A Healthy Guide to Glasgow

Is there anything better than getting away for a long weekend? I spent my bank holiday down in Glasgow with Gordon, and while we didn't particularly do much we had a great time. We shopped, we ate, we explored and it was just what the Doctor ordered. I've been feeling a little under the weather lately and have decided to get my diet back on track, so we hunted out healthy Glasgow eateries and ways to stay relatively active in the city.


Where to Eat


Kcal Kitchen - The gift that keeps on giving! Macro trackers will love this café which lists carb, fat and protein content for every item on it's menu. You'll even find them on MyFitnessPal. My favourite thing about Kcal is that it doesn't look or taste like "diet" food. You'll find burgers, pizzas, peanut butter cups and even protein doughnuts. The Himalayan Salt & Chilli Chicken is to die for - proper fakeaway right there!
130 West Regent Street

Prep Fitness Kitchen - I'm not going to lie, I ate here when they first opened and wasn't all that impressed. Another macro counting café but this one caters more for the "bro food" gym lifestyle. The protein pancakes are good so I'm willing to give the rest another go.
22 Bath Street



The Hanoi Bike Shop - Viatnamese restaurant where dishes are packed with veggies. Even the spring rolls come in salad leaf wraps! The Bike Shop isn't necessarily trying to be healthy, so you'll find a few naughty treats among the nutritious pho and various tofu dishes. Head across the road towards the twinkling lights of Ashton Lane for post dinner drinks.
8 Ruthven Lane

Down to Earth Organics - Unfortunately they were closed for the day when we tried to visit but I've heard good things about D2E and even Paolo Nutini is a fan! Expect cold pressed juices, baked eggs, daily specials and plenty vegan options.
351 Dumbarton Road


Primal Roast - A coffee shop owned by a Crossfit instructor, specialising in clean eating/paleo food with a fully vegan menu available too. We went for brunch and can recommend the breakfast burrito and clean breakfast. And what's brunch without cake? The lime and coconut raw cheesecake was a delight but the vegan caramel slice was even better.
278 St Vincent Street


The Left Bank - Not exactly a healthy eatery but the Left Bank does have a variety of nutritious options on it's menu. Between soups, wraps, super salads and noodles you'll be spoiled for choice. I had the Hoi An grilled chicken in a wrap and it was packed with greens and peanut goodness! 
33-35 Gibson Street, West End

Things To Do


Glasgow Mural Trail - Designed to add some colour to buildings and vacant units in the city centre, the mural trail is a fabulous curation of local street art. It's easily walkable in a day and you might even accidently stumble across some of the installations. We spotted a few while shopping and then made a point of finding more the next day. My personal favourites are the Glasgow Tiger and the World's Most Economical Taxi, closely followed by the recently added Billy Connolly portraits!  


Parks - Nobody said keeping active has to involve anything too strenuous! There are various places to get your steps up around the city from Pollok Country Park (where you'll find the Burrell Collection) to Glasgow Green and the winter gardens or Kelvingrove park and the nearby museum. You could even hire one of the pink People Make Glasgow nextbikes to travel between them all!


Gyms - For those seeking more of a sweat fest, Glasgow has its fair share of places to workout. The Club Gym is something of a destination gym, and I enjoyed functional training at Commando X-Fit! I've taken advantage of a free day pass at Pure Gym on Bath Street before which I'd highly recommend. Alternatively you can sometimes find free yoga at Sweaty Betty or Lululemon and run club at the Nike store. 


Getting Around

You can walk pretty much everywhere in the city centre - Primal Roast was the furthest distance we strolled from our hotel and took just 15 minutes. For anywhere further afield you can hire city bikes as I mentioned before, or jump on the Glasgow Subway. To get to the Hanoi Bike Shop and charming Ashton Lane we took a taxi. I recommend downloading Gett - a handy black cab booking app, which usually gives you some sort of free ride/money off deal.


Where to Stay

Travelodge - We spent the night at the new Travelodge on Queen Street. It's a handy location right in the middle of the city centre, within walking distance of Buchanan Street bus station and literally a minute away from the train station. The rooms were clean and more spacious than we expected, with a super comfy bed and plug sockets in all the right places!
78 Queen Street, Glasgow


*We were invited for a complimentary stay with Travelodge. This does not affect my views, all of which are 100% genuine.

8 comments:

  1. I've lived in Glasgow for years but haven't checked our any of these eating places yet... I must get right on that! I love the mural trail.

    Paula http://insertmyblognamehere.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. It's brilliant isn't it! You should give them a try :)

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  2. I'm glad you enjoyed your time in our fair city! I haven't even eaten in any of these places so thanks for the recommendation! Been meaning to try our Hanoi FOREVER.

    Ada
    https://adalovelacex.co.uk

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  3. This is such a good idea, thanks for sharing!

    I love Glasgow, so it's so nice to see a bit more of it. I don't get to go down often enough.

    Xxx

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  4. Oh, I need to try Primal Roast by the looks of it - I'm vegan and always looking for new places :) Thanks for sharing!

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