After December’s gluttonous gatherings, many of us make New Year’s resolutions in an attempt to renew the body and spirit... and now that 2016 is well under way, it’s time to keep those promises. Get back in shape with our handy guide – featuring some of Budapest’s healthiest eateries, refreshing juice bars, organic hotspots, and perfect places to exercise – so that you can stay fit all year round.
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Eat nutritious food
Ultra-healthy eateries keep sprouting up like mushrooms all over the city, offering an ever-increasing selection of guilt-free hangouts to anyone following special diets or who wants to maintain a fit lifestyle. For nourishing meals and fresh salad concoctions, visit Fruccola on Kristóf Square, located just a few steps from the famous shopping lane of Váci Street – here you can get imaginative combinations of delicious vitamin bombs, including varied veggies, fat-free meats, and succulent seafood. Legelő Salad Bar on Dob Street is a slightly more pricey option compared with the size of the portions (here you can also mix and match your meal), but the crunchy ingredients are worth popping in for. Meanwhile, the two locations of Napfényes Restaurant in central Pest offer nutritious vegetarian and vegan delights served at your table, along with an assorted pastry and dessert selection.
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Drink juices and smoothies
Boost your energy on the go by picking up delicious juices and smoothies at any of the many liquid-health temples scattered around town. Juicy on Dob Street is a heavenly nook offering creative fruit-and-vegetable-based immune-system boosters, like the Endless Summer (made of orange, pomegranate, and ginger), or the Tropical Sunrise (made of orange, pineapple, mango, and mint). Health consciousness walks hand-in-hand with eco-friendliness at TüTü, a luscious liquid bar found in District XIII; here guests can order freshly squeezed energy shots (as well as organic coffee specialties), and liquefied elixirs poured into reused bottles. Urban dwellers roaming around District IX can cleanse in Mahung, a bio pub and gastro juice bar serving soothing blends of detoxifying nectars, where raspberry mixes well with horseradish and basil.
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Swim at indoor pools
The city’s splendid spas and many of its public swimming pools are open throughout the year to provide bouyant exercise to anyone who prefers aquatic workouts. Several professional multiple-lane pools are found at in Budapest’s District II, at the located on , and at in Buda’s District XII. Found within , features indoor and outdoor thermal-water pools that are perfect for sweltering soaks after swimming around. Meanwhile, on the Buda side of a 20-meter-long lap pool awaits aquanauts in the recently refurbished , where a new rooftop pool boasts a breathtaking panorama over Pest’s skyline all year long.
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Buy organic food and products
A growing number of health-food shops are popping up citywide, proffering nourishing natural foodstuffs free of peculiar preservatives and odd additives. Every Saturday morning, many Budapest expats and local residents flock to Csörsz Street near MOM Park to grab a basketful of seasonal produce at the city’s most extensive . The alfresco marketplace is filled with farm-fresh goods, including top-quality meats, seasonal fruits and veggies, delicious baked goods, and many mouthwatering dishes that are cooked on the spot. On weekdays and on Saturdays, several shops in Budapest’s inner districts cater to those who are looking for body-friendly food: Bio ABC on Múzeum Boulevard is a long-established organic store loaded with all kinds of nature-made merchandise, while Kertész Street in District VII now hosts the new Born 2 Bio organic shop and café offering a sizeable stock for people with special diets, like plant-based creams, humanely made dairy products, bio breads, palatable pastries, and organic coffee, alongside plenty of environment-friendly household cleaning supplies and detergents.
