Eating healthy and encouraging kids to do so can feel like a tough task some days, even when it’s an integral part of your overall healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, Plano, Texas, has some of the best healthy eateries around. Maybe you don’t have time to or feel like making dinner for the family. Perhaps you need some inspiration and ideas for your healthy home kitchen. Whatever the reason, here are five healthy spots to grab a bite in and around Plano. 

Malgudi Garden

Image via Flickr by marcoverch

Located on Tennyson Parkway in Plano, Malgudi Garden is a vegetarian restaurant with a family-friendly atmosphere. Inspired by the healthy lifestyle of Gandhi, this place focuses on using high-quality vegetarian ingredients and keeps meals low in fat content. Their menu is full of Indian drinks and dishes that are sure to please your taste buds while also nourishing your body. Start with a specialty drink like mango or blueberry lassi, masala chai, or masala buttermilk. 

If you’re ordering for a group, get a few appetizers like their crispy cauliflower fritters, avocado samosas, and millet spinach pakoda. Regulars love the vegetarian pizza options. Choose from a long list of creative and classic options, including a traditional Margherita pizza, a green pizza with spinach and pesto, and an Indian-inspired pizza featuring tikka masala, paneer, and fresh fenugreek. For those interested in traditional Indian cuisine, Malgudi is a must. Dishes like ragi set dosa, finger millet noodle kichadi, and appam are the same that you’d find at a market in Southern India. 

Order takeout, delivery, or dine in for lunch and dinner any day of the week except for Wednesdays. Stop by for their daily high tea time and enjoy a fun experience of Indian culture. 

Bellagreen American Bistro

With locations throughout Texas, including one on Preston Road in Plano, Bellagreen America Bistro is a local favorite for healthy eats. This restaurant doesn’t just focus on providing customers with healthy food options; it also makes every effort to lessen its ecological footprint using sustainable food practices, water conservation, chemical and pollution reduction, and alternative power. Every meal is made from scratch using high-quality, sustainable ingredients. 

Mouth-watering starters include lettuce wraps, organic spinach dip with kalamata olives and house-made flatbread, hummus, and various soups. Other notable menu items include fish tacos, gluten-free mac and cheese, grilled salmon pasta, and personal pizzas. Kids can enjoy items from their kids menu like grilled cheese, mac and cheese, chicken tenders, and more. 

Order online for pickup or delivery or stop in for a meal in their spacious restaurant or outside on the sunny patio. Bellagreen is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Don’t miss out on their weekend brunch menu featuring pancakes, waffles, and mimosas.  

LC Kitchen

Located inside the Legacy Central Fitness Center on Excellence Way in Plano, LC Kitchen is like an upscale, health-conscious food court. There are four different food counters serving a variety of cuisines, including Korean fare, tacos, and burgers. Every menu includes only items made with fresh ingredients and healthy eating in mind. If you’re stopping by for breakfast, enjoy a hot beverage from the coffee bar and an egg-white omelet or brioche French toast from Rhino Grill. The Homestead menu features a quinoa and oats breakfast bowl, freshly baked pastries, or a berry muesli bowl. 

Come by for lunch and choose between street tacos and rice bowls with chicken, beef, or pork from Tacos Por Favor or bibimbap from Joeun. The Homestead offers super healthy salads like a roasted heirloom beet salad or a kale Caesar salad. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., lunch is served from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., and the coffee bar is open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. from Monday through Friday. 

Harvest

Harvest Restaurant is a farm-to-table spot in McKinney, just about 20 minutes north of Plano. The dining room has a rustic-chic feel, and the menu is full of farm-fresh items and healthy options. Almost all of the ingredients are sourced from local farms or ranches within a 150-mile radius of the restaurant. Come hungry for dinner and try the ribeye steak, blackened striped bass, or fried chicken. The artisanal cheese board and house-made charcuterie plate offer tastes of local meats and cheeses. The lunch menu includes a burger and sandwiches like the smoked ham and pimento cheese sandwich. 

Don’t forget about dessert. Take home some Apple Brown Betty, which is a healthy version of an apple crumble made with raw coconut oil and served with salted caramel ice cream. Kids will love the root beer float or some house cookies with milk. Stop by for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or for brunch on Saturday between 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. If you’d rather enjoy your healthy meal at home, Harvest also offers curbside pickup. 

Pho Apple

Located on West Park Boulevard in Plano, Pho Apple is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers healthy salads, noodle bowls, and rice plates. Several vegetarian dishes are available, including tofu spring rolls and vegetarian pho. Organic salads make a great lunch option, especially paired with a fresh strawberry or taro smoothie. Come by with the family and enjoy some appetizers like spicy edamame and shrimp spring rolls. Kids will enjoy many of the rice and noodle dishes with options like grilled chicken fried rice. Pho Apple is open for dining or takeout every day from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.

So, there’s our list of five healthy spots to eat around Plano. At Crème de la Crème of Plano, TX, we support healthy eating and lifestyles alongside our families. Let us know if you try any or all of these restaurants and tell us what you thought. Did we miss one of your favorites? Tell us about it, and maybe we’ll have to add it to our list.