Your favorite restaurants for healthy food

[sushigirlie]

Any type of restaurant is OK so long it is notably committed to healthy food. For example: Real Food Daily and Urth Caffe.

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Urth Caffe
267 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Real Food Daily
414 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048

[carter]

Had not been to Les Salades de Provence in Weho, but am glad I went for lunch today.

Superb listing of salads, delicious soups from what I hear, yet had a very tasty crepe Luberon with bacon & emmenthaler, etc., which came with roasted potatoes and nice greens.

Most items in the $9-12 range and definitely more than filling.

Had bite of a piece of cheesecake drizzled with marmalade, which,while not usually my thing, really was good.

corner of Holloway & La Cienega, behind CVS Pharmacy.

[shruti108]

Govinda's is excellent! Delicious healthy food.
Affordable prices. Good value.
Vegetarian (and vegan-friendly) but great for all.
Friendly staff!

http://lalive.info/govindas/
3764 Watseka Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034

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Govinda's Natural Foods Vegetarian Buffet & Dinner Club
3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

[scottca075]

El Tepeyec.

[Servorg]

lol

[tenxtone76]

Forage in Silverlake (good broccoli, cauliflower and more), and A-Won on Vermont (great sashimi salad rice bowl).

[soniabegonia]

Tender Greens
Mrs. Winstons
Mendocino Farms
Samosa House
Bergamot Cafe
California Chicken Cafe
Le Pain Quotidien
Lemonade
Most sushi places but I stay from large predator fishes
Heck, I consider most Japanese & Korean food to be healthful - give me rice, noodles, pickled veggies & grilled or stewed meats/fish any day of the week. As long as I get a balanced meal (ie, not a giant hunk of meat or an enormous bowl of noodles with not much else), I consider it healthful.

[westsidegal]

stewed meat, in almost all restaurants, is a caloric and sodium wild card.
there is no telling how much grease is in the mix.
in college, when i used to cook professionally, adding grease to all stew concoctions assured getting good taste reviews.

grilled stuff, otoh, is more transparent/predictable in terms of the fat and sodium content.

[maudies5]

My favorite restaurant for what I consider to be healthy food is Huckleberry. Farmer's market -fresh fruit and vegetables. Very light hand with mayo. Even their tuna salad is mayo-free and delicious. I think that the chopped chicken salad is the best I have ever had. Now, having said that, it is always a challenge to walk out of there without a calorie-loaded dessert.:)

[Windy]

I'd add Vietnamese to Japanese and Korean as a basically healthy cuisine. There's a fair amount of sodium in the fish sauces and rice vinegars, but otherwise pretty light hand with sauces.

[d_doubleyew]

Have you tried Eco-Asian in DTLA (opposite SugarFish)? Supposed to be a place for healthy noodles...I haven't tried it yet...

Coming soon to 7th St in DTLA, I heard, was a chain called Freshii, where you customize salads etc. (like Loose Leaf?)

[goodhealthgourmet]

there are Freshii locations in Brentwood, HWood & Mid-City already. Yelp reviews here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/freshii-los-angeles
http://www.yelp.com/biz/freshii-los-angeles-2
http://www.yelp.com/biz/freshii-los-a...

[afs]

Far from helathy, tasty, fresh or good. If you consider an asian chicken noodle special kept warm under heat lamps healthy, then yes it's healthy.

[lac582]

Second Mrs. Winston's in Santa Monica (lunch only), or if you're in Miracle Mile there's always Inaka.

[sushigirlie]

I've always had a good experience at Cru in Silver Lake. The kelp noodles I had last time were outstanding.

[MizEvie]

Raw Food in Santa Monica

[goodhealthgourmet]

do you mean Planet Raw (formerly Juliano's Raw)?

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Planet Raw
609 Broadway Ste 101, Santa Monica, CA 90401

[citizenx]

Or Euphoria Loves Rawvolution on Main?

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Euphoria Loves Rawvolution
2301 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

[goodhealthgourmet]

could be - i assumed Planet Raw because the name was less of a stretch from what she posted.

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Planet Raw
609 Broadway Ste 101, Santa Monica, CA 90401

[vnbuckmaster]

I would suggest the Green Temple in Redondo beach - off of Catalina. http://www.greentemple.net/
An incredibly peaceful restaurant close to the beach - vegetarian, healthy and the food is
excellent.

[westsidegal]

On your way to Green Temple, in Hermosa Beach, THE SPOT.

[sarahbeths]

I am always wondering this.

