preps.
