Keep your diet in check while ordering from one of these local eateries

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

In the land of toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake, it can be a challenge to keep a well-balanced diet. Sometimes, simply knowing where to go is half the battle. If you’re looking to introduce some healthier options into your daily routine, consider checking out what these local places have to offer.

Fruit-based drinks might be the main draw, but Hello offers more than refreshing beverages. Hungry guests will find a menu featuring bowls, waffles, toast, and oatmeal, among other offerings. The O.G. bowl features a base of açai, banana, strawberry, blueberry, and coconut milk that’s topped with granola, banana, seasonal berries, coconut, and honey. Made on sourdough from Knead Bakehouse, the avocado toast comes with crushed red pepper flakes, hemp hearts, salt and pepper, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cherry tomatoes. 1000 S. Newstead.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Lona's Lil Eats' Giant Rice Paper Wrap

There’s much more here than merely traditional Chinese and Thai offerings. At Lona’s, more than 80 percent of the menu is vegan, with healthy additions available for spring rolls, dumplings, and more. Create an individual wrap while choosing from rice paper or a flour tortilla, adding a protein (tofu, chicken, steak, turkey, brisket, or shrimp), some filler (salad mix, stir fried rice, stir fried glass noodles, jasmine rice, and cold glass noodles), and topping it off with a sauce (spicy sesame, lemongrass pesto, smoked vinaigrette, lime-ginger peanut, or house-made barbecue) of your choice. 2199 California.

The business started as a concept that tailored meals to the needs of elite local athletes, but it’s since grown to satisfy active St. Louisans of all stripes. Build your own bowl by choosing a base (rice, beans, eggs, or quinoa), up to a cup of vegetables (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, collard greens, or sweet potatoes), and up to 5 ounces of protein (chicken, tofu, chorizo, pulled pork, beef, or salmon). Diners can also create a salad and choose from a list of fruit smoothies and cold-pressed juices. 8388 Musick Memorial; 11215 Manchester.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Beets & Bones' Dirty South Toast—sweet potato sourdough, kale pesto, proscuitto, roasted delicata squash, pecans

A new addition to the Clayton culinary scene, this popular spot in the former Northwest Coffee location offers more than a dozen cold-pressed juices, several kinds of regenerative bone broths, and a variety of salads and bowls, along with indulgent items, such as toasts and pasteries. Consider the Friday Feels Good (pineapple, carrot, orange, ginger, turmeric, and pearl powder) or Clean Green (bok choy, lime, apple, celery, parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, and spirulina), which offer both fun flavors and clean ingredients. 8401 Maryland.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Bombay Food Junkies' Dahi Kapri Chaat

With a focus on plant-based foods, the menu here is inspired by a variety of cuisines. The Dahi Papdi Chaat (wheat crackers, potatoes, and chickpeas, topped with organic, non-GMO, dairy-free soy yogurt, and chickpea noodles) is among the items that serve as a nod to Indian street food, while the Crispy Chik'n Sandwich (served on a toasted bun with vegan garlic butter, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles) appeals to even the hungriest carnivore. 12955 Olive.

Although the cafe is currently closed, online orders are being accepted for pickup. This month's juices include the Alkaline Elixir (kale, spinach, ginger, lemon, celery, cucumber, and apple) and the Glow Up (carrot, turmeric, sweet potato, lemon, and orange). Among the February meals are Kale Collard Wraps (sesame lemon kale salad wrapped inside a collard green leaf with cabbage, carrots, and cashew almond spread) and Tamarind Comfort Stew (chickpeas, sweet potato, collard greens, tomatoes, red lentil, and onion in a tamarind coconut broth). 307 Belt.

With a menu focused on vegan, plant-based cuisine, there are plenty of healthy options to consider here. The Rawvioli Winter Salad features beet slices stuffed with house-made walnut pesto on a bed of spinach. Among the toppings are shredded carrots, garbanzo beans, sprouts, and olive oil. Heartier menu items include the BBQ Black Bean Burger and the Tempeh Reuben, which features marinated tempeh slathered with cashew cream, tomato, sauerkraut, Seedz’ own sauce, and spicy brown mustard on seed bread or in a multigrain wrap. 6344 S. Rosebury.

What started as a health-focused food truck has quickly become one of the region’s top spots for green cuisine. After opening its first location downtown, in Peabody Plaza, last winter, UKRAFT is aiming to open another restaurant in Chesterfield this spring. The Honey Apple salad includes antibiotic-free chicken, apples, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, cucumbers, almonds, granola, and honey apple vinaigrette, while the Caprese toast features avocado spread on multigrain bread, heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. It’s topped with an over medium egg and drizzled with balsamic reduction. 701 Market.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The kitchen at Frida's stays away from sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, butter, and other problematic ingredients. There's also little or no oil used in the recipes, and nary a microwave to be found. Try the Red Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas (mashed pintos, red pepper, cremini mushrooms, spinach, avocado, onion, red sauce, creamy cashew cheddar) and the Signature Chickpea Tuna Wrap (tuna, red pepper, tomato, avocado, pickles, organic spinach, mustard), among other entrees. The Skinny Fries, which the restaurant calls the nation's first fat free and oil-free fry, are not to be missed. 622 North and South.

Vegan and vegetarian items fill the menu of this South Grand staple. The Brussels Sprouts Salad (red and green cabbage, shallot, fresh herbs, jalapeno & sweet chili vinaigrette) and the Seitan Milanese (sundried tomato and shiitake mushroom ragu, herb polenta, parmesan, a cripsy, panko-breaded seitan cutlet) are among the healthy dishes worth trying. 3177 South Grand.

P.O. BOX 191606 St. Louis, MO 63119 314-918-3000

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