Mine so far include
Tender Greens in culver city
Govinda's (Krishna Buffet in Culver City)
Shikibu (brown rice sushi in, you guessed it, can you tell I live in Culver City?)
Native Foods
Urth (that salad, man!)
Literati Cafe
Bulan Vegetarian Thai
Mrs Winston's Green Grocery
Sage (silverlake area vegan)

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Tender Greens
9523 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Govinda's Natural Foods Vegetarian Buffet & Dinner Club
3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

[tissue]

Tender Greens

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Tender Greens
6290 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

[d_doubleyew]

Downtown LA and adjacent:
Mendocino Farms (5th and Flower)
Cabbage Patch (6th and Grand)
Ochoa Mexican Grill (6th and Hope)
Lemonade (5th and Flower)
Homegirl Cafe (opposite Chinatown subway stop)

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Homegirl Cafe
130 Bruno St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mendocino Farms
444 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

[goodhealthgourmet]

Cabbage Patch, Mendocino Farms and Lemonade all have Westside locations in addition to the ones Downtown.

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Cabbage Patch
214 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA

Mendocino Farms
300 S Grand Ave Ste Lp40, Los Angeles, CA 90071

[sushigirlie]

I second all these (but haven't been to Homegirl Cafe).

[westsidegal]

+1 for Homegirl Cafe

[WhiteandBlackSwan]

Fresh Corn Grill
www.freshcorngrill.com
1510 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Their grilled salmon, corn soup, and grilled corn salad are very good.

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Fresh Corn Grill
1510 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

[sushigirlie]

Let me add Lemonade to my old (must-have-been flame (not-that-RFD-and-Urth-CafFe-are-"bad")) thread.

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Urth Caffe
267 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

[KatMeow]

Follow your Heart in Canoga Park is BY FAR the best healthy food I have ever had. My mother (who has shopped at farmers markets and only eats organic and vegan for 25 years) ate there when she was pregnant with me, and I have a permanent obsession. The salads, soups, and their Mexican dishes are so good. It's worth the trip.

I've also always liked RFD (Real Food Daily). It's kind of expensive for what it is, but it feels fresh and not overly seasoned.

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Canoga Cafe
6200 Canoga Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

[sushigirlie]

Thanks to everybody so far. Great suggestions!

Indeed, RFD is my fav. I eat there at least once a week.

[eatingculture]

Forage in Silverlake for their sides or Euphoria Loves Rawvolution (I know, the name is a bit much, but the food is good!) in Santa Monica. Both are a little oil and salt heavy to be considered REALLY healthy, but delicious and nutritious nonetheless. Shojin in Little Tokyo for Shojin Ryori (traditional Japanese vegetarian) cuisine.

I really want to try Stuff I Eat soon!

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Shojin
333 S Alameda St Ste 310, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Euphoria Loves Rawvolution
2301 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Stuff I Eat
114 N Market St, Inglewood, CA 90301

[sushigirlie]

Euphoria Loves Rawvolution is pretty amazing. Their kale chips are outrageously good considering that a) they're made from kale; and b) they're raw.

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Euphoria Loves Rawvolution
2301 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

[Emme]

Also forgot about Eduardo's Mexican Grill at Westwood and Santa Monica. Very clean food.

California Fresh on Westwood

and while they have some less healthy things, California Chicken Cafe seems to be in favor of healthy...

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California Fresh
2000 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Eduardo's Mexican Restaurant
513 W 6th St, Corona, CA 92882

[catbert]

panera?
according to yahoo! (today?) it's the healthiest fast food

[Searching4Dunny]

Panera's sandwiches are loaded with calories. I haven't been in a while so maybe the menu items have changed and I'm sure you could find some low cal items but I definitely would not categorize it as healthy food. I think it is more like Corner Bakery.

[westsidegal]

not to mention that Panera baked goods, imho, look a lot better than they taste.
not worth the calories.
i don't even think of them as a real bakery.. . . .

[sushigirlie]

Agreed.

[Faulkner99]

Stuff I Eat in Inglewood on Market. Food is made with such care, and the flavors are amazing. I balked at going to a vegan restaurant but I'm so glad I finally did. I'm shocked they're not more popular.

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Stuff I Eat
114 N Market St, Inglewood, CA 90301

[1newyorkguy]

I went once and loved their black eyed pea soup and the vegan mac and cheese.

[The Chowhound Team]

We split off some discussion about possible health risks of sodium to a new thread on the Not About Food board. You can find that thread here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/740665

[raytamsgv]

What is your definition of "healthy"? Does it require foods to be low-sodium? Most restaurant dishes tend to be high in sodium.

[sushigirlie]

I think a restaurant should be conscious of sodium, because it's a major health concern. Ideally, their menu is chock full of high-class, flavorful food that doesn't need a lot of salt or saturated fat.

[raytamsgv]

Thanks for the reply. Most people don't consider sodium when classifying foods as unhealthy or healthy. Even if you look at the other posts, they don't mention anything about low-sodium. I have yet to find a restaurant that serves consistently good low-sodium dishes.

