Eating a wide variety of healthy foods helps to keep you in good health and protects you against chronic disease. Determining what constitutes "healthy" can be a challenge, especially with the abundance of dining options available in Victoria, Australia. Melbourne, often hailed as Australia's foodie destination, boasts a diverse culinary scene that caters to various dietary preferences and health goals. This article explores a range of healthy food options in Victoria, focusing on restaurants and cafes that prioritize nutrition, sustainability, and diverse dietary needs.
Understanding a Well-Balanced Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups daily, in the recommended amounts. It is also important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group.
General Healthy Eating Advice
Before diving into specific establishments, it's crucial to understand the fundamentals of healthy eating. A well-balanced diet involves consuming a variety of foods from the five food groups daily in the recommended amounts. This includes:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Grains
- Protein foods
- Dairy
It is also important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group.
It's equally important to limit the consumption of foods high in saturated fat, added salt, or added sugars, such as takeaway foods, cakes, biscuits, and soft drinks. These should be considered as extras to your usual diet and only eaten occasionally and in small amounts. The recommended number of serves for each food group is different for children, teenagers, women and men.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Melbourne's Healthy Food Scene: A Detailed Exploration
Melbourne's culinary landscape has evolved to embrace health-conscious dining, with numerous restaurants and cafes offering nutritious and delicious options.
Vegan and Vegetarian Delights
Melbourne's finest have catered for you to explore healthy eating. For those seeking plant-based cuisine, several establishments stand out:
Transformer Fitzroy: This restaurant celebrates plant-based eating while offering a luxurious dining experience. With dimmed lighting, locally sourced produce, and an exquisite seasonal wine list, Transformer Fitzroy invites you to enjoy their 'feed me' menu with friends.
Vegie Bar: Commemorating different cuisines, this fusion inspired restaurant offers you stir-fries, burritos, arancini balls, burgers, and so much more. Vegie Bar is committed to their veggie lovers. Their dishes welcome you to try new things with unexpected flavour combinations.
Heal.Thy Self Co.: Sustainability and ethical eating are central to Heal.Thy Self Co. Every dish is plant-based and organic, allowing you to experience clean eating in Victoria. Their Antiox Acai is a popular breakfast choice, while the Bootylicious Bowl is a satisfying lunch option.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Shakahari Too: Vegetarian cuisine has been celebrated at Shakahari Too for just shy of 50 years. Every dish is vegan and served with seasonal VIC produce. This restaurant offers affordable vegetarian fare with creative and unusual flavor combinations, such as their legendary satay and lasagna delizioso.
Loving Hut: Loving Hut is an international staple, but this time for exquisite vegan food. Their love for sustainable eating is clear with every dish that’s on offer. Their extensive menu has entrees, quick bites and much more. They also have an entire Thai section where you can order classics like Green Curry and Pad Thai. They also have a couple of raw food options for you to try.
Meat-Inclusive Healthy Options
Unlike most health-conscious restaurants, meat and seafood are a prominent part of their menu, perfect for meat lovers looking for healthy meals. Not all healthy restaurants focus solely on vegetarian or vegan cuisine. Some establishments offer healthy options that include meat and seafood, catering to a broader range of palates:
Nosh: Nosh is on a mission to make ‘bellies smile.’ Everything served here is made with passion and filled with nutrients while also being incredibly innovative. Meat and seafood are a prominent part of their menu, perfect for meat lovers looking for healthy meals. You can’t go wrong with one of their Signature Bowls, like their Eye of The Tiger (which has tamarind prawns) or their Wagu-San.
Touchwood: Touchwood offers you rejuvenating meals that don’t break the bank, making it one of Melbourne’s best healthy cafes. This cafe proves you don’t have to just eat veg or vegan to have a healthy, fulfilling meal. From their fresh Granola, Brekky Burger to their Crispy Chicken Baos and Mexican Chicken Salad, this cafe offers diverse food choices that will satisfy any cravings you have.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
Gluten-Free Choices
For individuals with gluten sensitivities or those following a gluten-free diet, Melbourne offers several dedicated options:
Seedling Cafe: Seedling Cafe is one of Melbourne’s leading healthy cafes. Much like Hochi Mama, they offer excellent ready-made meals that make eating clean effortless. Everything here is 100% gluten-free and delicious. You’ll fall in love with their Shepherd’s Pie and gluten-free Lasagna. They also have an assortment of fabulous cakes that will be a hit at every party.
