It’s no secret that many don’t get the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables – especially busy college students. Convenience reigns supreme among students and really among many who have a busy lifestyle. It can be quite a task to consume enough whole fruits and vegetables every day – especially for those who may not really like them to begin with.

These problems are ones Good Greens attempts to resolve with a variety of different snack bars that claim to contain 100% the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables while also being vegan, gluten free and perhaps most importantly, tasty.

Loveland is a cute small-town with a bustling central downtown area and an increasingly interesting restaurant scene. Although I still prefer big cities, going to a little town is a nice break once in a while. Paxton’s and Zab (okay, not downtown but it’s close!) are favorites of mine in Loveland, but there’s a new restaurant with the potential to steal the spotlight.

Owned by Chefs Tami Whitfield and Joe Kirchmayer, Cafe 45140 is a welcome addition to the Loveland food scene with their emphasis on local ingredients and fresh, seasonal dishes. They feature home grown herbs and vegetables along with other locally-grown produce and farm raised meats and eggs, and are organic as much as possible. They even make their own cured/smoked meats. The menu offers vegetarian friendly options, although unfortunately for those with gluten sensitivities it may be hit-or-miss.

Green B.E.A.N. Delivery is a service that promises to connect organic and artisan farmers with local consumers, providing them with fresh produce and groceries. It runs year-round, unlike most CSAs and farmers’ markets, is convenient and promises to make local food cheaper and more easily obtained.

So, when Green B.E.A.N. contacted us asking for a review, we were understandably excited. More support for local, sustainable food is great and we happily support it and others who do too. So we signed up for the small produce bin and waited. There are designated delivery days and times for different areas, ours being Tuesday anytime between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Different types of bins are available, the basic produce bin being a mixture of fruits and vegetables that is available in different sizes. There’s also a “grocery bin” that provides some fruits and vegetables, and then other products you can choose from a list such as meats, bread, jams, etc.

Located in an unassuming repurposed house is a cozy restaurant that is as homey as they can get. Homey in a good way as in – small and looks like they did all the decorations themselves – not homey as in “this place is kind of a dump but I don’t really want to say that explicitly.”

What attracted us most to Wildflower Cafe was their focus on organic, sustainable foods. It’s a market that is still relatively small but is steadily growing in popularity. Due to their focus on local foods, some dishes have no price listed – just an ambiguous “market price” is listed – and the menu is constantly changing. They do have some items that are consistent, particularly their appetizers, salads, soups and their burgers. However their “small plate” and “large plate” entrees change frequently.

Tucked behind other shops and right off the bike trail in a little yellow house in the heart of Downtown Loveland is the tiny coffee shop Caffeine Dreams. They have been in business a couple years now and have successfully gone largely unnoticed except by the people that ride by on their bikes.

And you know, I’m totally the kind of person who would ride up on a hot day and order a big cup of coffee.

When you walk into Caffeine Dreams it’s more like being in the owner’s living room – there’s a TV and some nick-knacks scattered around, then your eyes spy the donut case and the coffee machines. There’s only a couple tables inside, as it’s a pretty small store, but outside is a large sitting area under a gorgeous old tree.