When eating out, there isn’t much hope for perfectly clean eating. However, when traveling recently to Las Vegas, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the eating spots I found. I personally have many eating out challenges as I like to eat vegetarian; prefer to eat gluten and dairy free; and I try to avoid corn, tomatoes, and other grains. Needless to say, some of these preferences go out of the window when traveling and I just eat as best as possible before and after to make up for it.
Here are some of the things I ate and places I enjoyed in Las Vegas:
Hecho on Vegas Mexican grill and cantina at MGM
We knew we would arrive late on a Thursday so we snacked on the plane. Once checking in, we headed to Hecho on Vegas Mexican grill and cantina. We enjoyed a large bowl of table side guacamole. It was very fresh, delicious, and perfectly crafted. The salsas were also very fresh and tasty and the tortilla chips were perfect. The tomatillo salsa was spicy but had a very good flavor. We ordered a tamale dish to split that came with a side of beans and rice. I snacked on the beans and rice with the guacamole and salsas. We also enjoyed a 24 oz house margarita.
The Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay
I first ate at the Burger Bar a few years back. I remember it being delicious so I wanted to give it another try. I was able to order a gluten free bun for my veggie burger. The veggie burger did have some dairy and gluten in it. However, I didn’t find it was a lot and it didn’t seem to bother me to much. No stomach ache! The waitress was very knowledgeable and asked if I had an allergy or preference. They also have gluten free fries that are cooked separately for celiac patrons. There were a variety of green smoothies that all looked very good. I was tempted to have one but figured it would be too much food. The burger was good and filling!
There is a fabulous juice bar connected to The Cosmopolitan. It is right next to The Chandelier bar which is absolutely beautiful. There are many clean and delicious items on this menu at the Juice Standard. We opted for a green Bee Resilient and a Be Cosmopolitan pink lemonade. We then sat under the chandelier to enjoy the view and our drinks. If you want a kick to your fresh juice, you can get fresh juice cocktails here. I wanted to try their chia pudding and fresh nut milk but was still too full from lunch.
Outside of the fashion mall there is a cold-pressed juice stand. The juices are 7.50 and have a great variety.
The waitress was very knowledgeable, answered all of my questions and guided me to the best choices. There were many vegetarian options but not all were GF. We started with a green bean salad that was seasoned with garlic and ginger and was the most delicious green beans I have ever eaten. I opted for a vegetable fried rice which she made GF for lunch. It was loaded with veggies and brown rice. My husband ordered a Pad Thai dish and Wondering Poet sake.
The best GF pizza I have ever eaten was at Pieology at the MGM. They use a pizza oven to make the crust crisp. Pizzas are made special order as you go down the line of ingredients and select what you would like. The pizzas are cooked in the oven and served hot in about 5 minutes.
Jamba Juice
There are several Jamba Juice locations on the strip. We had a Matcha kale smoothie that we shared for a snack made with matcha, banana, kale, dates, soymilk. It was really good and did not taste too sweet. Nutritional info wasn’t on the website for this smoothie.
Starbucks
I am not a huge fan of Starbucks. However, I have to give them a shout out because they gave me hot water every morning so I could make my own tea. I brought my own tulsi tea, collagen, stevia, and coconut powder to make my usual latte. They also have a new item called egg bites. They are made the French way and are like eating egg velvet. I enjoyed these in the morning. They do contain dairy.
If you’re not already following me, you can like & follow my Facebook page to see my updates and subscribe to the blog to receive an email when I post (NO spam EVER, promise!). I share many delicious recipes and articles on Facebook. Thanks for reading! I love to hear your stories and comments. Thanks for sharing!
Caroline Gilmore, RD, LDN, IFNCP 