Eating clean in the real world is anything but easy, especially when you’re navigating food sensitivities, health goals or medically restricted diets. Even with more ‘healthy’ menus than ever, it’s tough to tell which places walk the talk: Who’s really sourcing local and organic? Who’s avoiding hidden additives or preventing cross-contamination? Here, we’ve curated a list of standout local spots that go beyond surface-level wellness branding. All share a focus on local-first sourcing, offerings catered to vegan and gluten-free diners and a serious commitment to transparency.
Living Vine Organic Café, Fort Myers
Health coach Sylvie Szabo aimed to bridge the gap for diners with dietary restrictions when she opened Living Vine Organic Café nearly six years ago. The Fort Myers breakfast and lunch spot, which relocated to a larger location off College Parkway in February, specializes in vegan, vegetarian and gluten- and dairy-free meals. Many dishes are made with local ingredients and layered with nutrient-dense, functional foods. Sylvie draws from her stock of USDA-certified organic producers, including arabica beans from Java D’Oro, a family-run roaster in Cape Coral, and works with area co-ops to source seasonal produce.
In the kitchen, the team uses dedicated cookware to accommodate restricted diets, and fine-tunes recipes to deliver maximum flavor and texture, even when swapping ingredients. For anyone who assumes having restrictions means sacrificing indulgence, the Lemon Blue Majik donut begs to differ—vegan and gluten-free, it’s glazed with blue spirulina for a nutrient and antioxidant boost. Other functional ingredients appear in everything from the mushroom coffee lattes to the tapenade wraps to the rotating specials. livingvineorganiccafe.com
Courtesy Green Apron Cafe
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The Local, Naples
At first glance, the menu at The Local reads more indulgent than virtuous—pot roast with polenta, chorizo pizza, blue crab tagliatelle in uni butter. And sure, it’s not ‘healthy’ in the green-juice-and-CrossFit sense—but this beloved North Naples spot hits a sweet spot few restaurants manage: chef-driven food made with clean, local ingredients and surprising flexibility for those with food sensitivities or personal preferences.
This is where you go for a real night out—robust wines, house-cured meats, slow-fermented sourdough—with room at the table for the meat lover, the gluten-avoider and everyone in between. Chef-owner Jeff Mitchell, a James Beard Foundation guest chef, recently featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, brings fine-dining standards. He and his team aren’t just open to modifications; they’re ready for them, with separate pans and pantry items like house-made vegan almond cheese or low-FODMAP cheddar at the ready. (Think: bruschetta reimagined with roasted sweet potato slices instead of bread, or a lentil-free riff on their red lentil soup, subbing cauliflower and cream to suit strict keto needs, without losing richness or intent.)
While many restaurants aim to be farm-to-table, The Local, which opened in 2013, makes good on the promise with every plate. At least 80% of what’s served is sourced from regional farms: produce and eggs from Inyoni Organic Farm and Farmer Mike’s, hormone-free beef from Glades County’s Seminole Pride and Gulf seafood delivered weekly by low-emission ferry from the Keys. Even when the sourcing goes beyond state lines—like the Faroe Island salmon—it’s chosen with intention. “It may be a lot easier to get cheeses and already-cured meats from these other places,” Jeff says. “But going that extra mile isn’t just something we check off on a list; it’s important to who we are and what we stand for.” thelocalnaples.com
Juice Society Juicery, Estero
Among the various standout juice bars in Southwest Florida, there’s Juice Society Juicery, where the cold-press is made with 100% organic produce and the açaí and dragonfruit bowl bases are blended to order daily, often 15 to 20 times, using only unsweetened, additive-free frozen fruit (never premade mixes or syrups).
Non-dairy nut milks are also crafted in-house for a clean, preservative-free blend. The shop’s level of control and intention has earned it a strong following—and a recent partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Spa.
Courtesy Juice Society Juicery
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Juice Society Juicery, in Estero’s Coconut Point, sources its produce from farms in Immokalee and Vero Beach.
