9 Healthy Eats in Los Angeles

When in Los Angeles: in the hustle-bustle of bright lights, city life, busy streets, and everything in between, you would probably love to treat your body with the best, most delicious, and healthiest meal. Of course, you won’t settle for anything less. Here are 9 of the best restaurants that you can try around Los Angeles, and they’re all serving healthy dishes!

Acai Nation

If you want to try Acai (a very tasty berry with a lot of the good stuff to offer to make your body healthier than ever) and reap its health benefits through awesome dishes,  Acai Nation is a good place to start. Acai Nations boasts organic acai bowls for that quick and healthy morning breakfast.

Acai is a powerful and highly energetic fruit full of antioxidants and rich in amino acids. You can customize your own here, or go for the classic acai bowl with acai, blueberries, granola and mango.

Gracias Madre

If you’re in the vicinity of the western edge of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, you can try out Gracias Madre. This restaurant features vegan Mexican cuisine in a gorgeous, sun-splashed space. Their team of chefs serves meat-free and dairy-free versions of Mexican favorites like the flautas de camote, made with sweet potatoes and caramelized onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, cashew nacho cheese and cilantro, served with black beans.

They have El Plato: butternut squash, cashew nacho cheese, chorizo mushrooms, cilantro pesto, escabeche, rice, pico de gallo, black beans and house-made tortillas.

Weekend brunch on the expansive outdoor patio is a also popular destination, with highlights like the tofu ranchero scramble and the chimichanga with tempeh chorizo.

Their beverage director curates an extensive menu of small batch mezcals and tequilas, organic wines and spirits, and cocktails prepared with seasonal ingredients and house-made syrups, bitters and tinctures. House Margaritas include playful variations like “The Big Lebowski”-inspired The Dude Abides, with mezcal, house-made almond milk horchata, and vanilla cinnamon agave.

Cafe Gratitude

Café Gratitude is one of the popular organic plant-based cuisine that supports local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly products. With a highly extensive menu, there is always something here for everyone.

You can start with roasted garnet yams, with a choice of spicy cashew nacho cheese or a coconut mint chutney. For a sandwich or wrap, choose between lasagna, a Mediterranean raw wrap, a veggie burger made in-house with a black bean patty or a variety of bowls, like the community bowl featuring shredded kale, black beans, garlic tahini sauce, local brown rice or quinoa.

Oh, by the way, profits from this bowl go to a charitable organization that inspired the eatery’s creator.

Real Food Daily

Ann Gentry opened the first Real Food Daily in 1993 in Santa Monica, and since then, they have expanded to locations in West Hollywood and Pasadena. Gentry’s 100 percent organic plant-based menu – which is more famously dubbed as “gourmet whole food cuisine” – has garnered critical praise throughout the whole foodie community.

Real Food Daily, or the RFD, approach features the “Real Food Meal”, which is a balanced selection of foods that represent the five elements of Eastern health philosophy: brown rice, beans, daily greens, land and sea vegetables, pressed salad, and a choice of one dressing or sauce. Their bestseller, Mexico City Tacos, features two crispy tacos, red chili beans, tempeh, peppers, melted cashew cheese, avocado, jicama slaw and Spanish rice.

Meanwhile, they also have The Real Food Burger, which is made with lentil mushroom, caramelized onions, arugula, housemade pickled jalapeño and chipotle aioli on toasted ciabatta. They have seasonal specials such as the Classic Comfort: herbed quinoa lentil loaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, golden gravy, sautéed broccolini and cranberry coulis.

Locali

Known as the first organic deli/natural foods market hybrid convenience store, Locali organic menu caters to vegans and meat lovers alike. Almost any sandwich can be made with vegetarian or gluten free substitutions. All meats are of the highest quality and are antibiotic, hormone and gluten free.

Choose from a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, quinoa bowls, organically produced salads, and even enjoy freshly brewed coffee or espresso, made from water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis.

SunCafe Organic

SunCafe features a rustic World Cuisine menu of vegan meals and raw dishes made with fresh, organic ingredients. Many dishes and desserts are gluten-free, or can be made so upon request.

Lettuce tacos are a popular raw starter, made with Sun Chorizo, nacho cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeño, green onion and cashew sour cream.

Another favorite is the cornmeal crusted tempeh sliders – avocado, pickled radish, arugula, chipotle mayo on a mini wheat roll.

A standout pizza is the Farmers Market, featuring the chef’s seasonal selection of local and organic ingredients.

Hearty entrees include the farro risotto, made with roasted acorn squash and almond milk puree, topped with chanterelle mushrooms and fresh thyme.

The Veggie Grill

Based in Santa Monica, Veggie Grill is a burgeoning vegetarian chain with locations in California, Oregon and Washington. It’s one of the best restaurants near the Pantages Theater that offers the most delicious and healthiest meals.

Here, you can try starters like the Mondo Nachos, or what they call the chicasa taco, which is a blend of veggie proteins, caramelized onions, mashed avocado, Veggie Grill cheese, jalapeños, soy cream and corn chips.

They have massive entree salads which includes the popular All Hail Kale with marinated kale, quinoa, red cabbage slaw, corn salsa, agave-roasted walnuts, and ginger-papaya vinaigrette.

They also feature their BLTA with smoky tempeh bacon, sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro pesto tossed arugula and aioli mayo on grilled sourdough.

For those avoiding bread, sandwiches can be ordered “kale style.” Bowls include the Harvest Bowl: Field Roast sausage, herb-roasted veggies, super grains, steamed kale, porcini mushroom and miso gravy, and hemp seeds.

Simply Salad

Simply Salad provides a delicious, healthy alternative for lunch or dinner, combining healthy ingredients with freshly satisfying flavors. Here, each salad bursts with a bright mix of sweet and savory ingredients, and is paired with a variety of dressings. You can also choose to make it into a wrap using fresh, natural tortilla.

Create your own or choose a signature salad like the The Hipster, with romaine, grilled chicken, goat cheese, dried cherries, candied walnuts, and granny smith apples. For the more adventurous type, try the Seared Samurai, combining romaine and veggies with seared ahi tuna and edamame.

The Springs

The Springs features a 13,000 square-foot oasis of wellness that boasts of an organic juice bar, raw vegan restaurant and wine bar, yoga studio and a holistic healing center. To match the Arts District’s creative vibe, The Springs invite street artists Angelina Christina and Ease One to create murals for the exterior and the yoga studio. On the other hand, their team of chefs create an entirely organic, raw vegan menu: nothing is heated over 118 degrees.

Starters include the reuben collard wrap (collards, marinated mushrooms, thousand island dressing, sauerkraut, dill pickles) and the spicy “tuna” roll: nori, spicy “tuna” pate, cucumber, greens, avocado and chipotle mayo. The sweet miso salad is made with massaged kale, mixed greens, miso dressing, sea palm, cucumber, cilantro, green onions, orange segments, avocado and sesame seeds.

Featured entrees include spaghetti alla carbonara with kelp and zucchini noodles, black pepper cream, smoked coconut bacon, peas, asparagus, mint, coconut yolk and black olive oil. The wine bar features organic, sustainable, and biodynamic wines from the West Coast, served on tap. The Springs also offers a selection of organic beers.