100% Natural: Keepin' It Healthy in the Land of Rice and Beans

When my boyfriend, Chris, and I booked our Mexican vacation in early February, the hard work began. I diligently frequented the gym, curbed my late night snack cravings and made my best attempts at keeping my fingers out of the dark chocolate jar. But the buck didn't stop there. I didn't want all of my hard work to go to waste in a week's time (though I suppose that's the point of vacation), but would it really be possible to find "health" food in Mexico? As savvy travelers do, I started doing my homework on Acapulco; nightlife, local flare, museums, activities, the "must-sees and do's", and of course, where to eat.

I thought for certain we'd be subsisting on corn tortillas, cheese, beans, salsa and margaritas for the entire week, which explains the fasting pre-trip (hey, every other day without Dagoba or Dove is fasting for me). Then, I discovered a health food chain throughout Acapulco, "100% Natural". Still, I was a skeptic. After 2 1/2 years in California, I came to realize that when a menu claims "healthy" outside the statelines, it usually means they used a fat free dressing while loading up a salad with cheese and fried chicken, or the their power packed smoothie is filled with "real" fruit only after pouring sugary syrups and faux dairy products on top. Still, my curiosity led me to read further, uncovering that not only were 100% Naturals plentiful across Acapulco, but there just happened to be one directly across the street from our downtown hotel!

Tuesday morning, we awoke in Acapulco and decided to give the restaurant our first try. Located along the busy Costera Miguel Aleman, a bustling street that serves as the main artery through Acapulco, this particular restaurant was open air with a jungle theme. Ferns and large potted plants were abundant while over-sized spider plants hung from the thatched awnings that provided shade from the city's scorching rays and a perch for colorful, chirpy birds. We took a seat along the periphery where we could watch the Volkswagon Beatle taxis speed by and colorful buses stop in front. An interesting side note: In Acapulco, all of the buses are privately owned. It is a flat-rate to ride, either 4.5 pesos for a regular bus or 5.5 pesos for one with air conditioning. Each bus is adorned in its own way, some with advertisements, others with logos proudly displayed on the windshield (i.e. "Brown Pride"), and some will have a guy standing at the doors soliciting customers at each stop. Most seemed to make the same stops, but after a few days, we realized that some riders were loyal to their drivers.

Once we were handed our menus, we were also immediately asked if we wanted coffee and given a basket full of baked "pastries". (We didn't realize until our first bill that the pastries weren't complimentary. Still, they were about $1 USD per cake/muffin.) There is one menu at 100% Natural that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, beverages and other sides. On this first day we had awoken early enough to order from the breakfast menu. Chris chose the "Azteca", an egg white omelet filled with green chilies, cilantro, oregano and sliced nopal, a green vegetable made from the prickly pear. Crisp nachos (tortilla chips to Americans) with light, refried beans sprinkled with manchego cheese were served on the side. I decided to start my day off with "Copa Tropical", a large fruit salad of papaya, apples, melons and bananas topped with yogurt and their own blend of granola, containing a generous amount of flaxseed. Once our meals arrived, we realized what huge portions we would be in for for the week ahead, but the food was delicious--fresh, ripe and flavorful. The omelet was light and fluffy, not too spicy. The refried beans (light, so possibly made of pintos) were the real hit of of the dish though, tasty and creamy with just the right amount of salt.


I wound up falling in love with 100% Natural's fresh sandwiches on homemade whole grain bread. The portions are extremely generous, so much so that each day I saved the other half of mine for a mid-afternoon snack. Heaped high with shredded jicama, beets, carrots, tomato, spinach and onion, I ordered two variations: the "Patron", turkey jamon (ham) and the "Pollazo", chicken breast and a slice of melted cheddar cheese. Another day I ordered the "Pita Arabe", a vegetarian pita, which wasn't loaded with veggies like the sandwiches, but was packed with hummus and jocoque, a Mexican-style sour cream that's sharp and tangy (reminded me of a cross between sour cream and cream cheese). The pita was warm and moist, and half of it filled me up in no time. Chris was a little more adventurous ordering a new dish each day. On our final day at 100% Natural, he ordered the "Arroz-ole" con pollo (chicken). As per the usual generous portions, a heaping pile of chicken, brocolli and zucchini rested upon a generous bed of wild rice. (Note: Photograph at right is the "Arroz-ole" with tofu.) We also ordered the "Maniac" smoothie, a blend of strawberries, banana, granola and milk. Smoothies come in gigantic margarita-looking glasses and are definitely large enough for two--or more--to share!

Service is fast and friendly, and the menus are in English, making it easy to read and order. What's better is each of our meals averaged out to about $16 (USD), which included two coffees, two pastries and two huge meals. There are a few ingredients listed in Spanish that we had to inquire about or refer to our English-Spanish dictionary, but for the most part, eating at 100% Natural is simple, fast and delicious. Browsing through the menu, we found plenty of healthy selections and each trip definitley beckoned another visit. From fresh squeezed juices and seafood pitas to healthy spins on traditional Mexican dishes, 100% Natural was the perfect solution to those looking for a healthy alternative during their vacacione Mexicana!