Seedling Café, Melbourne CBD: This cafe is 100% gluten-free and paleo inspired. Seedling is an awesome little wholefoods café serving up nutrient-dense meals with lots of paleo, refined-sugar-free and vegan options available.
Unique Culinary Experiences
Beyond the standard healthy fare, some Melbourne restaurants offer unique culinary experiences that emphasize fresh, local ingredients and innovative flavor combinations:
SHOKU IKU: ‘Organic and Seasonal’ perfectly describes SHOKU IKU. They are set to help you with your healthy eating journey with their variety of food options. At SHOKU IKU, you can get ‘ready to eat’ meals that are jam-packed with sustenance. Everything is organic, low in sugar, grain-free and vegan.
Hochi Mama CBD: Hochi Mama CBD is chic, hip and definitely doesn’t look the part of a healthy restaurant. But rest assured, you’re going to find some of the best healthy foods in Melbourne here. Their Asian-inspired menu is devoted to the art of food sharing. They’re best known for their ‘Me Hungry Now’ menu, which is $32.50 for lunch or $34.50 for dinner.
Trippy Taco: Trippy Taco specialises in bringing you the ultimate Mexican street food in Melbourne. Determined to use the freshest products, this healthy restaurant offers you veg only Mexican food. From their breakfast taco to their Nutella melt, every meal is guaranteed to be 100% nutritious here.
Moroccan Soup Bar: The Moroccan Soup Bar wants you to fully immerse yourselves into the tastes of Morroco. They don’t just have soups here, they also offer both lunch and dinner. You can have rice, hummus, eggplant, dips and more. Their vegan and dairy-free Harrira Soup is definitely worth a try and perfect for those rainy Melbourne days.
Miznon: Miznon is an international sensation dedicated to giving you their spin on Mediterranean street food. Every dish here values nature and earthy ingredients. Their Ratatouille is unquestionably the perfect veg meal. If you’re a meat-eater, you have to order their Intimate Wagyu and Roots Stew.
Green Man’s Arms: At Green Man’s Arms, you’re sure to feel their passion for locally sourced Aussie produce and alcohol. Their purpose in the vegetarian cuisine scene is to ensure you’re getting the freshest food in your bellies, accompanied by some great booze. Their menus are seasonal and are all vegetarian.
Alimentari: As one of the best healthy restaurants in Melbourne, Alimentari has been serving customers for over 22 years, and they’re not stopping anytime soon. Besides having delicious meals, they also have a shop where you can purchase cheese, sausages and even fresh bread.
Acai Bowls
Acai Bowls will no longer be your go-to healthy option. You can now have brekkie burgers, nachos, and more without worrying about what’s going into your body. For acai bowl enthusiasts, Melbourne offers several standout options:
Combi Elwood: ‘Follow your bliss’ is the motto at Combi Elwood. It’s the quintessential unique and quickly Melbourne cafe. They are hoping to bring you clean food that’s rich in flavour and oozes indulgence. Combi Elwood offers a range of raw dishes, including their Organic Acai Bowl and Blue Moon Smoothie.
Heal.Thy Self Co.: Their Antiox Acai is the perfect go-to breakfast dish.
Paleo and Low-FODMAP Options
For those following specific dietary restrictions like paleo or low-FODMAP, finding suitable dining options can be challenging. However, some establishments cater to these needs:
Patch Café, Richmond: This cafe is paleo inspired, real food café. Everything on the menu screams ‘nutrition bomb’ and they have plenty of vegan options and will tailor a meal to suit low-FODMAP.
Foddies Café, Albert Park: Foddies offer a really simple menu for those who follow a strict low-FODMAP diet. If you want to head somewhere that you don’t have to stress about what to choose off the menu then this is the place for you.
Other notable mentions include:
The Kettle Black, South Melbourne: Organic and sustainable, use locally-sourced products. Offer vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free options.
Barry, Northcote: Gluten free and vegan options available.
Pana Chocolate Café, Richmond: Raw, vegan and refined-sugar-free.
Fonda Mexican, Melbourne CBD: Locally sourced Mexican street food that offers some gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and vegan options.
Recommendations
- Patch Café
- Combi
- Barry
All three had great atmosphere and served really creative and different menu options, so try to prioritise and please let me know what you think!