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17 Deliciously Healthy Restaurants in Metro Detroit

Light and wholesome meals that won't leave you wanting more

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It's a new year and a new you right? A few weeks in and perhaps you're already struggling with those health-focused 2017 resolutions. You know, the lose weight/start that juice cleanse/stop eating french fries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner mandate you gave yourself on at the stroke of midnight on January 1.

Whether you are looking for more ideas to keep up your new healthier eating habits or your resolutions ended before you even got started, here are some ideas for local spots that won't derail your quest to eat better food. Rest assured, it's not just all kale salads and green juice: with options such as tacos, sushi and, yes, even burgers, you can have it all. No more FOMO while your friends go out for dinner and you stay home with an iceberg lettuce salad.

Where's your favorite spot for a wholesome meal? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, Facebook,or community forums. Eater map points are organized geographically and never ranked.

Next Read: Metro Detroit's Freshest Juice and Smoothie Destinations

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Sprout House

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This cozy corner cafe in Grosse Pointe Park has been doing the natural foods thing before it was a thing. Customers adore the Southwest avocado sandwich and the homemade soups such as Thai peanut. It's also a grocery store, so it's a one-stop for fresh eating.

Detroit Vegan Soul

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Detroit Vegan Soul in West Village was borne out of a mission to make healthy food accessible to everyone and to stop the cycle of diet-related diseases that were affecting the owners' family. With dishes such as catfish tofu and seitan pepper steak, soul food can be a part of any healthy lifestyle.

7 Greens

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With choices such as the umami bomb (spinach, kale, kimchi, quinoa, carrots, mushrooms, edamame, bean sprouts, and a fried egg) and Dan Dan (romaine, mixed greens, green beans, dried cherries, pepitas, roasted brussels sprouts, and crumbled blue cheese) say goodbye to sad desk salads.

Cass Café

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This Midtown institution is a staple for students, residents and workers in the area who want to sip some coffee or a cocktail, peruse some art, grab a bite or all of the above. Known for its creative vegetarian options, Cass Cafe boasts plenty of plant-based fare, such as the house specialty lentil burger. There's also plenty for omnivores seeking lighter dishes such as the ahi tuna and turkey burger.

PJ's Lager House

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Hard to find healthy food in a bar? Then you haven't been to PJ's Lager House, which offers an eclectic menu that features locally-sourced fare made from scratch. The vegan biscuits and gravy are a hit even with the most hardcore carnivores and hearty salads teaming with tasty foodstuffs such as the Mediterranean will make you feel better about your choices while still enjoying a beer.

Ima's jicama tacos trade corn or flour tortillas for fresh Mexican turnip. The root vegetable vessel is then stuffed with a choice of roasted tofu, spicy shrimp, or garlic chicken and topped with wakame slaw, green chili hot sauce, and micro shiso. The salmon rice bowl is another lighter option packed with healthier fats.

Dearborn Meat Market

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Middle Eastern restaurants are a good bet when seeking food that is not only flavorful but also packed with veggies and protein. This meat shop has a small area in the back to watch the shish tawook, kabob and kafta as well as heart, kidney and liver cook in the open grill and then feast when it's done. Fresh hummus, salad, and baba ghannouj round out the protein fest. Bonus: It's easy on the wallet.

Brome Burgers & Shakes

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For some people, healthy and tasty are mutually exclusive. At Brome Burgers and Shakes, the restaurant aims to bust that myth. The beef is 100 percent organic grass-fed and there's also chicken and vegan options.

Courtesy of Brome Burgers & Shakes

Chive Kitchen

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This vegan spot in Farmington is not your typical plant-based fare, with a menu boasting big flavors, with influences from Portuguese, Western Europe, and California. Comfort food favorites get a makeover, with entrees such as portobello steak and fried chicken and grits that trade the poultry for seitan.

Sharaku

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When it's not drowning in spicy mayo and nacho cheese, sushi is one of the healthiest meals you can treat yourself to. This West Bloomfield institution is known for legit sushi that's fresh, traditional, and simple.

