Amsterdam, love of my life. It’s full of hotspots, musea, parks and events and I just can’t get enough of it. A few months ago, the city got a new delightful place to be: SLA. And what’s in a name; they serve the most delicious nourishing salads, which are absolutely good for you and your happiness level. It seriously takes away my appetite when I see some girls being super proud of ‘having a tiny salad for lunch’. This will include a tomato, some lettuce, a bit of cucumber and a ridiculous amount of cheese or meat to camouflage all the greens. No, that’s not really ‘hashtag healthy’, babes.
SLA is exactly the place to be that knows how to make you feel satisfied and happy after your meal. Their menu is mostly plant based. They avoid refined sugars, saturated fats and pre-packed products: hooray! They also eliminate wheat and dairy, which makes it even more paleo and vegan friendly! You can even go for lunch with your carnivore hubby, as they offer extras such as lean chicken or a boiled egg.
The idea started off when the three friends Jop, Nina and Ida read the bestseller “De Voedselzandloper”. They had always been healthy foodies, but this book made them go even more conscious. All of the staff is trying to life a conscious lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean that nobody can enjoy a slice of decent, well-made pizza of course! It’s all about balance.
SLA is not only trying to seduce people with merely healthy food, but they also pay attention to local products, seasonal and organic fruit and veg. They don’t want to force you to be vegan or raw at all! That’s why their lovely menu is super flexible and you can choose between a popular recipe or create your own favourite salad!
Left is my bowl with baby spinach, roasted mushrooms, superseeds, sweet potato and right is my love the carnivore’s bowl. He loved it, I loved it and it fueled us for an entire round through the Rijksmuseum.
This place is hot hot hot and SLA is feeling the healthy vibe flowing around the city. They are coming up with many different projects and after their newest opening on the Zuidas, they are already thinking of a 4th store. And, good news for all of us workaholics: they are working on a delivery service! Ordering salad, raw cheesecakes and juices… this must be heaven.
The most important value that SLA tries to share, is to listen to your body and nourish it wisely. Everybody is different and so is every body. Whether you love a bit of organic fish, you live the raw vegan lifestyle or you simply love to experiment with healthy dishes: SLA is the place to be to enjoy your lunch or dinner with no forcing, but merely good food.
Finally, I asked Ida from SLA, what is the magic trick for your salad to be nourishing and satisfying? As I’ve seen that many people make a tiny salad which keeps them hungry and makes them compensate with a huge caramel bar after, this would be handy to know!
But before I go there; did I mention they have the BEST desserts ever? Yeah, even they are 200% health friendly. They serve raw vegan cheesecake, raw chocolate brownies and even dates! Raw food lovers; this is a dream. Add a yummie juice aside or a coffee from Boca and you are settled for a cosy lunch or dinner date!
“I think the most essential element of a salad, is to make it consist of a grain, seed or sprouts. Lentils and quinoa are so full of nutrients and make you feel full, so that you don’t stay hungry after your green meal. It’s also quite important to include a bit of every color on your plate, when picking your fruit and veg. That way, you can make sure to have as many different vitamins and minerals as possible in one single meal. And obviously, a rainbow on your plate does look so very appetizing, doesn’t it?” – Ida de Haart
THE PLACE TO BE
Ceintuurbaan 149 Amsterdam // Westerstraat 34 Amsterdam: Mo-Sun from 11am-9pm
Claude Debussylaan 35 Amsterdam: Mo-Fri from 8am-9pm
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© NRTHMG + © SLA: picture 5