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It’s a new year, and many of us are making a fresh start in Charlotte with resolutions targeted toward getting healthier, watching our finances or both.
Just as many of us have different budgets, your version of healthy may vary a bit from others. Some of us are looking for lower-carb and higher protein options. Others are seeking out plant-based options or want to focus on adding more veggies into their routine. Some people may simply be looking for a little more dietary balance overall.
Dining out for workday lunches, functions with friends and date night meals can easily throw you off your game when it comes to tracking your macros or your bank account. But with a little planning (and perhaps a dash of willpower), you’ll find plenty of tasty selections that can help you stay on track to meet your health goals and keep your budget in check.
Whatever healthy meals look like to you, here are 10 flavorful food selections that are $25 or under to consider when eating out at Charlotte area restaurants:
Location: 10500 Centrum Pkwy. Pineville, NC 28134
Order: Beijing Noodle Soup
Cost: $13.99
While there are plenty of temptations to be found at Alley 51 next to Super G Mart, there are good-for-you options available, too.
One cozy meal to consider is the Beijing Noodle Soup at Honey Buns Cafe II, which comes with pork, noodles and a variety of vegetables to soothe your cravings for comfort food. Add in bean sprouts and jalapeños, if you please, and slurp your way to happiness.
Location: 1218 E 36th St A, Charlotte, NC 28205
Order: Spiced Wine Poached Pear Salad
Cost: $18-$20
Bland salad, step aside. The Artisan’s Palate’s Spiced Wine Poached Pear Salad is as pretty as it is flavorful. The restaurant’s concoction includes a whole poached pear, arugula, radish, pistachios and cranberries, dressed with pear vinaigrette. For just $2 more, you can bump up the flavor even more by adding Gorgonzola or goat cheese.
An added bonus from a visit to the NoDa restaurant is getting to view the restaurant’s artwork, which rotates monthly. Art carries wellness benefits, as well.
Location: 1220 Thomas Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Order: Veggie Plate
Cost: $14-$17
Comfort food haven Dish offers a staple found in meat-and-three restaurants across the South: A veggie plate. At this Plaza Midwood gathering spot, you can get four side dishes for $14 or pick a fifth and pay just $3 more.
The selections on this culinary choose-your-own adventure — many of which are vegetarian or vegan — include carrots, green beans, smokey Lima beans, collards and broccoli salad or cucumber salad. A side salad, fruit, pinto beans and rice are also among the bounty of options.
Location: 1514 S Church St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 7926 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28277
Location: 4000 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 951 Market Street, Fort Mill, SC 29708
Order: Greek Rotisserie Half Chicken
Cost: $14.95
Craveable offerings keeps Ilios on my personal go-to list, and the healthy fare there is just a bonus. (Very truthfully, I’ve eaten there three times in as many weeks, and my kids have been there slightly more often.)
Trust me when I recommend the perfectly marinated Greek Rotisserie Half Chicken, flavored with herbs, olive oil and lemon. It comes with your choice of side, for which I usually choose the Aegean Slaw, dressed with dill and kalamata olives. But for all you who aren’t a fan of olives, other options include seasonal veggies, salad, giant beans or a marinated beet salad.
Location: 5906 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28217
Location: 4439 Central Avenue, Charlotte
Location: 140 Eastway Drive, Charlotte
Order: Honduran-style seafood soup
Cost: $24.99
While the price of Lempira’s sopa de mariscos estilo Hondureño bumps right up against our self-imposed $25 limit, it’s a healthy and filling indulgence that’s worth it.
Packed with shrimp, clams, crab, mussels and fish in a coconut cream sauce with root vegetables, you’ll get all the benefit of that lean protein from the low-fat seafood, plus vitamins and minerals while enjoying the comfort of a luxurious treat.
Location: 2400 Tuckaseegee Rd, .Charlotte, NC 28208
Order: Grilled Salmon Platter
Cost: $20.95-$21.95
If you can manage to pass over some of Lulu’s fried options and focus on grilled fish, you’ll absolutely win the day. The takeout restaurant’s Grilled Salmon Platter comes with two sides, and it’s hard to go wrong with the flavorful green beans and yellow rice.
Looking for lower-carb selections? Another option is to swap out that rice for asparagus, which costs only $1 more.
Location: 500 South Main Street, Suite 300, Mooresville, NC 28115
Order: Burger and side salad
Cost: $17.45 and $5.45
Sometimes, balance means a burger — and when you’re going to have one, it better be good. Barcelona Burger has been called out both by CharlotteFive readers and nationally as having the best burger around, so naturally, we honed in there. Its vegetarian Famous Veggie burger packs fiber from a patty made with black beans, quinoa and walnuts.
Another thought: You could cut one of those tempting signature beef burgers in half and add a side of Kale Berry Salad or Blue Salad to fill up on leafy greens. (Bonus: Leftovers mean tomorrow’s lunch is half ready.)
Location: 101 N. Tryon St, .Suite 105, Charlotte NC 28202
Order: Chicken Kabab Plate
Cost: $16.99
In uptown Charlotte, Monarch Market has a variety of healthy options to consider. Among them is Kabab2Go’s Chicken Kabab Plate, with marinated, charcoal-grilled chicken.
All the food stall’s plates come with rice and Lebanese salad, a blend of tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onion, garlic, mint, olive oil and lemon juice that will help you get your veggies in while keeping your taste buds alive.
Location: 1115 N Brevard St UNIT 203, Charlotte, NC 28206
Order: Desi salad
Cost: $8.99-$13.99, depending on protein selection
At Optimist Hall, the choices are bountiful — and sometimes overwhelming. Among the delectable dishes to consider is Botiwalla’s colorful Desi Salad, which can be served plain for vegans or with paneer for vegetarians. Chicken or lamb are options, too.
Fiber, vitamins and minerals are all benefits from eating salads like the Desi, with a striking cumin-lime vinaigrette that you’ll keep reaching back for over and over.
Location: 730 E 36th St C, Charlotte, NC 28205
Order: My Favorite Salad or Lima Salad
Cost: $13 for either
Newly opened Panko Peruvian has plenty of seafood options you could steer toward when looking for healthy choices. But if you’re looking to dine on budget, take a peek at the salads, which are among the restaurant’s most affordable offerings.
My Favorite Salad comes with a fresh lettuce mix, cherry tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, pickled bell peppers, arugula, corn and avocado, dressed in a fine herbs vinaigrette. The Lima Salad brings in sweet flavors with a mix of lettuces, arugula, cherry tomatoes, caramelized peanuts, charred avocado and peaches, topped with a passion fruit, mango and ginger vinaigrette.
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Heidi Finley
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