Dining Guide | 6 Phoenix Restaurants to Help You Eat Healthier

So, you have picked out the perfect workout gear and signed up for the class (insert yoga, Pilates or cross fit here) and you are well on your way to being a better, healthier version of you. What’s next? If everything we read on Pinterest is true, those rock hard abs you are in search of are first made in the kitchen. What we eat has a greater impact on weight loss than any amount of exercise that you can do. To make sure that you get the biggest return on your personal investment we have sussed out some restaurants and dishes that are serving up exciting, nutritious and nourishing dishes right in your own backyard.

6 Phoenix Restaurants to Help You Eat Healthier

Bowl of Greens
555 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
602.795.9710
www.bowlofgreens.com
Bowl of Greens offers up a serious array of salad options to cater to your every craving. Step up to the counter and choose from over 30 fresh toppings, 15 flavorful dressings and 5 choices of power-packed proteins. If you get overwhelmed by all of the choices, which is certainly easy to do, they also have a few signature salads that have been carefully crafted. The Taboule salad is so fresh and filling, complete with chopped parsley, diced tomatoes, onions and cracked wheat dressed with the classic combination of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens up the ingredients and adding grilled shrimp creates a perfectly portioned and filling lunch option.

Green New American Vegetarian
2022 N. 7^th St., Phoenix
602.258.1870
www.greenvegetarian.com
When you have made a commitment to eat healthier but a bowl full of greens doesn’t make your heart flutter, Green offers up some 100% vegan re-imagined comfort food, allowing you to feel like you are easing into your new eating regime. When you can’t quiet your craving for a fast food fix, Green offers up their big WAC; 2 hand packed vegan burgers topped with their special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun. Sound familiar? Pair your sandwich with a Vimto juice; an incredibly refreshing concoction of grapes, raspberries, and black currants which is sure to put a little zing in your step.

Hula’s Modern Tiki
4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
602.265.8454
www.hulasmoderntiki.com
Hula’s offers a respectful nod to the classic tiki bars of the 50’s and 60s and puts their own twist on island fusion dishes. The tropical flavors lend a crispness to familiar dishes as well as a delightful surprise in those that are new to you. Hula’s offers an enticing variety of salads, fresh fish dishes along with other health-minded entrees, but if you really want your palate to thank you try their Ahi Wasabi Bowl. The Ahi tuna is perfectly seared on the outside while retaining that perfect ruby red on the inside while the wasabi cream sauce (don’t be fooled by the cream here, it’s a very light sauce) brings the perfect amount of heat to battle with the cool freshness of the tuna. Add in some crispy daikon against the buttery texture of the tuna and you have a brilliant contrast of textures.

Khyber Halal
4030 N. 24^th St., Phoenix
602.954.5290
www.khyberhalalfoods.com
One of the biggest struggles that people find when trying to eat healthier is getting bored with their food. There are certain dishes that seem to make it into rotation in your kitchen leading you to get bored and tempted to stray from your efforts. Adding some new flavors can be an easy way to get yourself back on track and Khyber Halal offers an eclectic mix of flavors from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Their Chicken Karahi combines flavorful bone-in chicken in a ginger, jalapeno and tomato based curry sauce along with a side of Naan. The strong flavors of the sauce are guaranteed to wake up your palate and will make this chicken dish anything but boring.

Loving Hut
3239 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix
602.264.3480
www.lovinghut.us
It certainly makes sense that a vegetarian or vegan diet is more healthy than not, with plenty of veggies, legumes, and grains. With any form of a diet, the selection and preparation of ingredients is key to releasing its benefits. You’ll find a variety of nutritious and invigorating dishes on the menu which will certainly make it hard to pick just one thing to order. Most all of the menu options have an Asian influence, though there are some American inspired dishes like their burgers and sandwiches. While all of the dishes are full of flavor and their own complexities, a serious contender for your new favorite dish is their Royal Noodle Soup. The soup is made up of rice noodles, oyster mushrooms and tofu all in a spicy lemongrass broth and is served alongside bean sprouts and fresh herbs. The fresh flavors of the herbs aligned with the slightly gingery notes of the lemongrass pair well in contrast to the earthy flavors of the mushrooms making for a very comforting dish.

S.E.E.D Café
3802 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix
602.626.7307
www.seedcafephoenix.com
What better way to start the day than with a hearty and clean breakfast in the same building that you can jump start your day in the healthiest of ways. S.E.E.D Café is located within the Madison Improvement Club where you can co-mingle with like-minded people looking to clear their mind and spirit with yoga and spin classes. So once you give yourself a little glow from the inside out you can feed your body with any one of their healthy and filling breakfast burritos. Two stand outs are their Turkado Chavokey and their Chickrizo. While breakfast burritos don’t immediately conjure up the most nutritious breakfast option, both of these burritos are hearty and chock full of the best available ingredients.

*This article, written by Taryn Jeffries, was originally featured in the September 2015 issue of Uptown Magazine.*