My True Love for True Food Kitchen Denver
I may have talked about True Food Kitchen once or twice but it's only because it's a must-go to when in Denver.
It's not just the food I love, it's the entire concept. The open kitchen, the ingredients on display, the natural decor. Everything ties together for one ultra-foodie experience, especially for the health conscious ones :).
Anti-Inflammatory
True Food Kitchen is founded on the anti-inflammatory diet, now I'm not one for "diets". If you look at the foods in this menu they are all just nutrient-rich, mostly plant-based foods. True Food Kitchen uses ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and are found in other health-promoting "diets" like the Mediterranean and DASH diets.
The lowdown on Inflammation
Inflammation is a bodily process that happens when we get injured. There are 2 key fatty acids involved at play. The first is omega-6 and the second is omega-3. Both of these fatty acids actually compete in our bodies for the same enzyme. If we over-do omega-6, then omega-3 doesn't get a chance. This can be problematic, because omega-6 is pro-inflammatory. This isn't an issue unless it's TOO much. In the Standard American Diet (SAD) we do get too much omega-6.
Including more omega-3 rich foods in our diets helps tip that balance to a healthier ratio. Since we are still exploring the human genome and how nutrition plays a role (aka nutrigenomics) we can't determine exactly what specific needs are for individuals. But we can make a general statement that omega-3 fatty acids are good for us and a healthy eating pattern includes lots of omega-3 rich foods.
The Menu:
So now let's talk about their menu! One of my favorite parts of their menu is that almost every menu item includes 2-3 different vegetables. IF you see my weekly meal prep posts, you know I am all about the colorful plates. Including a variety of vegetables is key to a healthy eating pattern. The appetizers (which I have tried all but 2) and entrees all have wonderful vegetables and whole grains like farro, quinoa, and freekah.
The second best part of True Food Kitchen menu is that it is completely seasonal. So they rotate their menu based on what produce is in season. This is a common trend now in restaurants and for great reasons. Us humans leave an imprint on this earth. Even though we are small as individuals, we make a very big impact collectively. If you like earth (which I do!) then it's important to have a small carbon footprint. Our eating patterns are the easiest way to minimize that footprint. Eating seasonally, sustainably, and plant-based is how to do that.
One item that's rreally interesting is True Food's "Steelhead Salmon" which is actually trout! It looks and tastes so similar to salmon. It's also very rich in omega-3s so I always order an entree with the sustainable salmon.
They have other sustainably sources proteins too like chicken, shrimp, steak, seabass, albacore tuna. My vegan and vegetarian friends are in no short supply of menu options either! All of their Bowls are Vegan/Vegetarian friendly. They can turn any of their entrees into animal-free dish too if you just ask :)
I haven't tried any of their desserts yet because I am usually plenty satisfied with splitting an app and my entree. But I will be working with True Food Kitchen when their summer menu launches and will have to try one!
Have you been to True Food Kitchen yet? Any entree faves?! Let me know in the comments--I would love to hear your experiences dining at True Food Kitchen!