It can be hard to find good comfort food when trying to live a plant-based lifestyle, especially when it comes to breakfast. This is largely because living this way encourages one to pay attention to the ramifications of any excess consumption. Part of it is because, well, most comfort food relies on some sort of meat. To this, Munchies Vegan Diner in Santa Ana, CA scoffs.
If there's one area of food we here at FOODBEAST have yet to fully explore, it's vegan food.
In an effort to become a bit more educated, we invited our friends Margarita and Natalia to show us the best spots for vegan food in Los Angeles.
Margarita and Natalia, a.k.a. "Las2winZ" are twin sisters and Spartan Race athletes. They also own their own gym! Super legit. While we wish they could just be our full-time personal trainers, we learned a lot about eating vegan and general health as we trekked around Los Angeles for this vegan episode of Chomping Grounds.
First up is Sweetfin Poke. You might be thinking...isn’t poke made with fish? Sweetfin is actually one of the only poke spots in LA that offers vegan poke. We chowed down on their Miso Eggplant & Mushroom bowl with the twins after a workout.
Margarita & Natalia mentioned the hearty veggies in the bowl, along with the electrolytes in their go-to FITAID are perfect for restoring muscles after going hard at the gym.
Next on the list is Beelman’s in DTLA. Beelman’s has a cool and quirky bar vibe with an Asian twist. The twins’ favorite thing to eat here is the Viet-nom-nom Wrap. The star of the show in this dish is the vegan “citrus spare rib.” It’s crazy how this tastes just like meat!
Because even fitness gurus need to indulge time to time, Natalia and Margarita’s next spot on the list is Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Van Leeuwen invests a lot into their vegan ice cream, and use pricey but worth-it ingredients like coconut cream, cashews, cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar to make sure their treats are rich and creamy.
The twins were craving savory food again, so they took us to By Chloe in Silverlake for their signature Guac Burger. You can’t go wrong with fresh guac, right?! Pro tip from Natalia & Margarita: don’t forget the fries!
Last but not least, the twins showed us their favorite spot for a nice dinner before a night out with their friends – Boa Steakhouse. Surprisingly, this steakhouse has a pretty substantial vegan menu, making it the perfect spot to eat with other friends who might be meat-eaters.
Before arriving, the twins guzzled a PARTYAID to prepare for a fun night out.
Natalia & Margarita’s favorite here is the Nidi Bolognese. Boa starts with homemade vegan pasta, layers it with almond ricotta, wraps it up in a nice little bundle, and tops it all with their rich mushroom bolognese.
After lots of eating and hanging with the twins, it’s safe to say there really is some incredible vegan food out there. Thanks for showing us around, Natalia & Margarita! Kick butt at the Spartan Race next week!
Because we’re feeling extra generous, we’re giving you the chance to try LIFEAID for yourself! Just head to lifeaidbevco.com/foodbeast and get two cans of your choice for only 99¢.
We believe in 6 days of hard work and then a day of rest. We hope you enjoy your rest with family and friends. See you in 24 hours!
