Indulge in a gut-full of goodness
New Noosa gut health bar is an Australian first
Community News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Community News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
You'll get a gut-full of the good stuff at Australia's first ever gut health bar, and it is right here in Noosa Junction.
Jungle and Co is the dream of nutritionist Vladia Cobrdova's passion for food, and healthy food at that.
"Healthy food translates to everybody," Ms Cobrdova said.
"I always say everybody is welcome at my table."
Whether customers are vegan, paleo, ketogenic or just enjoy eating healthy food Ms Cobrdova said everyone can understand the important of gut nutrition.
"Things work for some people and not for others," she said.
"There is good bacteria in a variety of food and we need to nurture the gut."
Ms Cobrdova said she had always been a foodie and after studying nutrition in Sydney said Jungle and Co had been on the cards for sometime.
"I have been in the health food industry for over 20 years and I have seen it change from being very niche to very mainstream," she said.
In 2017 Ms Cobrdova released a cookbook which featured more than 135 gut-healthy recipes. A Whole Knew Way to Eat was published in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and was also published in Slovakian.
Jungle and Co opened on December 22 and is co-owed with Ms Cobrdova's sister Sandra.
"The name came because I see the gut as a jungle ecosystem."
"We are like Ying and Yang. She (Sandra) is the operational and tidy side and I am the creative and messy one."
"It's so much fun working together."
The sisters were born and raised in Czechoslovakia eating foods made entirely from scratch.
The menu reflects Ms Cobrdova's studies in an industry that is forever changing.
"We have clean food and it is made fresh in house everyday."
"Healthy food is so evolving. We tailor our menu to what is new and better."
While their collagen smoothies and botanical elixirs have been popular, as well as their avocado on gut health bread, Ms Cobrdova said their salads are the stand out.
"We have our standard salads but then we also do build your own."
"Our dressings are made in house and are probiotic rich too."
Ms Cobrdova said she hope Jungle and Co appeals to what locals want.
"We are shaking up the cafe culture," she said.
"People in Noosa want healthy food. We want Noosa Junction to become the hub of healthy food."
They also offer a "grab and go" fridge with pre made salads and juices for those on a busy schedule or lunch break.
Another aspect is sourcing local produce with the health bar sourcing eggs, chicken, butter fruits and vegetable from the Sunshine Coast region.
"People want to know where their food comes from so it is important for us to source local."
"Our eggs come from 15 minutes up the road."
As Plastic Free Noosa champions Jungle and Co have come up with creative ways to reduce their waste.
"We use coffee waste for to make coffee scrubs and we put vegetable pulp into our cakes," Ms Cobrdova said.
"We encourage people to bring their own container for take away and give them a 30-cent discount.".
Knowing there is often a preconceived idea that healthy eating can be expensive, Jungle and Co have tried to offer value for money.
"We are also conscious on price. We offer diversity and affordability."
Ms Cobrdova said while there are thousands of expensive ingredient and products on the market she aims to makes the most of what she can source for under $20.
Since opening Jungle and Co have been well-received in Noosa and Ms Cobrdova said they plan to expand across Australia into the future.
The health bar is open and 7am-7pm in The Pavilion.
Originally published as Indulge in a gut-full of goodness