Remember when we planned New York’s Healthiest Day Ever? And then ZocStar Diana B. actually went through with it? This time we’re bringing the healthiest day ever to Chicago, and the Windy City will never be the same. Can you do yoga, dance, and kayak all in the same day? You won’t know until you try! Drop your mouse, put on your sweatpants and do a somersault – it’s time for Chicago’s Healthiest Day Ever!
7:00 AM: Wake Up
Rise and shine! You’re about to find out just how much good clean fun one day can hold. Put on your game face, it’s about to get healthy!
8:00 AM: Breakfast at The Chicago Diner
Start off your day with a well-balanced meal at The Chicago Diner, voted best Midwestern vegetarian restaurant by Vegetarian Times. We’re pretty enticed by their “soul bowl”, which features quinoa, sweet potatoes and your choice of tofu or eggs. The next time you go there you should definitely stop by the bakery, but remember… this is your healthiest day ever!
9:00 AM: Yoga at the Lincoln Park Zoo
If this isn’t a great way to start the morning, we don’t know what is. Bring your yoga mat and a water bottle and spend an hour getting your mind and body in shape while gazing out at the city.
10 AM: Animal Time! Lincoln Park Zoo
Cool down with a walk around the zoo while checking out polar bears, gazelles, and all the usual suspects. Don’t miss the seal feeding at 10:30! You’ll have more fun than a Goeldi’s Monkey! Ok, we’ve never heard of it either, but it looks cute!
12:00 PM: Lunch at Birchwood Kitchen
It’s time to head to Birchwood Kitchen in Wicker Park for a delicious lunch. You don’t have to be vegetarian to be healthy; they’ve got plenty of veggie options, but it’s their chicken salad with chipotle sage dressing and cilantro pesto that has us drooling (just a little bit). They’re big on sustainability and local produce, which is definitely something we can get behind. Enjoy!
2:00 PM: Kayak Chicago Tour of Lake Michigan
We hope you brought your sense of adventure, because you’re headed for the high seas! Alright, it’s just Lake Michigan, but you really can’t beat this view of the Chicago skyline. Kayaking is a ton of fun, a great workout, and a lovely way to spend three hours of your afternoon. If you haven’t kayaked before, you can substitute a lesson instead.
6:00 PM: Dinner at Green Zebra
Go West… to Noble Square, for dinner at Green Zebra. Someone on Yelp calls it “incredible,” but more importantly the Chicago Tribune says they serve “vegetarian food that puts a contented smile on the faces of confirmed carnivores.” Plus, they focus on locally grown produce. You really can’t do much better in our book than fresh vegetables in a snazzy location! Eat up but don’t get too stuffed, because you’ve got one last thing to look forward to today…
8:00 PM: SummerDance in Grant Park
It’s time to get moving with the rhythm! Grant Park hosts a free, outdoor dance party every Saturday night, where you can groove to the featured live musicians. Whether you prefer honky-tonk or salsa, they’ve got you covered (not all on the same night though, so choose wisely).
Is a day this healthy even possible? One of our amazing ZocStars in Chicago will soon find out, so stay tuned for pictures and a guest blog post! We’ll also be planning days for other ZocDoc cities soon, and we’d love to get suggestions for healthy activities in your area on our Facebook page!
View Larger Map