We at Crème de la Crème of Peoria, Arizona, know how important it is for your family to eat well-balanced meals. Cooking at home is a great way to ensure your children eat healthy dishes, but when you want to treat your family to a meal out at a restaurant, you may not know where to get healthy food. That’s why we put together this list of the top five healthy eateries in and around the Peoria, Arizona, area.

Otro Cafe

Otro Cafe is a local restaurant that serves authentic Mexico City-style dishes with traditional inspirations and modern twists. What sets this Mexican restaurant apart from its nearby counterparts is its dedication to using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, including organic vegetables. Plus, this cafe offers a wide variety of mouthwatering vegetarian and vegan options.

Head there for brunch and order healthier options like the avocado toast, vegan breakfast burrito, or Gacha Mexia, which is quinoa, farro, steel-cut oats, yogurt, fruit, and nuts. If you’re feeling more like lunch or dinner food, grab a starter like the classic guacamole, have a fresh soup, or a robust salad with toppings like olives, ham, onions, chicken, carne asada, fruit, and an array of dressings. You can also grab a family-style taco platter with grilled veggies and your choice of plant-based or protein-full toppings to share with everyone at the table.

Otro Cafe is located at 6035 N. 7th St. in nearby Phoenix, about a 30-minute drive. They’re open Tuesday through Sunday, with brunch served from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner served from 4 to 9 p.m., and an awesome happy hour served from 4 to 6 p.m.

THAT PLACE Subs and Salads

“Avocado, black olive and sundried tomato salad” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Caroline’sPlantBasedDiet.com

Get deli-fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies in so many yummy combinations at THAT PLACE Subs and Salads. You have your choice of 20+ sandwich recipes, including staples like ham, turkey, Italian, roast beef, and tuna. Make these sandwiches healthier by opting for multi-grain wheat bread or swapping bread for a spinach wrap or Romaine lettuce wrap. There’s also nearly a dozen salads made with a base of romaine lettuce and leafy greens mix topped with options like hard-boiled eggs, cucumber, tomato, almonds, and avocado. 

Grab a “Samich you can’t refuse” at THAT PLACE Subs and Salads, 20340 N. Lake Pleasant Road (just down the street from Crème de la Crème). You can grab a delicious meal Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They even deliver within the area from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Haymaker

Need a place for a delicious and healthy breakfast all day? Then the Haymaker is the perfect local restaurant for you! Grab a veggie omelet made with egg whites, try the roasted vegetable Florentine eggs Benedict, or opt for gluten-free toast as a side with any dish.

This place also has awesome lunch and dinner options if you’re not feeling breakfast. Order a burger with one of their vegan patty options (whether a black bean burger or an Impossible patty), a gluten-free bun, and plenty of fresh veggies. Or, try the namesake salad that comes with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette, or get any of the other five salad options for a healthy, hearty, and filling lunch or dinner. 

Haymaker has two Peoria locations: 24762 N. Lake Pleasant Pkwy. (a few minutes from Crème de la Crème) and 8706 W. Thunderbird Road. There’s also a location in nearby Goodyear at 1800 N. Litchfield Road. Each location is open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen

This local chain has healthy in its title, so you know they have a variety of dishes that are as good for you as they are delicious. Head to Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen for 100% gluten-free Italian dishes, including fresh non-GMO pastas and homemade GF pizza, 40+ plant-based options (including plant-based meat alternatives), and salads made with organic veggies, fruits, nuts, and cheeses.

Start with a healthy small plate like garlicky-cooked broccolini or turkey meatballs. If you want to share some pizza, choose between a dozen signature recipes, such as mushroom Florentine, fig and gorgonzola, or margherita, on vegan GF crust, GF cauliflower crust, or original GF crust. You can also dig into their diverse pastas as they have Italian classics like ravioli and linguine and meatballs in addition to Asian-fusion dishes like spicy Thai peanut noodles, curry vegetable zoodles, and quinoa bowls.

If you prefer plant-based meals, you can order many of their classic Italian dishes with vegan options. Try the mushrooms and polenta, chick’n picatta, plant-based sausage and peppers, and pizza made with vegan meats and cheeses.

There are six locations in and around the area, including in nearby Glendale, Scottsdale, and Phoenix, which are all within a 30-minute drive of Peoria. All three restaurants are open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. There are also locations in Tempe, Gilbert, and Sedona if you ever plan to do a day trip from Peoria.

Pita Jungle

Pita Jungle serves Mediterranean- and Greek-inspired foods like shawarma, gyros, wraps, and much more. Start with small plates like hummus and pita or baba ganoosh, which is a dip made up of blended eggplant, tahini, yogurt, garlic, and oil. Then, choose from their many salads, pitas, wraps, bowls, burgers, pizzas, and entrees, many of which come in vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options. This restaurant also has a gluten-free menu, kid plates, and smoothies.

The Peoria location is at 9792 W. Northern Ave. Suite B1600. They’re open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Plus, this state chain has more than two dozen locations in total, including a few others around Glendale, Phoenix, and Scottsdale, so you’re never too far from a healthy and scrumptious meal. 

So there you have it, our list of the five best healthy restaurants in and around the Peoria, Arizona, area. Did we miss any of your favorite local go-to’s for healthy and hearty eats? Contact Crème de la Crème of Peoria, Arizona, and let us know. We’ll be sure to add it to our list!