The Best Health Food Restaurants In Chicago

Chicago
Chicago | © Roman Boed/Flickr
Samantha Looney

Traveling and eating healthy don’t usually seem to go together, but luckily, Chicago makes it easy. With delicious restaurants full of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, no matter what your dietary needs, the Windy City will keep your stomach full and give you all the energy you need to run. We’ve compiled a list of the best restaurants with the healthiest food.

1. Chicago Raw

Restaurant, Healthy, Vegetarian, American

Mini Sizes
© Chicago Raw
Chicago Raw is a health-conscious café that serves uncooked, 100% plant-based whole foods. The healing mission of the restaurant is to raise awareness worldwide about the health benefits of incorporating raw foods into your diet. With everything from spinach lasagna to raw raviolis to calcium dinosaur kale chips, we promise you’ll want to come back and share the positive energy with all of your friends and help encourage them on their own journey to health. Be sure to grab the goji berry bliss smoothie on your way out for spoonfuls of antioxidants and pure bliss.

2. Heartland Café

Restaurant, Cafe, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Vietnamese

Grass-fed Burger
© Burgerlounge/Wikicommons

At this artsy and eclectic restaurant, they use local, organic ingredients whenever possible. Whether you’re craving an omelette with farm-fresh eggs or a grass-fed burger, Heartland Café has got you covered. With gluten-free and vegan options as well as all-day breakfast, this is the perfect place to appease everyone’s dietary desires.

3. Mana Food Bar

Restaurant, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Sesame Noodles | © Alan C./Flickr
© Alan C./Flickr

Located in Wicker Park, Mana Food Bar is a trendy spot for vegetarians, vegans, and health food lovers alike. The small plates are so flavorful and delicious you won’t even realize you aren’t eating meat. They focus on seasonal ingredients and ethnic flavors, so popular menu items include sesame noodles, gyoza, gold potato gnocchi, and bi bim bop. Whatever you do, don’t leave without getting the chocolate, peanut butter, banana, and almond milk smoothie.

5. LYFE Kitchen

Restaurant, American, Gluten-free, Vegan

Margherita Flatbread Pizza
© Viviandnguyen_/Flickr

With gluten-free flatbreads, quinoa bowls, and grass-fed burgers, LYFE Kitchen has all of the best health food options to bring you back to life after hanger strikes. The restaurant is all about freeing your ‘self’ and invigorating the moments of your life. With both a positive overall energy and a variety of gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan options, this is the perfect place to go no matter what your dietary needs or preferences are.

6. Nana

Restaurant, American

Nana offers local, organic, and sustainable food. They work with local farmers to make sure they know where their food is coming from, so they can guarantee you are putting the healthiest options into your body. All of their products are free of synthetic preservatives, growth hormones, GMOs, antibiotics, artificial coloring, and pesticides. Nana serves American food with Latin American and Mexican flare, so you can choose from options like avocado fries, grilled spicy shrimp and oyster po’boy, and bacon-brie mashed potatoes.

7. Victory’s Banner Restaurant

Restaurant, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Raw Vegan Patty
© Nuagecafe/Wikimedia Commons

Everyone who works here is a student of meditation studying with the Indian Spiritual Master, Sri Chinmoy, so the entire environment of the restaurant exudes peace, joy, light, and love. The zen-like atmosphere only adds to the joy you’ll feel when you take a bite of the Brahma Burrito or the raspberry and Nutella French toast. Top it all off with the bottomless chai, and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a restaurant in the middle of India. The restaurant is only open from 8am-3pm, and it’s closed on Tuesdays.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
close-ad
Edit article