HOUSTON – Deets Hoffman’s love for food started early in Houston. His friends even joked in their yearbook that he would someday own a chain of sandwich shops. After earning a business degree and working in consulting and private equity focused on restaurants, Hoffman made that dream real in 2016. He opened Leaf & Grain to bring healthier, tasty options to Houston inspired by his childhood sandwich passion.
Leaf & Grain is a family affair, with Hoffman tweaking recipes and his mother crafting the dressings. Their goal is simple: prove you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for health. The restaurant offers chef-designed dishes and customizable meals that make eating well easy.
Popular dishes include the Alamo Grain Bowl, packed with avocado, Texas cheese blend, cherry tomatoes, black beans, local totopos, red onion, and roasted cage-free chicken thigh on brown rice and kale, tossed in chipotle-lime vinaigrette. Another favorite is the Mediterranean Protein Plate, featuring white basmati rice, roasted chicken thigh, tomato-mozzarella salad, warm chickpeas, broccolini, hummus, tzatziki, and house-made harissa.
With six locations, it’s no wonder Leaf & Grain was named best healthy restaurant in the Houston Chronicle’s 2025 readers’ choice awards.
- Memorial
- Briar Grove-Tanglewood
- West U
- Shops at Houston Center on McKinney Street
- One Allen Center
- Chase Tower
Everyday habits for healthy eating
As the new year inspires healthier habits, Hoffman shares simple mindful eating tips:
- Get good sleep to help control appetite and health.
- Don’t wait until you’re starving to eat. Snack on something healthy like an apple or nuts about 15 minutes before your usual hunger time.
- Build meals that keep blood sugar steady by combining protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods like leafy greens, avocados, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, berries, and vegetables. Limit refined carbs, sugar, and processed foods. Pair carbs with protein or fats to slow sugar absorption.
- Treat yourself with smart snacks like fruit smoothies instead of desserts, candy, or juice, which can derail your diet.
Pesto vinaigrette recipe
Hoffman also shares a favorite Leaf & Grain recipe — pesto vinaigrette, perfect on their Pesto Chicken Market Plate. Don’t prefer meat? No problem. Substitute the chicken with hearty chickpeas for a delicious, veggie-friendly option any time of day.
Ingredients:
- 30 grams garlic
- 50 grams water
- 20 grams fresh basil
- 20 grams fresh parsley
- 20 grams Parmesan cheese
- 6 grams salt
- 40 grams lemon juice
- 340 grams olive oil
Directions:
- Measure water into a blender.
- Add garlic, basil, parsley, and Parmesan.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add salt and lemon juice, blend briefly.
- Slowly add olive oil while blending to emulsify.
- Use an immersion blender to chop herbs finely — small pieces should remain visible.
- Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Watch Hoffman cook up this delicious recipe live at 1 p.m. on KPRC 2 or in the streaming video above.
Visit eatlg.com to find a location near you and start your healthy eating journey today.