[josephnl]

Seasons 52 in South Coast Plaza is a pretty interesting concept in low calorie, low fat food. Everything on their menu is less than 475 calories...and they use no cream or butter in any cooking. Portions are quite substantial, and food is quite tasty. They keep calories down by tricks such as Shrimp with Penne Pasta having more vegetables than pasta, and using a low fat, but very flavorful lemony herb sauce on the dish. Quite tasty and healthy. Also, their flatbreads are low cal because they use a very thin crust, very little cheese, but very flavorful toppings such as figs, arugula and balsamic vinegar or sliced tomatoes with lots of fresh basil. Also, they have a neat dessert concept...very small but rich desserts which are low cal because of size, and only $2.75...they present 6 or 8 on a special tray and you select your favorite. It's a pretty interesting concept. You eat healthy, but don't feel like you're giving up anything.

[OC Mutt]

I've eaten at Seasons52 many times over the years, previously when I visited Orlando FLA and now in Costa Mesa, their food is quite tasty and I like the concept. The service is always attentive and professional, but lf the food does not arrive hot, send it back. This is their only problem and to their credit they've been nothing but gracious when it has happened. I want the place to succeed because I like the concept and the food so I hope that they fix this issue.

[Dommy]

Lemonade... love their salads with veggies and grains... topped with seared tuna...

--Dommy!

[Servorg]

Dommy, would you add Green Peas into this equation?

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Green Peas
4437 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA

[maudies5]

I'm a big fan of La Provence in Brentwood (3rd floor of Brentwood Gardens). Healthy, well-prepared food. Many excellent veggie options.

[Dommy]

Oh totally! Although I didn't think of it first because my favorite item there is the Curry Chicken Salad, which even the vegan version has a fair amount of calories and fat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dommichu...

Dommy!

[sushigirlie]

Thank you. This was an excellent, excellent suggestion.

[Mr Taster]

Dommy is full of excellent suggestions. And you didn't even ask about Mexican food! :)

Mr Taster

[sushigirlie]

Forget Gjelina: I'm going to Lemonade!

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Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, USA

[Otius Gojius]

Vinh Loi Tofu
http://www.vinhloitofu.com/menu.htm

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Vinh Loi Tofu
18625 Sherman Way Ste 101, Reseda, CA 91335

[libra20]

Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon. Very pretty location on a nice sunny day. http://innoftheseventhray.com

I also second Interim Cafe in Santa Monica. It is one of the few places that serves organic chicken/turkey.

[Emme]

lots of solid recs already, so i'll just add a few...

Eat Well on Santa Monica in WeHo
Greenleaf Chop Shop for salads
Cabbage Patch
Mani's
Govinda's Natural Food
Eat Good Stuff

...i have other places that offer plenty of healthy options/sections on menu, but not specifically committed to healthy.

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Eat Well
3916 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Govinda's Natural Foods Vegetarian Buffet & Dinner Club
3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Cabbage Patch
214 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA

[mollyomormon]

Likewise. For instance, Mendocino Farms has some delicious healthy options, but isn't specifically committed to healthy food.

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Mendocino Farms
300 S Grand Ave Ste Lp40, Los Angeles, CA 90071

[goodhealthgourmet]

+1 on all of mollyomormomon's recs.

some others to consider:
The Firehouse
Figtree's Cafe
Coral Tree Cafe
Newsroom
Interim Cafe
The Spot

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Figtree's Cafe
429 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291

Coral Tree Cafe
11645 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

[westsidegal]

love the spot.
imho they are much stronger in their mexican inspired entrees than they are in their asian-inspired entrees.
i recommend the Super Burrito. ask for sides of both their red salsa and their green salsa to accompany it.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i don't eat there anymore because practically everything has either soy or wheat (or both!) in it, but i used to love the place.

[DrBruin]

I like the Good Stuff in Redondo, Malibu Fish Grill (off of PCH in Redondo Beach) and California Fish Grill (next to Veggie Grill). Basically, it's not all healthy (i.e. they have fries) but you can get a piece of fish, simply grilled with some rice.

[reality check]

Though I haven't been in years, and they maybe closed, for all I know, but Lavish Wraps in Pasadena. Always stopped by for a wrap, after a hike in Pasadena. I loved their hummus.

[mollyomormon]

A Votre Sante, Sauce on Hampton, Hugo's, M Cafe de Chaya and Mrs. Winston's are some of my favorites.

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A Votre Sante
13016 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

M Cafe de Chaya
9433 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

[westsidegal]

just to update your post:
the culver city location of M Cafe de Chaya has been replaced by a new Native Foods restaurant.

[wienermobile]

Veggie Grill
http://www.veggiegrill.com/

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Veggie Grill
720 S Allied Way, El Segundo, CA 90245

[Mr Taster]

Yeah, a colleague brought a bunch of Veggie Grill samples into our office. The "chickin'" sandwich was surprisingly good.

Mr Taster

[mstinawu]

Anything you would recommend there? I noticed one pop up recently in Torrance.