The best places to eat healthily in London
Tasty, healthy goodness is just a recommendation away...
On the whole, it's fair to say that London is a city which gives plenty of opportunity for its inhabitants to be healthy. As, for every fast food burger joint and fried chicken house there's a smoothie bar and salad emporium... with associated Virgin Active gym.
However, healthy food doesn't always have the best reputation when it comes to flavour... maybe the idea of mung bean and alfalfa salad doesn't cut it with many of you, so we've put together a list of restaurants which don't just serve healthy food - but blinkin' tasty, healthy food.
This chain of Indian restaurants uses little oil and no cream in their cooking. Ordering a thali is a good way of getting a balanced meal comprising rice, vegetables, a chapati, dal and a salad. Also ideal for those on a budget.
Unusually for a Michelin-starred chef, Alexis Gauthier puts the calorie count of each dish on the menu. He is also a big fan of vegetables so they are rarely treated as a mere accompaniment. The reason is that Alain Ducasse-trained Gauthier was diagnosed with fatty liver disease in 2010, and he's had to watch what he eats ever since. For diners this means they can enjoy fine dining while keeping an eye on their waistline.
Mela
152-156 Shaftesbury Avenue WC2H 8JB
Mela keep the fat and oil content in their dishes to a minimum. Rather than focus on a specific region, the menu features dishes from all over India, with more unusual treats like lobster pepper fry curry and potatoes stuffed with cashew nuts and cooked in the tandoor oven.
Hummus Bros
37-63 Southampton Row WC1B 4DA
Take Away Food Shops
Opening Times
Every dish at Hummus Bros is hummus-based, examples include hummus with slow-cooked chunks of beef or tender chicken with sun-dried tomatoes. Eschew pitta bread in favour of gluten-free bread, rice crackers or carrot sticks for a super healthy dinner; and with desserts and salads available too you won’t leave hungry.
This Lebanese deli and restaurant has flavoursome dishes like tabbouleh and tagines as well as a range of hot and cold mezze. The naturally healthy Lebanese cuisine offered has earned them a place among the BBC’s top 10 healthiest restaurants in the UK.
At Wild Food Café everything is prepared freshly in front of you. The menu is vegetarian, with some vegan and some raw options, and everything is incredible tasty. Cheese comes from Neal’s Yard Dairy and some of the fresh ingredients are foraged.
Leon
275 Regent Street W1B 2HB
Leon may well be the best fast food chain in London. The fish finger wraps have cod and fresh herb tartare sauce, salads have things like mackerel, chicken, quinoa and avocado, meat is carefully sourced, they use olive oil in their cooking and everything has a low GI index, making you feel fuller for longer.
