Conscious Cravings: Food Trailer Offers Healthy and Satisfying Options

Local food trailer, Conscious Cravings, has Austin written ALL over it. The name alone screams “healthy,” and their dedication to preparing foods with minimal impact on the environment makes them a perfect match for Austin’s earth friendly vibe. Serving a health forward vegetarian menu, Conscious Cravings offers a wide array of nutritious meals, all of which are prepared with local and organic ingredients. Everything on the menu is very reasonably priced, with nothing wearing a price tag higher than $5.

Yearning for something healthy after a spurt of unhealthy eating, I decided to check out this wholesome trailer for a late lunch.

Consciously Located

With three locations all over Austin, there’s no good excuse NOT to try Conscious Cravings. One of their trailers is known as the “Conscious Cravings Express,” a smaller version of their trailer located on the UT campus. This mini-trailer is open during the Fall/Spring semesters, offering students a healthy alternative to other fast food options.

The two main locations, which are both open 7 days a week unlike many other trailers, are located on Burnet Road and on South 1st in the infamous Trailer Park Eatery. Being a Northie, I made a trip to the north location, which is conveniently located on the corner of Koenig and Burnet.

Consciously Crafted Food and Drink

Conscious Cravings strives to use locally sourced and organic ingredients whenever possible. In addition to their devotion to serving locally grown foods, all of their dressings and sauces are made in-house. Conscious Cravings serves their food in biodegradable disposables, reducing their footprint on the planet one wrap at a time.

While they are known for their Signature Hot Wraps, their menu is also peppered with salads, smoothies, side dishes and drinks. All of their wraps are served warm (except their Tofu Salad wrap – a vegetarian twist on the classic Chicken Salad) and enveloped in your choice of a white or wheat wrap. Organic Quinoa-rice pilaf can also be substituted for a small up charge.

Taking the advice of the Conscious Cravings master wrap-maker (AKA, the guy manning the trailer), I ordered the Spicy Chickpea Wrap (apparently the crowd favorite) and the Blackened Tofu Wrap (the wrap-master’s favorite). His recommendations were beyond tasty.

The Spicy Chickpea Wrap is filled with a hefty portion of chickpeas simmered in Indian spices, atop a bed of lettuce, onion, tomatoes and a green sauce. The spices gave the wrap a nice kick, which balanced well with the wrap fixins’ and sauce. The bursting flavors padding my taste buds after one bite had me fighting for a second.

On a totally different taste and texture palette is the Blackened Tofu Wrap. The tofu is coated in “special spices” and layered with lettuce, tomato, onions and vegan mayo. The blackened preparation style gave the tofu a crisp texture, while leaving plenty of moisture within the tofu. This wrap was much lighter than the Spicy Chickpea, and was very satisfying.

Also on the menu are Rosemary Fries, coined as “healthy fries.” I didn’t order any on this trip, however the wrap-master said they are a very popular item. While not much compares to their deep fried counterparts, these baked fries coated in Rosemary are a great way to satisfy your not-so-healthy craving.

The afternoon heat and humidity left me craving something cold while waiting for my food to be prepared. The drink menu consists of Organic Blueberry Lemonade, Raspberry Hibiscus Iced Tea and Bottled Water, all of which sounded refreshing. I ordered the Organic Blueberry Lemonade, a twist on a classic summer drink. Served in a biodegradable cup, this simple drink was the perfect way to quench my thirst.

My Conscious Verdict

My lasting impression of Conscious Cravings is a great one, and I am consciously craving another wrap. The rich flavors combined with the healthy nutrients, whole grains and organic veggies, make this the perfect spot to satisfy lunch (or dinner) time cravings. I suggest scooting on over to one of their three locations, perhaps after a run on Town Lake (or if you’re like me, a weekend filled with naughty, naughty eating). Your body will thank you.

 

@MeaganVitek asks:

What is your favorite meal at Conscious Cravings?