ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Hot dogs, hamburgers and country cooking. Sometimes you need to eat greasy, but there’s another side to those cravings that’s just as delicious.
Smoothies, juices and healthy snacks! Fruits & Roots in downtown Roanoke is serving up lots of flavor and energy in every colorful bite on this week’s Hometown Eats!
“Because it’s delicious and nutritious. It’s something you can eat with a clear conscience,” says Christy Dilcher, owner of Fruits & Roots. “We sell cold-pressed juice, superfood smoothies, smoothie bowls, gluten-free snacks, overnight oats, muffins – we’re all about health and wellness.”
If you’re serious about getting in shape, there’s a place in the Star City to cultivate, plant and water your lifestyle. Welcome to Fruits & Roots on Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.
“We get all kinds of people who are really excited that we’re here because they’re on a health journey or they have an illness or a condition, or they just want a good smoothie or a good smoothie bowl,” Dilcher said.
Christy and her husband have lived in Roano their entire lives and like most of us, they have had ups and downs when it comes to healthy eating.
“I’ve done little fad diets here and there to lose weight or whatever, but never really thought about what I was eating…my body has the ability to heal me if I feed it the right things,” Dilcher said.
When they decided to take serious care of their health, they kept encountering the same problem.
“There just aren’t many healthy options in Roanoke,” Dilcher said.
Christy turned to her sister, who took control of her health by changing her eating habits around 2018.
“It somehow got into my head and I started researching and changing my diet,” Dilcher said.
After seeing positive results, her sister wanted to share her knowledge and opened a juice and smoothie bar in Pennsylvania. This gave Christy an idea.
“I really felt that Roanoke needed a place like this, so here we are,” Dilcher said.
What started with cold-pressed juice at the downtown Roanoke Farmers Market has evolved into what you see today on Campbell Avenue, and Christy loves sharing the benefits of healthy eating.
“Today, food is full of artificial ingredients, preservatives and chemicals. Here we keep it simple, eat raw, plant-based, organic foods,” Dilcher said.
Like the muffins, which have no dairy, eggs, oil, refined sugar or flour. Christy encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, because who knows, you might like it.
“They say, ‘I don’t know if I want a date, that’s weird.’ But the taste doesn’t change, it adds a lot of nutrients and they’re really surprised when they eat it at how good it tastes,” Dilcher said.
“Something clean, organic, natural that energizes the body,” said regular customer Chris.
There is a wide selection on this menu, 10 smoothies and 5 smoothie bowls, and of course there is the option to create your own smoothies. I recommend adding some of the homemade granola, which is made fresh every day, on top for even more crunch.
“My favorite juice is Lean Green,” says Chris.
Christy explained what’s in Lean Green juice: “Celery and parsley stand out because they’re the dominant flavors, but there’s also green apple, kale, lemon and ginger. You’re getting about two pounds of vegetables here.”
If you want to do a complete juice cleanse, Fruits & Roots offers these both in-store and online.
Not only does Christy take pride in the aesthetics of the bowls and smoothies, she also enjoys providing healthy foods to her hometown.
“When you watch people, their lives change. We have people who are battling cancer and who depend on our juices. We are just here for the community and are happy to offer healthy alternatives,” Christy said.
Fruits & Roots, a local restaurant where health is at the top of the menu.
Fruits & Roots is located at 122 Campbell Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24011 and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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