CHIGuide

Where To Find Healthy Food That Doesn't Suck

Because sometimes you need a salad, whether you think so or not.
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Winter bod season is upon us, and it’s a dangerous time. Ramen on the regular and deep dish because it’s cold out and pizza makes us warm inside. The struggle is real, and we’ll be right there with you. And that’s why every now and then you should mix in a meal that your body won’t hate you for.Consider a salad or cold pressed juice before you totally let things unravel. Here are some healthy food options that don’t suck.

The Spots

Kitchfix Gold Coast

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New “healthy delivery options” pop up every day, and we wish we could be involved in those conversations. “I know what we’ll do! Food Delivery! Nobody else is doing it!” Brilliant. Kitchfix is one of the 37 million new businesses doing exactly that, except for also they opened up a storefront in Viagra Triangle too. Go hard on the yogurt and granola.


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Owen + Alchemy

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Owen & Alchemy calls itself a “juice apothecary,” and you’re going to need someone to give you drugs to solve the cold weather blues. The drugs at Owen + Alchemy happen to be healthy, cold pressed juices, plus some food to go along with it. That said, the juices are the star.


A vegan Korean restaurant that you might not have guessed was vegan if we didn’t just tell you. Want to eat something called the Dark Side Of The Moon? Well, now you can, and surprisingly it comes full of veggies over rice noodles instead of LSD. Stick to the veggie centric soups and stir fries.


Vegetarian

River North

$$$$Perfect For:Keeping It Kind Of HealthySerious Take-Out OperationVegetarians

All raw everything. On one hand, Chicago Raw has serious entrees like a garden burger made of “the ultimate ratio of seeds and vegetables without an ounce of oil or nuts,” which sounds a little extreme. But we do like the kale salad with lemon dressing and avocado, and the smoothies.


Super-foods are super for you. High-Vibe is a tiny storefront to grab things on the go, from cold pressed juices to superfood bombs, which sound dangerous and scary. But you should go to High-Vibe for their açaí bowls, blended with fresh pressed apple, banana, and honey, topped with all types of seeds, coconut, and fruit. You’ll be running around singing "I’m super, thanks for asking."


Mana Food Bar is the kind of hip vegetarian/vegan restaurant that we think would fit in nicely on the streets of L.A. You have the option of ordering things in small or large format, which means you can try a few items and figure out what you like. There’s also beer, sake, and wine, so if you get sick of trying to be healthy after five minutes you can just get drunk.


Yes, you can get a brisket or even a prime rib sandwich at Goddess & Grocer. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HAVE SOME SELF CONTROL. Someone’s gotta do it, and we know it’s probably not going to be us us. Stick to one of the meat-free sandwiches or a salad, which are all excellent and will keep you feeling nice and light.


Salad vending machines might not sound as exciting as candy vending machines, but we’ll reluctantly admit they’re better for us. The Farmer’s Fridge crew makes freshly made salads available out of vending machines at reasonable prices. Healthy and you don’t have to interact with humans? Win-win.


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Beatrix has established itself as a go-to for a good meal out that can still be relatively healthy. The salads are great, but entrees like chicken lightly coated in parmesan with roasted asparagus aren’t bad for you either. This is a good way to bridge the gap between gluttony and juice cleanse. The pastry counter is also full of great cookies and baked goods, but we probably shouldn’t tell you that.


The fast-casual chain is slowly taking over the world, just like how meat and cheese have probably taken over your arteries. That being said, there are a few items on the menu we’ve come to really like, and Lyfe is easy and satisfying when you’re in the mood. Try the quinoa crunch bowl and the banana-date smoothie.


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The spot to go for real food that lets you feel good about it all afterwards. Get a little wild eating baked polenta fries with a side of pesto dipping sauce, which are healthy because they are baked. We know that might be kind of cheating, but there are also plenty of things on the menu to help lower your cholesterol a bit.


We’ll be honest, as a whole, En Hakkore is not healthy. Bibim-bap? Not very healthy. Paratha tacos? Delicious, and very unhealthy. But the reason we’re pointing out En Hakkore is because of their sashimi-bap. Thirteen kinds of veggies, a healthy mix of sashimi grade tuna, salmon, white tuna, tilapia, and shrimp, plus a bit of brown rice and lettuce. Life saving, literally.


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Suggested Reading

The Best Chicago Walk-In Only Restaurants For When You Didn’t Make A Reservation image

The Best Chicago Walk-In Only Restaurants For When You Didn’t Make A Reservation

You didn’t make plans, so what should you do? Don’t panic, there are great restaurants that don’t take reservations anyway.

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Vegetarian

Noble SquareWest Town

Green Zebra in West Town is a great place to eat vegetarian food in a more formal and sophisticated setting. It's even good for a date.

Mana Food Bar image

Mana Food Bar in Noble Square is casual, interesting, and a great spot to try some new things that don't have meat in them.

Urban Vegan image

Urban Vegan is a Thai vegan restaurant in Uptown. Come here for things like tofu satay, a thai basil entree with soy chicken, and curry.

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