There are many advantages to choosing Long Bay Resort as the host of your Myrtle Beach vacation: The clean and comfortable oceanfront accommodations, the awesome indoor and outdoor pool decks just steps away from the beach, and the on-site restaurants and fitness center, just to name a few. But among the many reasons for staying at Long Bay is the fact that you are only a few blocks away from the Grand Strand's first health food market and kitchen – Bay Naturals.
Located at Northwoods Plaza near the corner of Kings Highway and 76th Avenue North is the inaugural, locally owned health store to land on the Strand. Since 1993, Bay Naturals has been the go-to place for healthy foods and other hard-to-find items for locals and visitors alike. Before the big health-food craze and the national chain grocery stores that offer fresh and local goods, Bay Naturals literally cornered the Myrtle Beach market on all-natural foods and supplements.
Going on vacation doesn't mean you have to compromise your healthy diet and lifestyle. Instead of dining out for every meal on foods that can weigh you down, start your vacation by making the short trip to Bay Naturals and stocking up on a week's worth of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic and gluten-free food items, all-natural juices and dairy products, and so much more. You won’t find popular brands like Cheetos or Oreos, but there are lots of healthy snack alternatives.
But Bay Naturals is much more than a health food store. After moving into a larger location that used to be a restaurant, Bay Naturals was able to drastically expand its healthy kitchen operations for a full lineup of breakfast, lunch and dinner items, as well as organic smoothies, soups, salads and sandwiches. All the ingredients meet Bay Naturals' rigorous commitment to providing an outlet for people to live healthier lifestyles – even for guests with busy vacation schedules.
For visitors with dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians, vegans and those with dairy and gluten allergies, Bay Naturals offers a menu designed to suit everyone's special needs. Start your day with a farm fresh egg-white omelet, a side of tofu sausage or bacon, fresh-baked bagels and muffins, and healthy versions of normally forbidden foods like pancakes, grits, or potatoes. You can even get breakfast in a glass with one of the many smoothies.
For lunch and dinner, keep it light with one of Bay Naturals' savory soups, such as the Marinated Tofu, Veggie Chili, Spinach or Cheese Quesadilla, or fresh salads, like the Organic Mixed Green Salad, the Housemade Tuna Salad, or the Curry Chicken Salad. For a hearty but still healthy midday meal, try one of their tasty sandwiches, like the Fakin' Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, a Smoked Salmon Sandwich or a Veggie Burger. A selection of quiches, burritos and wraps are also on the menu.
For all the great solid food served by Bay Naturals, the smoothies are their most popular items. Using only fresh fruits and vegetables, such as berries, pineapples and sweet South Carolina peaches, organic juices, and dairy substitutes like soy, almond and rice milk, Bay Naturals offers dozens of options, including the chance to create your own. Nutritional powders and supplements are added to give you that extra energy boost you need to enjoy your vacation to the fullest. In fact, the store has even implemented a call-ahead program for made-to-order smoothies that allow you to go to the front of the line to pick up your pick-me-up.
Northwoods Plaza has two larger grocery chains for those who want a mix of health and junk foods, but do your party a favor and stock up on lots of good stuff from Bay Naturals for a healthy and happy Myrtle Beach vacation.
