Our Favorite Healthy Food Options in Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi isn’t exactly known as a health food mecca; in fact, our state as a whole doesn’t fare very well when it comes to being put on lists of healthiest cities. But that’s not to say we’re not trying! A number of residents have asked us about vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, organic, and/or pescetarian (a diet including fish and seafood but not meat) options in our city. We asked around and found two that rated highly with our staff: for grocery shopping it was Sprouts, and for a quick bite to eat you might want to try Yin Yang Fandango & The Tango Tea Room.

Shopping:

Sprouts Farmers Market

1440 Airline Road

Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sprouts Farmers Market is a big, bright, clean grocery store that describes itself as “a healthy grocery store offering fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices.” That doesn’t mean that everything in the store is appropriate for meatless or gluten-free shoppers, but if you have a special dietary need, chances are you’ll find what you need at Sprouts.

Sprouts Farmers Market doesn’t look any different from a typical neighborhood grocery store and has many of the same items – everything from basic staples and supplies to specialty items. There’s a full-service deli, meat and seafood counters, a wide variety of fresh baked goods, a beer and wine section, a great selection of cheeses, plus, of course, thousands of natural, organic and gluten-free items to choose from.

In addition to multiple self-serve bins filled with a nice variety of oats, beans, grains, etc., you’ll find colorful, heaping displays of fruits and vegetables, including some lesser-known varieties tough to find in your average grocery store.

In 2012, Sprouts was named the No. 1 'Hot Retailer' by Stores magazine, so you know they’re onto something!

Dining:

Yin Yang Fandango & The Tango Tea Room

505 S. Water St.

Open Mon., Tue., Thur., Fri. – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wed. until 9 p.m., Sat. until 7 p.m.

There’s a little bit of everything at Yin Yang Fandango & The Tango Tea Room: it’s a vegetarian and vegan restaurant; it’s an eclectic retail shop that sells hand-crafted art, decorative pieces, and jewelry. It’s a music venue and hangout with open mic poetry nights (where you can “BYOB”); it’s a tea room and a juice bar, too. Some people will be tempted to try it just to experience the atmosphere!

Yin Yang Fandango isn’t a place you’d take a new client or sit down to a big family-style dinner; it’s a quirky, lively, off-beat stop for those who don’t care for chain restaurants, who want to support local businesses, those looking for healthier dining options, and those who want to eat out but are somewhat limited by a special dietary need.