After operating out of a stand at Coconut Point for two years, Matt and Kallie Isadore opened their brick-and-mortar at the outdoor mall in 2023. The duo designed the sleek space to encourage lingering over the nourishing menu, which sources all fruit and vegetables from farms in Immokalee and Vero Beach. “It’s not just a place where you stop by, order and head out, but to take in the space, relax and decompress for a while,” Matt says. “It’s about the juices, but it’s also what the juices stand for.”
Before launching, the Isadores consulted a registered dietitian on the recipes, prioritizing anti-inflammatory ingredients and nutrient-dense combinations. Favorites include low-fruit, low-sugar options like the OG (Original Greens), with tons of leafy greens, and sippers with functional ingredients, like superfood chia seeds and spirulina, a complete protein packed with antioxidants but best consumed in small doses (like in a smart juice blend). juicesocietyjuicery.com
Food & Thought 2, Naples
When the original Food & Thought opened near Downtown Naples two decades ago, it helped define clean eating in the city. The team still sets the bar with organic, uncompromising ingredients—and has been doing so long before it was trendy. Food & Thought 2, which debuted in 2022 on Airport-Pulling and Vanderbilt Beach roads, expands on the legacy with a more elevated, dine-in experience and a stylish, relaxed setting, where raw, vegan and gluten- and dairy-free dishes are anything but restrictive.
At the helm is chef Andrae Green, whose ingredient standards trace back to his childhood in Jamaica. “We grew most everything we ate,” he says. His dishes are built on grass-fed and -finished beef, free-range chicken and eggs, and produce sourced from the parent company’s Oakes Farms, down the road. While the menu includes comfort staples like shrimp and grits and French toast, it’s built with flexibility. Dedicated vegan and gluten-free sections, a health-forward breakfast menu and bar bites like sesame-glazed tofu and grilled cauliflower make it easy for diners to tailor their meals.
Pastry chef Kimberly Williams draws from her two decades of experience for takes on brownies and berry cobblers that are rich, nuanced—and completely vegan and gluten-free. Next door, a small marketplace lets regulars stock up on clean pantry staples, produce and prepared items for a full-circle approach. foodandthought2.com
Green Apron Cafe, Naples
What began as an effort to upgrade lunches at Community School of Naples, St. Ann’s and other private schools has grown into one of Naples’ most reliable spots for feel-good eats. Owner Kathleen Brennan launched Green Apron after demand grew for her better-for-you kids’ meals, where she’d swap beets for food coloring, Greek yogurt for sour cream. In 2017, she turned the concept into a cozy 20-seat East Naples cafe—with gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free fare.
The kitchen’s cooking standards read like a holistic nutritionist’s dream. Food is made to order using produce from Oakes Farms; nutrient-dense staples like farro, quinoa and chia; and clean proteins like wild-caught salmon, wild shrimp and grass-fed beef. Cooking is done exclusively with extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil—no seed oils, no fillers, no preservatives. Sauces and dressings are made in-house with fresh herbs, spices and minimal added salt or sugar.
Still, the menu doesn’t shy away from bold ideas—Cuban grain bowls and veggie muffins sit comfortably alongside a rotating lineup of soups, smoothies and sandwiches. An open kitchen keeps the process transparent, while fridges hold ready-to-go family meals, cold-pressed juices, kombucha and bottles of Kathleen’s popular house-made dressings. “Fresh just tastes better,” she says. We’re inclined to agree. greenaproncafe.com
Courtesy Green Apron Cafe
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Green Apron Cafe in Naples prioritizes locally sourced, nutrient-dense staples for flavorful creations like the Cuban grain bowl and Blueberry Crumble smoothie. Kathleen Brennan opened in 2017, following demand for her efforts to clean up kids’ school lunches at local schools and daycares.
If you have a severe allergy or restriction, ask about preparation practices when ordering.