{"id":430745,"date":"2025-12-07T10:14:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T10:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/430745\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T10:14:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T10:14:30","slug":"exclusive-nycs-pura-vidas-not-as-healthy-as-it-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/430745\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | NYC’s Pura Vida’s not as healthy as it claims"},"content":{"rendered":"

A hot new NYC \u201cpremier wellness and lifestyle brand\u201d that bills itself as a \u201cbeacon of health-conscious living,\u201d is giving fit foodies a serious case of indigestion after the revelation of \u201castronomical\u201d salt and fat content<\/a> on its menu items.<\/p>\n

The wildly popular Pura Vida Miami<\/a> has taken NYC by storm with six new locations \u2014 including Bryant Park, NoMad and the Upper East Side \u2014 in recent months and has a devoted clientele despite its heart-stopping prices, including a $30 Jen\u2019s herb salad with oven-roasted salmon, $26 spicy tuna bowl and $14 Miami mocha \u201csuperfood smoothie.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the sodium and fat amounts in several staples are making a mockery of health recommendations, shocked devotees said after discovering the appetite-killing nutrition table.<\/p>\n

A dietician told The Post that Pura Vida \u201cgives all the good, all natural vibes, but it\u2019s a health halo and you can\u2019t allow yourself to be fooled by it.\u201d Helayne Seidman<\/p>\n

Favorites including the $19 tuna sprout sandwich \u2014 with 145 grams of fat and sodium levels pushing 3,000 mg \u2013 dwarf the amounts in a McDonald\u2019s Big Mac, with 34 grams of fat and 1,060 mg of sodium.<\/p>\n

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day of sodium \u2014 with a daily goal of 1,500 mg a day \u2014 for most adults, while the Mayo Clinic recommends a target fat range of 44 to 78 grams based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to cry \u2013 that just destroyed my entire life. I feel betrayed,\u201d bemoaned Audrey Jongens, food influencer from the social media foodie account, The VIP List<\/a>, who eagerly awaited the new NYC locations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kale Chicken Caesar wrap\u2019s 93 grams of fat and 1,350 calories deserves jail time and the sodium amounts for my other favorites have me questioning my entire life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The shattered foodie added she\u2019s \u201cmore upset about this than when my ex cheated on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cult followers are similarly crushed, knowing one menu item alone can far exceed daily recommended values of fat and sodium.<\/p>\n

This graphic compares the fat and sodium content of Pura Vida\u2019s Tuna Sprout sandwich with \u201cunhealthy\u201d fast food options. Jack Forbes \/ NY Post Design<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite \u201ccarefully curating\u201d their \u201cingredient choices,\u201d the appetite-killing menu contains some whopping sodium levels pushing double the daily goal.\u201d Helayne Seidman<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m obsessed with Pura Vida, but I feel like I\u2019ve gotten fat,\u201d NYC marketing specialist Racine Levy told The Post, noting the Perfect Egg Sandwich\u2019s 3,160 mg of sodium. \u201cI felt like I was eating healthy because it\u2019s Pura Vida, but it always felt very salted up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great for the Instagram story, but is it good for my gut? I feel like I\u2019m shelling out a small fortune to get fat,\u201d said the disillusioned diner, conceding, \u201cbut I\u2019m still going to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

One body\u2013conscious devotee moaned, \u201cThese are astronomical numbers. The Crunchy Veggie wrap, which I eat twice a week, has 96 grams of fat and almost 2000 mg of sodium.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s Big Mac has 34 grams of fat and 1,060 milligrams of sodium. Ming \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jen\u2019s Herb salad has 46 grams of fat? This is a Big Mac in arugula\u2019s clothing. It feels more like \u2018Pura Morta.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When her UES best friend recently had surgery, the \u201cone thing she wanted\u201d was Pura Vida, said Jillian Bamberger of Tribeca, who hand-delivered the tuna sandwich to her convalescing buddy. Turns out it was twice the daily recommended fat value.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the appeal is that you think it\u2019s healthy. It gives off such healthy vibes,\u201d said the \u201cobsessed\u201d Bamberger, who favors Pura Vida\u2019s PB Lover acai bowl with 62 grams of sugar, more than double the 25 grams recommended for women.<\/p>\n

Pura Vida, whose motto is \u201cWhere health is happiness,\u201d bills itself as an \u201call day cafe,\u201d festooning its outposts with its signature boho and beach vibe decor and crown of lush foliage. <\/p>\n

The irresistibly cool vibe has drawn a cult following since co-founders Omer and Jennifer Horev opened the first South Beach spot in 2012.<\/p>\n

Pura Vida\u2019s Tuna Spout sandwich has145 grams of fat and 2,930 milligrams of sodium. PURA VIDA MIAMI\/ Facebook<\/p>\n

NYU registered dietician Lisa Young<\/a> said believing every menu item is the carte blanche key to health \u201ccan get you in trouble.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone who has hypertension, that regular consumption can become dangerous over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Post reached out to Pura Vida for comment. <\/p>\n

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