The Blue Nile

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Ethiopian food is full of good proteins, grains, and greenery. Many dishes feature lentils and vegetable-based stews spiced with berbere (a chili and spice blend) and injera bread to sop up all the goodness. Bring all your friends to partake in the Ethiopian feast, which includes all of the meat and vegetable dishes for $19.95 a person.

Greenspace Cafe

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If the owner of the restaurant is a heart doctor, then there's a good chance the eatery is going to be health-conscious. GreenSpace dishes up food as pretty as it is nutritious such as "cheese" boards featuring cashew cheese, forest mushroom gnocchi, and kimchee bokumbap (stir-fried short grain rice with veggies, house-made kim­chee, Kore­an chili sauce, and black and white sesame furikake).

Inn Season Cafe

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A Royal Oak staple for vegans and vegetarians since 1981, Inn Season Cafe is not only dedicated to physical health but also environmental and spiritual. The menu covers a lot of ground with burgers, stir fries, Mexican, and macrobiotic options.

Cacao Tree Cafe

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Over the green juice? Cacao Tree Cafe's fresh juices such as Beta Blast and Strong Heart will help you get out of your rut. Spike your smoothies with super foods such as hemp seed, maca, and bee pollen or down a shot of ginger-lemon or Fire-Breathing Dragon. "Nut" meat in raw dishes such as the quesadilla, burrito and General Tso's Lettuce Wraps pack a lot of flavor sans the saturated fat in the classic versions.

Chickpea Kitchen

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For a wholesome B.Y.O.B. (build your own bowl), head to Chickpea Kitchen in Sterling Heights. Pick your meat (chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, chicken kafta kabob, beef kafta kabob, and falafel), then your choice of toppings (cracked wheat or rice), choice of hummus (regular, roasted bell pepper or cilantro jalapeno), and then vegetables (lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips, and chickpeas, just to name a few).

2941 Street Food

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Health experts are always touting to "eat the rainbow," and with colorful offerings and a variety of street snacks, street platters, freshly baked samoon bread, salads, desserts, and juices, 2941 Street Food will help you do just that. You pick your meal (mini bowl, samoon sandwich, honest bowl and Bazaar Meal) and go from here to customize. There's also calorie information to keep you in check — definitely bring a friend to share the Bazaar Meal.

The Clean Plate

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The sister restaurant of Cacao Tree Cafe features cooked vegetarian and vegan fare that even carnivores find themselves enjoying. People rave about the avocado BLT, which features shiitake mushroom "bacon."

Sprout House

This cozy corner cafe in Grosse Pointe Park has been doing the natural foods thing before it was a thing. Customers adore the Southwest avocado sandwich and the homemade soups such as Thai peanut. It's also a grocery store, so it's a one-stop for fresh eating.

Detroit Vegan Soul

Detroit Vegan Soul in West Village was borne out of a mission to make healthy food accessible to everyone and to stop the cycle of diet-related diseases that were affecting the owners' family. With dishes such as catfish tofu and seitan pepper steak, soul food can be a part of any healthy lifestyle.

7 Greens

With choices such as the umami bomb (spinach, kale, kimchi, quinoa, carrots, mushrooms, edamame, bean sprouts, and a fried egg) and Dan Dan (romaine, mixed greens, green beans, dried cherries, pepitas, roasted brussels sprouts, and crumbled blue cheese) say goodbye to sad desk salads.

Cass Café

This Midtown institution is a staple for students, residents and workers in the area who want to sip some coffee or a cocktail, peruse some art, grab a bite or all of the above. Known for its creative vegetarian options, Cass Cafe boasts plenty of plant-based fare, such as the house specialty lentil burger. There's also plenty for omnivores seeking lighter dishes such as the ahi tuna and turkey burger.

