Salads and Healthy Options in Gulf Shores
Looking for a healthy restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama? There are so many options to choose from! The best part is that you can still enjoy fresh seafood while eating healthy. Here are some restaurants where salads and seafood happily collide.
You don’t have to give up your favorite dishes when you want to eat healthier. These restaurants offer delicious, nutritious meals with plenty of variety on the menu. So whether you’re craving fried shrimp or grilled fish, these places will satisfy your cravings without sacrificing taste.
1. LuLu’s in Gulf Shores
LuLu’s is my family’s perennial favorite to get fresh seafood in Gulf Shores. It’s located along Portage Creek and adjacent to the Homeport Marina. There’s ample seating in the covered open-air dining area for hundreds of hungry guests (<- that’s my guesstimate, not an actual number).
There are several salad options available on LuLu’s menu. I chose the Arcadian Greens Salad with the addition of fried shrimp. Overall, the salad was good, but I must warn you that they do not remove the tails from the shrimp (my biggest pet peeve about shrimp unless I am eating it as finger food).
If you want a healthy option at LuLu’s other than a salad, then blackened fish and/or shrimp would be a good option. Sub out the fries and opt for greens, beans, or a side salad.
LuLu’s is located at 200 East 25th Avenue in Gulf Shores. Click here for their online menu.
2. Picnic Beach
Picnic Beach is a quirky little restaurant located a couple of blocks away from the beach. Picnic Beach offers a diverse variety of dishes, ranging from BBQ to vegan power bowls. It’s a win-win situation for couples in a house divided. (I don’t mean Alabama/Auburn but rather omnivore/herbivore.)
I am happy to report that their Picnic Cobb salad is a winner, at least in my book. According to the restaurant’s website, the salad is made with: romaine lettuce with roasted corn, candied pecans, boiled egg, tomato, smoked chickpeas, and sweet onion vinaigrette. It truly did not disappoint and is a salad that I would eat again. And again.
Another healthy option is the Tuna Poke Bowl – tuna (Sushi Grade) with cucumber, cherry tomato, pickled carrots, avocado, seaweed, sesame seeds, Asian herbs, and ponzu. My steak and potato-loving husband ate the entire bowl.
Picnic Beach is located at 128 East 1st Ave in Gulf Shores. Check out their full menu.
3. Flora-Bama Yacht Club
Just because it has “yacht club” in its name, don’t let the Flora-Bama Yacht Club fool you. This is a very laid-back restaurant serving delicious food. There are flags sporting “Barefoot Nation” and sand along the floor at the open-air establishment.
The Flora-Bama Yacht Club has three salads on the menu: Greek Salad, Traditional Chicken Caesar Salad, and Raspberry Pecan Salad. You can add an additional protein such as shrimp, chicken, or seared tuna to each salad for an upcharge.
I ordered the Greek Salad with fried shrimp. It was served with dressing on the side and pita bread and it tasted as good as it looked.
The Flora-Bama Yacht Club is located across the street from the legendary Flora-Bama Oyster Bar that straddles the Alabama/Florida state lines.
See the Flora-Bama Yacht Club menu for more ideas of tasty items to try.
There are plenty of places in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach where you can find salads and other healthy options. These are just a few that I have dined at recently and would recommend to my friends and family.
Where is your favorite place to dine in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach?
