We’ve scoured the city of Houston for the restaurants serving dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. Some were chosen for their use of clean proteins and local ingredients, others were valued for their extensive menu options, or for catering to a particular lifestyle. All are delicious, and assuming you don’t eat the vegan cheesecake, are mostly guilt-free.
Skinny Rita’s Grille is not just another Tex-Mex joint. Here, they serve up Mexican food in a healthier way. For starters, everything is cooked in coconut oil, the meat is naturally raised, antibiotic, and hormone-free, and cactus tortillas and all-natural stone ground wheat tortillas are made fresh daily. Cactus tortillas are made with cactus flour instead of the regular white, which results in a corn tortilla texture. For vegans, there’s a quinoa chile relleno or the roasted pepper and corn pesto enchiladas.
Green Seed Vegan, which bloomed out of a food truck into a fully functioning vegan empire, is the brainchild of two Houston natives, Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry. At Green Seed, tacos are made with walnuts instead of ground beef, and fries are made of cauliflower. These crispy, pillowy, perfectly seasoned cauliflower nuggets are so good you will forget that potatoes and meat even existed. Their menu may be entirely vegan but with a wide array of raw items, juices, and elixirs, there’s something for just about everyone.
Freshii is a health-conscious restaurant with one goal in mind: ‘Eliminate the excuse that people don’t eat well.’ Their menu features wraps and bowls like the ‘Mediterranean,’ a lively mix of cucumbers, cilantro, feta, and almonds on a bed of quinoa and greens in a red pepper sauce. Clocking in at 510 calories and only $8, this is just one of many healthy and affordable options at Freshii. Add a juice like the ‘Mighty Detox’ and enjoy them both for under $15.
This is not your mama’s salad bar. Salad Extravaganza features over 70 nutritious toppings along with a plethora of meat and produce based proteins to create the salad of your dreams. When they say extravaganza, they aren’t kidding, an average salad weighs over three pounds. But unlike other chains, they don’t charge by weight. Meaning each salad is a set cost and you can load up with as many veggies as you like.
Fit Fuel is an innovative restaurant combining two things that don’t usually go together: convenience and fresh, healthy food. Inspired by their own struggle to find a fun restaurant that would also compliment their active lifestyle, Fit Fuel was born, bringing forward wholesome alternatives to fast food that are free of both GMOs and unhealthy oils. Start your day with ‘muscle gains,’ a grass-fed top sirloin, with egg whites, sweet potato, mushrooms and an ezekiel muffin. As a bonus, the nutritional information is listed on all of their menu items.
Years ago, Pat Greer, the co-founder of Houston’s Central City Co-op was tasked with figuring out what to do with an overabundance of leftover organic produce. She got cooking and it wasn’t long before raw treats like her spinach curry ‘krackers’ got people talking and inspired her to open up a restaurant. Since its opening in 2000, Pat Greer’s Kitchen has been using locally sourced ingredients to deliver plant-based, raw cuisine to the city of Houston. Revolving around the local produce, the menu changes weekly and the best part is everything is to-go, making it a smart and delicious alternative to regular takeout.
Ruggles Green has branded itself ‘the greenest restaurant in Texas’ and for good reason. While they have several locations, their Houston City Centre location is the first in the state and second in the nation to be awarded four-star certification by the Green Restaurant Association. This means that along with their promise to serve locally grown produce, free of trans-fats and GMOs, they are also committed to the reduction of water waste, disposables, and pollution. Enjoy a buffalo burger or one of 35+ gluten-free options, and know you’re treating your body well as well as your community.
Since 2010, Snap Kitchen has been providing health-conscious, take-away meals and cold-pressed juices with the highest quality ingredients. Catering to a multitude of lifestyles, they offer paleo-friendly and non-dairy options, the best part being that all of the hard work is done for you. Expertly crafted by chefs and portion controlled, all you have to do is grab and go. If you’re going to be working late, get a chicken and broccoli hash for later. Life may be crazy, but they make healthy eating a snap.
The Austin institution that is Juiceland has finally made its way to Houston with a new location in The Heights. Choose from a wide array of fresh juices, smoothies, shots, and hot beverages. If you’re in the mood for a juice (and possibly had too much to drink the night before) try the ‘recovery punch’, a refreshing blend of lime, watermelon, pineapple, beet, and coconut water topped off with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt. Getting hydrated never tasted so good.
Tout Suite may be a bakery, but don’t let that deter you. The menu includes healthy options like the ‘avocado toast’ with fresh radishes. Their eclectic menu also features açaí bowls, pitaya bowls, and chia pudding. In the açaí bowl, açaí, a berry reminiscent of blueberry, is blended until creamy and topped with banana, berries, and granola, making it a perfect post-workout or afternoon snack. Start or end your day with Tout and it’s sure to be sweet.
