Wheat Berry Cafe & Raw Juice Bar

Yesterday, I had breakfast at Wheat Berry Cafe & Raw Juice Bar in Altamonte Springs.  Don't let the name scare you, because everything at Wheat Berry is gluten free, as well as vegan, raw, and organic.  

I decided to start my day with an elixir, but had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to order, because so many of them sounded incredible.  The coco cacao, which contains cocoa, almond butter, almond milk, banana, maca and honey, is the most popular, but I wasn't in the mood for chocolate this early in the morning.  

I ended up choosing a 16 oz Vanilla Beany, which contains cinnamon, nutmeg, flaxseed, bananas, almond milk, and honey.  It was so delicious, and the perfect choice for an early morning drink.  

I couldn't resist purchasing a package of raw peanut butter cookies made with organic cashews, almond flour, honey, vanilla, sea salt, and peanut butter.  I also couldn't resist eating them as soon as I was done with my elixir.  I thought I would just take a bite or two, but they were so good, I ate them both.  These raw cookies are one of the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had.

While at Wheat Berry Cafe, I ordered a 3 day juice cleanse for next week.  I will update this post with more information about the cleanse after I finish it.  

In addition to cold pressed juices and elixirs, Wheat Berry offers a lunch menu with raw organic salads, and dishes like soft tacos, spinach manicotti, falafel, zucchini hummus and chips, and guacamole and nacho chips.

March 27, 2015 Update

I stopped in to Wheat Berry Cafe this morning to have breakfast.  I ordered a coco cacao elixir and managed to snag the last bag of raw peanut butter cookies, which were just as good as I remembered.  I really enjoyed the coco cacao elixir, but would have preferred it for lunch instead of breakfast.

April 2, 2015 Update

On Monday, I started a 3 day juice cleanse from Wheat Berry Cafe.  You might be wondering why I decided to do this.  The main reason is that I have been eating too much lately and lacking my usual self-control with food, so I wanted to take a break from food and start a new chapter of healthier eating.  

Over the course of three days, I drank 18 bottles of juice and did not eat any solid food.  In between each bottle, I drank 16 ounces of water.  Shockingly, I did not crave solid food at all during this time, and when my stomach started to growl, it was usually time to drink my next bottle of juice, which took away my hunger.  Every day, I drank the following bottles of juice around 7:30, 10:30, 1:00, 3:30, 6:30 and 8:30:  

Juice 1 (today is your day) - kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, parsley, lemon, apple

Juice 2 (you have brains in your head) - carrot, ginger, apple, cinnamon (I don't even like carrots, but I loved this juice and would buy it again when visiting Wheat Berry Cafe)

Juice 3 (why fit in) - beet, cucumber, celery, pear, lime

Juice 4 (smile because it happened) - lemon, purified water, stevia, cayenne, turmeric (This juice had such an amazing spicy kick, which I loved)

Juice 5 (will you succeed?) - kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, cilantro, ginger, apple

Juice 6 (answers are simple) - almond milk, date, lucuma, vanilla, sea salt

Juices 1, 3, and 5 were not my favorites because I don't like the taste of celery.  They weren't hard to drink, but I would not buy them when stopping in at Wheat Berry Cafe.  I loved juice 2 and 4, and looked forward to drinking them every day.  Juice 6 was a nice way to end the day, except on the last night of my cleanse, when it seemed to throw my intestinal tract into chaos.  I felt incredibly good on the juice cleanse, except the last night.  I was able to exercise two hours every day, but it was light exercise - walking, pilates, and arm exercises with light hand weights.  Last night, everything seemed to be rumbling and grumbling on my insides after drinking my final bottle of almond milk, which tasted a little bit off to me when I started drinking it.  Who knows, maybe it was a little off and my body didn't like it, or maybe my intestines had had enough of the juice cleanse.  Because I was worried about getting sick, I took a probiotic pill, and drank a very small glass of kefir, which is packed with probiotics, before I went to bed.  

Would I do it again?  I am not sure, but I do know that I would not do more than a 3 day cleanse.  I lost 3 pounds in the process, and have come off the cleanse committed to eating healthier.  You can read more about juice cleanses on Wheat Berry Cafe's website here.  I did a whole lot of research on juice cleanses, and Wheat Berry seems to be doing it the right way with a mix of vegetable and fruit juices, and almond milk.

June 5, 2015 Update

Earlier this week, my girls and I stopped at Wheat Berry Cafe for a liquid lunch.  We had a huge breakfast at Trail's End Restaurant, so we just needed a little something to tide us over until dinner.  I decided to try the You Make My Heart Glow juice, which is a combination of lemon, apple, and ginger.  It was refreshing and delicious, and just what I needed after a very heavy breakfast.

You can read more about Wheat Berry Cafe on their website here, and on Jennifer's blog Celiac in Orlando.

Wheat Berry Cafe & Juice Bar is open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm.

What are your favorite gluten free menu items at Wheat Berry Cafe?