In this day and age, it seems everyone has either a food allergy or hard-to-accommodate-in-daily-life preference.  There are said to be 8 major food allergens: gluten, dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, nuts, fish and shellfish.  There are some people with ethical reasons for not eating many of these items (such as vegans).  Then there are the people who choose to eliminate some of them for health or digestive reasons- whether it is in an attempt to feel better on a daily basis or to cure a disease.  Then there are those that consuming some of these items is  the difference between life and death.  Now that is scary!

If we lived in caveman times, preventing negative reactions to these foods would be easily solved by eating at home every night…and day…and morning.   Not to mention, many of these allergies were nonexistent at that time.  However in this day and age, eating on the go at times seems to be a necessity and at other times an enjoyable pass time whether by yourself or with friends.

For the most part, restaurants will accommodate one or more of these food allergies but it is never guaranteed “safe”.  And, as a vegan with the need to be completely gluten free (I try!), my options at times are either the side salad with no dressing, croutons or cheese or the french fries. Bleh!  That is not a meal!

So other than your Tampa home, where does one go when they suffer from several or ALL of these allergens but need a fast meal?  ::drum roll please:: Viitals Gourmet Cafe.  (Yes, there are 2 i’s, although I haven’t asked why yet).  This little gem of a place has everything you need when looking to be healthy in a hurry.  Almost everything on their menu is considered to be a “complete meal”, with the adequate amount of calories comprised of the perfect fat, protein, carb/fiber breakdown to sustain the average person.

Their menu features everything from fair-trade, organic lattes and full meal smoothies (with the option to add vitamin and superfood boosts), to muffins and other baked goods made from scratch in their dedicated gluten-free bakery & sandwiches that can be served cold or pressed on their homemade artesian bread.  Oh, and I can’t forget about their non-alcoholic, electrolyte filled coconut water concoctions including the “Bloody Mary”, “Cosmopolitan”, “Blueberry Mojito” and “Mango Pina Colada”.  Happy hour has a new meaning & I am getting excited just sharing them with you!

I consider myself a food photo connoisseur (aren’t all vegans though??).  However when I recently visited Viitals to have the hot pressed “Unexpected” sandwich with the Mango Pina Colada, I didn’t have my fancy camera & had to revert back to caveman times by breaking out the old iPhone.  The food was amazing, despite the shabby photo above!

Anyways, if you are in South Tampa looking for a quick, healthy & allergen-free bite to eat, check out Viitals Cafe.  It is located on Dale Mabry just minutes away from the Smith & Associates Tampa Office.  If you’re feeling generous and decide to bring food back to share with us, I am sure no one would hate it!

Have you ever been to Viitals? What did you have and how did you like it?  Pictures or it didn’t happen!