Health-conscious eateries find their niche in D.C.

The fast-paced Washington lifestyle can take a toll on one’s health and waistline. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help curb those negative effects.

More Washington restaurants are offering health-conscious menus with a wide variety of choices for anyone looking to drop a few pounds or simply live healthier.

If you are really health-conscious, or you just want to break the downtown Washington lunchtime routine of choosing between, say, Potbelly, Quizno’s, Subway or Cos�, you can try the Juice Joint Caf�.

Tom Holland started the Juice Joint nine years ago after he was forced to change his lifestyle and lose weight because of a hip condition. He observed that, while many health-food caf�s and juice bars existed, few had put the two concepts together.

Tom and his brother Jim manage the caf�, which offers a cozy, small-business feel and has a loyal following that Jim refers to as “the brightest and most beautiful.” At lunchtime, the line often runs well outside of the door.

Customers come for the fresh tastes that come from the caf�’s dedication to high-quality produce and homemade preparation. Everything from the salsa to the juice is made from scratch.

The caf� stays away from preservatives, hydrogenated oils and many other potentially unhealthy staples. The menu features hot and cold wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, stir-fry, quesadillas and freshly squeezed juices that “don’t make you fall asleep at your desk.”

Some of the most popular items are the salmon dishes. The Mariner features freshly grilled Atlantic salmon, lettuce, tomato and a lime dill sauce served on a multigrain bun. The Firecracker is a combination of seared salmon, mango salsa, lettuce and tomato wrapped into either a spinach or wheat tortilla.

The freshly prepared mango salsa is very popular among the lunch crowd. “Where else can you get mango salsa?” asked Jim Holland.

The smoothies include only fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade juices.

Jim Holland assures customers that they “are not mall smoothies” with ice cream or other added sweeteners.

He says that “wheatgrass shots are surprisingly popular.” The caf� sells roughly 40 shots a day to a loyal contingent that is attracted to the powerful antioxidant.

For those looking to extend their healthy eating habits to the night side, the stylish Vegetate is a “modern, urban vegetarian restaurant,” owner Dominic Redd said.

Redd, a vegetarian since 1994, wanted to create a vegetarian restaurant that “did not come off as preachy.”

He and his wife, Jennifer, opened Vegetate in the Shaw area of Washington in October. Their restaurant combines upscale food, service, art and music with a casual setting and feel.

Redd is a disc jockey by trade and can sometimes be found behind the turntables, where he is known as DJ Dredd. He spins a smooth combination of hip-hop and jazz.

The featured art at Vegetate is the work of Ken Ashton, a Washington photographer. Ashton’s work “Neighborhoods and Theaters” documents the urban landscape of the District of Columbia since 1992 and is displayed on the third floor.

Sidra Forman and Derrick Bullock, who met while working at Rupperts restaurant and later were the creative forces behind Viridian restaurant, created the menu for Vegetate. It follows a simple rule: find the best seasonal ingredients available and do as little as possible to bring out the ultimate potential of the food.

Some of the most popular dishes are the grilled romaine Caesar, the corn-grit-and-lima-bean tart, the spinach lasagna with eggplant and nut cheese and the Vegetate burgers.

The burgers are especially popular; many customers rave about the homemade pomme frites and rhubarb catsup that goes with the burger.

The sides at Vegetate are also very popular — especially the Brussels sprouts with pickled ginger. Other sides include roasted turnips, squash gratin and pickled kohlrabi and radish salad.

Like Juice Joint, Vegetate has a loyal group of regulars despite its lack of a liquor license. Some customers come as often as two to three times a week.

Most are drawn to Vegetate by the innovative menu and atmosphere. Vegetate is a great location for those looking to spend an evening and absorb the combination of music, art and vegetarian cuisine.

Both Joint Juice and Vegetate are a part of a small but growing community of Washingtonians who want to live a healthier lifestyle. As Jim Holland says, “You feel great when you eat this stuff.”

Juice Joint is located at 1025 Vermont Ave. N.W. Vegetate is at 1414 9th St. N.W.