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Tag: budget dining Charlotte

  • 10 healthy meals at Charlotte-area restaurants, food halls to eat in ‘26

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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.

    A tray holding a large bowl of pho with a red rim, filled with broth, noodles, and sliced white onions. The tray also includes a small plastic bag of fresh bean sprouts, jalapeños, lime, and herbs, along with wrapped chopsticks and a plastic spoon. A person wearing black gloves is shown placing the tray on a granite countertop next to a printed receipt.
    Beijing Noodle at Honey Buns Cafe II at Alley 51 food hall in Pineville. Alex Cason Photography CharlotteFive

    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.

    A vibrant gourmet salad served in a white bowl, centered around a halved pear poached to a deep ruby red. The salad features a mix of leafy greens, including frisée, topped with thinly sliced watermelon radishes showing their signature pink centers and green rims. It is garnished with crumbles of blue cheese, whole roasted pistachios, dried cranberries, and thin slivers of red onion. A dark balsamic glaze or wine reduction is drizzled over the ingredients, highlighting the textures of the fruit and nuts.
    Poached Pear Salad at The Artisan’s Palate. The Artisan’s Palate

    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.

    Illios Crafted Greek’s family meal features a choice of protein plus two large sides, Greek Salad or Ilios Salad, pita and a choice of a sauce for $39.95.
    Illios Crafted Greek’s family meal features a choice of protein plus two large sides, Greek Salad or Ilios Salad, pita and a choice of a sauce for $39.95. Illios Crafted Greek

    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.

    A luxurious and abundant bowl of seafood stew. A rich, creamy broth is packed with shellfish, including plump shrimp, dark-shelled mussels, and bright red crab claws and legs artfully arranged and spilling out of the bowl, all topped with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
    Lempira’s Honduran-style seafood soup, or sopa de mariscos estilo Hondureño. Lempira

    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.)

    A cheeseburger and a side salad served on brown parchment paper atop a metal tray. The burger features a toasted bun, a grilled beef patty topped with melted yellow cheese, lettuce, and red and green sauces. Next to it, a small paper boat holds a fresh salad of kale or spinach mixed with strawberries, blueberries, and sunflower seeds, drizzled with a creamy dressing.
    The Andalucia burger at Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden at Merino Mill has American cheese, avocado, peppadew peppers, lettuce, onion and salsa verde. The side is a Blue Salad with spring mix, blue cheese, candied pecans, blueberries and apricot dressing. Alex Cason Photography CharlotteFive

    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.

    A top-down view of three metal skewers loaded with charred, seasoned chicken kababs resting on a bed of fluffy pita bread on a white platter. The dish is garnished with fresh cilantro leaves, sliced red tomatoes, and long green chili peppers. On the side, there is a small bowl of red onion and tomato salad, a small dish of white garlic sauce (toum), and lemon wedges, all arranged on a white marble surface.
    Kabab2Go’s Chicken Kabab Plate at Monarch Market. Courtesy of Crescent Communities

    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.

    A top-down close-up shows a Botiwalla Desi salad served in a compostable paper bowl. The bowl is filled with a colorful array of ingredients including what appears to be shredded cabbage and carrots as a base. Prominently featured are several pieces of grilled paneer cheese, some with char marks, alongside grilled red and green bell peppers and onions. The salad is garnished with fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, and what look like crushed nuts. At the top of the bowl, a small red potato is visible. A clear plastic cup filled with a vibrant green chutney or dressing is placed on top of the salad, slightly off-center towards the top.
    Botiwalla’s Desi Salad is shredded white and red cabbage, carrots, scallions and roasted cashews topped with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and crunchy chickpea noddles. It’s served with a cumin-lime vinaigrette. This one is topped with Paneer cheese. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive

    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.

    A dark overhead view of two people at a wooden table sharing two different salads and toasting with wine glasses. The left bowl contains a colorful “My Favorite Salad” with fried items and vegetables, while the right plate holds the “Lima Salad,” which appears to have grilled white fish or cheese on top. The photo captures a fine-dining ambiance with golden utensils visible in a dark napkin holder.
    Ceviches, sushi rolls and nigiri are on the menu at Panko Peruvian, as are salads (shown here). AV Olivieri Photography AV Olivieri Photography/Creativa Soul Lab, courtesy of NiceDay

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    Heidi Finley

    The Charlotte Observer

    Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.
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    Heidi Finley

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