QUEENS — A new food stand in Downtown Jamaica seeks to offer healthy food options in a neighborhood struggling with high rates of obesity and dominated by fast food restaurants, the owner said.
Healthy Henry’s, which opened at the Jamaica Market earlier this week, offers organic teas, fresh salads and panini served with baked ingredients.
“We bake everything,” said the owner, Solomon Johnson, 42. “We bake rice, we bake pasta, we bake corn bread, we bake the chicken.”
The stand, open Monday through Saturday, also offers baked wings.
“It’s all about creating healthy options for the Jamaica community,” said Mary Reda of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, the nonprofit organization that operates the market.
“It’s very important because of high obesity rates [in the neighborhood],” Reda said. “Doing something like this will help people understand the importance of healthy food.”
Johnson, who is of Native American descent, said he learned to cook from his grandfather, Henry, and kept most of his original recipes.
To season his dishes, he said, he uses a lot of seasonings typical in Native American cuisine, including thyme, sage and sweet grass.
He also uses honey instead of sugar, he said.
The stand offers several breakfast options, including baked eggs ($3), spinach with aged white cheddar ($3) and French toast with various fruit choices ($4).
Patrons will also be able to choose from a variety of panini, including steak, served with onions and bell peppers ($6); chicken with fresh herbs and topped with white cheddar, onions and green bell peppers ($6.50); turkey topped with lettuce, tomato and cheese ($4.50) and tilapia baked in lemon herb butter sauce ($6.50).
Most sandwiches are served on semolina bread, Johnson said.
In the future, the owner said, the eatery will also offer fruit salads, granola and several seafood dishes.
Healthy Henry's is located at the Jamaica Market at 90-40-160th St., off Jamaica Avenue.
