We at the best daycare in Woodbridge know how important it is for your family to eat healthy and well-balanced meals packed with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and more ingredients with important nutrients. And while it’s easier to make sure your kids get well-balanced meals when you cook at home, you can also treat your family to a meal out and still ensure there are plenty of healthy options they can choose from. Here are five healthy eateries in and around the Woodbridge, Virginia, you have to check out.

Taste of Tandoor

“Indian Food” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Studio Sarah Lou

Taste of Tandoor is a local Indian restaurant that serves lunch and dinner with appetizers, entrees, and desserts full of amazing and diverse flavors. What’s great about many Indian dishes is that they’re often vegetarian, featuring vegetables in place of meat, and vegan, completely free of animal products at all. Plus, many of the ingredients and spices have incredible health benefits. For example, ginger is great for digestion and cardamom is an antiseptic.

What’s great about Taste of Tandoor is that this restaurant combines many flavors and recipes from every part of India to create a truly diverse menu of fantastic food. This place serves a variety of meats, such as chicken and lamb, in delectable curries and sauces. If you’re looking to avoid meat, you can pick any item from the vegetarian section, including chana masala, which is chickpeas in curry, or vegetable korma, a veggie mix cooked with a house spice blend. 

You can visit Taste of Tandoor at 13836 Smoketown Road in Woodbridge. They’re open from Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The Secret Garden Cafe

Located in Historic Old Town Occoquan, the Secret Garden Cafe is a unique restaurant inside an old home with a beautiful garden that’s perfect for intimate meals with loved ones. What’s more, this restaurant serves brunch, lunch, and dinner and offers both vegetarian and gluten-free meal options. Just know that, when you eat here, you and your family are eating high-quality dishes made with fresh ingredients.

In the morning, try the salmon, eggs, and potatoes topped with avocado crema for a unique and healthy brunch dish. For lunch and dinner, consider going with one of the restaurant’s salads, which you can add a protein like chicken or crab cake to, a Mediterranean chicken pita with hummus and cucumber yogurt sauce, or the Greek chicken dish served with rice and orzo. For something gluten-free, go with the garden salad or Mediterranean chicken on mixed greens. And if you want something vegetarian, try the Caprese salad, vegetable and cheese grit cake, or a veggie fajita pita.

Visit the Secret Garden Cafe at 404 Mill St. in Occoquan. This restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saran Indian Vegetarian Cafe

Saran Indian Vegetarian Cafe is another awesome Indian restaurant in the Woodbridge area. But this place actually specializes in vegetarian- and vegan-friendly Indian cuisine with flavors and recipes from all over the South Asian nation. What’s more is that they make many of their dishes gluten-free, too.

This place has multiple paneer dishes, which feature gooey cheese cooked in different spices and curries served with vegetables and rice. If you’re looking for veggie-full dishes, grab the Aloo Gobi, which is sauteed cauliflower and potatoes with ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and lots of delicious spices, or daal, a dish made with lentils, beans, and split peas in a sauce. And if you want something that has a meat-like texture, try one of their special dishes made with jackfruit, which often has the consistency of chicken.

Head to nearby Springfield for this restaurant, which you can find at 7708-C Backlick Road at Newington Center South. This place is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Trummer’s on Main

This American bistro has been open for 10 years, serving delicious fare made with fresh-from-the-farm (or water!) and locally sourced ingredients. Trummer’s on Main serves brunch and dinner with a variety of omnivore- and vegetarian-friendly dishes. And while they post their menus online, they can change daily with chef specials or other additions based on what’s been freshly delivered to the kitchen.

For brunch, one of the best dishes you can try includes the chilled peach gazpacho, a unique morning starter to share with the table. They also serve fresh muffins and crisp salads that are a great way to start the day. For dinner, healthier options include the tomato salad with charred cucumber and the melon gazpacho, which is served with fennel, radish, and a lemon vinaigrette. And for the main course, you can enjoy the sea scallops or a freshly roasted chicken and vegetables. 

Trummer’s on Main is located at 7134 Main St. in nearby Clifton. 

Natural Cafe

Natural Cafe is a gourmet deli that specializes in organic dishes you can order in-store or have catered at an upcoming event. Plus, this place also has a market stocked with a wide range of organic snacks and grocery items as well as household supplies just in case you remember you need to pick up laundry detergent while ordering one of their fantastic sandwiches.

You can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner here at Natural Cafe, and the menu options are diverse and feature fresh vegetables, fruits, and other high-quality ingredients. For breakfast, you can order a freshly made smoothie, an omelet, or a breakfast sandwich on a bagel, croissant, English muffin, or toast. For lunch and dinner, get one of their stacked salads, grilled paninis, or cold sandwiches (including a few vegetarian options).

Try Natural Cafe at 850 N. Randolph St. Unit 119 in Arlington. This spot is open Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.There you have it, five amazing local healthy eateries that you and your family can enjoy. In addition to being delicious and healthy, these restaurants also vary in cuisine, so you can try new flavors and see which new dishes your kids love. Did we miss any of your favorite local healthy restaurants? Let us know, and we’ll be sure to add it to our list!