PJ's Lager House

Hard to find healthy food in a bar? Then you haven't been to PJ's Lager House, which offers an eclectic menu that features locally-sourced fare made from scratch. The vegan biscuits and gravy are a hit even with the most hardcore carnivores and hearty salads teaming with tasty foodstuffs such as the Mediterranean will make you feel better about your choices while still enjoying a beer.

ima

Ima's jicama tacos trade corn or flour tortillas for fresh Mexican turnip. The root vegetable vessel is then stuffed with a choice of roasted tofu, spicy shrimp, or garlic chicken and topped with wakame slaw, green chili hot sauce, and micro shiso. The salmon rice bowl is another lighter option packed with healthier fats.

Dearborn Meat Market

Middle Eastern restaurants are a good bet when seeking food that is not only flavorful but also packed with veggies and protein. This meat shop has a small area in the back to watch the shish tawook, kabob and kafta as well as heart, kidney and liver cook in the open grill and then feast when it's done. Fresh hummus, salad, and baba ghannouj round out the protein fest. Bonus: It's easy on the wallet.

Brome Burgers & Shakes

For some people, healthy and tasty are mutually exclusive. At Brome Burgers and Shakes, the restaurant aims to bust that myth. The beef is 100 percent organic grass-fed and there's also chicken and vegan options.

Courtesy of Brome Burgers & Shakes

Chive Kitchen

This vegan spot in Farmington is not your typical plant-based fare, with a menu boasting big flavors, with influences from Portuguese, Western Europe, and California. Comfort food favorites get a makeover, with entrees such as portobello steak and fried chicken and grits that trade the poultry for seitan.

Sharaku

When it's not drowning in spicy mayo and nacho cheese, sushi is one of the healthiest meals you can treat yourself to. This West Bloomfield institution is known for legit sushi that's fresh, traditional, and simple.

The Blue Nile

Ethiopian food is full of good proteins, grains, and greenery. Many dishes feature lentils and vegetable-based stews spiced with berbere (a chili and spice blend) and injera bread to sop up all the goodness. Bring all your friends to partake in the Ethiopian feast, which includes all of the meat and vegetable dishes for $19.95 a person.

Greenspace Cafe

If the owner of the restaurant is a heart doctor, then there's a good chance the eatery is going to be health-conscious. GreenSpace dishes up food as pretty as it is nutritious such as "cheese" boards featuring cashew cheese, forest mushroom gnocchi, and kimchee bokumbap (stir-fried short grain rice with veggies, house-made kim­chee, Kore­an chili sauce, and black and white sesame furikake).

Inn Season Cafe

A Royal Oak staple for vegans and vegetarians since 1981, Inn Season Cafe is not only dedicated to physical health but also environmental and spiritual. The menu covers a lot of ground with burgers, stir fries, Mexican, and macrobiotic options.

Cacao Tree Cafe

Over the green juice? Cacao Tree Cafe's fresh juices such as Beta Blast and Strong Heart will help you get out of your rut. Spike your smoothies with super foods such as hemp seed, maca, and bee pollen or down a shot of ginger-lemon or Fire-Breathing Dragon. "Nut" meat in raw dishes such as the quesadilla, burrito and General Tso's Lettuce Wraps pack a lot of flavor sans the saturated fat in the classic versions.

Chickpea Kitchen

For a wholesome B.Y.O.B. (build your own bowl), head to Chickpea Kitchen in Sterling Heights. Pick your meat (chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, chicken kafta kabob, beef kafta kabob, and falafel), then your choice of toppings (cracked wheat or rice), choice of hummus (regular, roasted bell pepper or cilantro jalapeno), and then vegetables (lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips, and chickpeas, just to name a few).

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2941 Street Food

Health experts are always touting to "eat the rainbow," and with colorful offerings and a variety of street snacks, street platters, freshly baked samoon bread, salads, desserts, and juices, 2941 Street Food will help you do just that. You pick your meal (mini bowl, samoon sandwich, honest bowl and Bazaar Meal) and go from here to customize. There's also calorie information to keep you in check — definitely bring a friend to share the Bazaar Meal.

The Clean Plate

The sister restaurant of Cacao Tree Cafe features cooked vegetarian and vegan fare that even carnivores find themselves enjoying. People rave about the avocado BLT, which features shiitake mushroom "bacon."

Related Maps