21 Healthy Places to Eat in RVA

21 Healthy Places to Eat in Richmond, VA

I can’t believe it’s almost summer! We’re getting farther away from New Year’s resolutions, but closer to big events and prime summer vacation months. Did you make any promises to eat healthier months ago? According to my reader survey, a lot of you did! Luckily for those of you who live in the Richmond, VA area, there are many options for places to eat healthy and still enjoy a memorable meal. The list has been growing!

I originally created this post years ago in collaboration with local blogger Katie Brown of Real Food with Gratitude. Every six months or so, revisit this and add to the list of recommendations! Keep scrolling to discover something new and colorful to indulge in…

1. Goatacado

This local favorite is known for its quick and easy protein and veggie bowls. But that’s not all. You can turn these bowls into burritos. Still not satisfied? They offer ramen and arepas too! Goatacado started as a food truck and grew into brick and mortar at the end of 2016. They are now located in the heart of The Fan. And they have an important message – to source with the seasons, make sustainable decisions, and support the community. It doesn’t get any better than that.

2. Sen Organic Small Plate

Sen Organic Small Plate is a quaint, French-inspired Vietnamese café open for lunch and dinner. Located across from the Byrd Theater at the end of Carytown, Sen Organic really cares. All of their sauces are made in-house, have no preservatives or food coloring, and are natural, organic, and gluten-free. All of their broths are gluten and soy-free. They exclusively cook with 100% pure, natural olive oil. All vegetables, fruits, and meat is organic, natural, and non-GMO. And all seafood is wild-caught. As if all of that wasn’t enough, all take-out containers are eco-friendly, unbleached, recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable. Spring 2021, Sen added a market across the street for more grab-and-go items!

3. Ellwood Thompson’s

Ellwood Thompson’s is a local, independent grocery store that has been serving up locally sourced goods since 1989. It is located at the beginning of Carytown. There are many different food and drink options here–something for everyone. Ellwood serves breakfast, lunch, and quick dinners. There are a number of ways to eat healthy here. The hot bar is filled with many proteins and veggies, a salad bar, premade entrees and sides, a fresh seafood counter, a Made-to-Order bar for breakfast and lunch, and a coffee/smoothie bar (Green & Grind counter selling Blanchard’s Coffee) and of course, regular grocery shopping. The dish pictured below is from the Made-to-Order station.

A few special things about Ellwood: they have Blue Ridge Kombucha on tap, their own Ellwood Pressed Juices for sale and they have a Certified Health Coach on staff.

4. Ginger Juice

This juice bar is located in three spots around Richmond – the new Greengate Shopping Center on West Broad, North Chesterfield, and Village Shopping Center near the University of Richmond. Ginger Juice has cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, smoothies, and wheatgrass shots. You can walk in and order a made-to-order smoothie bowl or reach for one of the daily juices. There are no preservatives, so they only last a day or so. They are always marked with dates to show freshness. Though juice is Ginger’s specialty, the ladies there make their own nut butters and almond milks with locally sourced ingredients. I recently ordered a spicy avocado toast and hot sweet potato and turmeric soup.

If you want to give a cleanse a try, check out my blog post about my juice cleanse with Ginger Juice. 

5. Shore Dog Café

This is the cutest cafe and I’ve been going since it very first opened. Shore Dog Cafe has a bright and large dining room. Order at the bar and grab your number for your table. Order up some of the best lattes in the whole city and healthy, yet scrumptious and creative breakfast bowls, salads, wraps, and more. I really love the gluten-free bread they carry and I sometimes request a lox and avocado toast and they’re always happy to accommodate.

6. Mezeh

Mezeh is a Mediterranean chain with a locations in Short Pump. All of the grill’s food is created in-house each morning. At the counter, you can create your own bowl. You start by choosing either a salad or rice bowl and then move on to selecting a protein, sauce and add as many veggies as you want, including fresh/homemade hummus, beets, pickled carrots/onions. Mezeh’s protein is cage-free/grass-fed with no added hormones or preservatives. Sauce options include homemade tzatziki, tahini or a feta vinaigrette all made with minimal ingredients. You can stay on track by using the nutritional calculator available. Watch my IG reel to see how I make the perfect bowl.

7. North End Juice Co.

North End Juice Co. is a walk-up smoothie bar with one location in the heart of the Museum District and new location in Churchill. You can find fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, acai/smoothie bowls, poke bowls, fresh-made empanadas, and wheatgrass shots.  North End also makes Bulletproof coffee (Coffee + Coconut Oil + Grass-Feed Butter!) As you wait just a couple minutes for your smoothie or bowl to be made, check out the mural on the side of the alleyway. It’s worth the ‘gram.

8. The Daily Kitchen & Bar

This trendy sit-down restaurant is perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner in the heart of Carytown. The Daily Kitchen & Bar also just opened a spot in Greengate in the far west end of the city. It is known for its organic, free-range, local, vegan, and gluten-free menu. The restaurant’s healthy side options are some of the best in town–chickpea salad, quinoa tabbouleh, ginger steamed kale, grilled asparagus, brown rice, or brussels sprouts. The Daily’s sodas are all corn syrup-free. The back of the menu lists all the local and nearby farms, markets and businesses the restaurant gets its ingredients from.

9. The Pit and the Peel

This juice bar and bistro serves juices, smoothies, acai bowls, grain bowls, salads, wraps, quesadillas, paninis, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and more! On top of that, you can customize almost everything on the menu how you like. The Pit and the Peel has one mission – a commitment to healthy, nutritious, and delicious made-to-order options. They have four locations – one in Short Pump Town Center, one in the Fan on Main Street, one in Carytown, one in the James Center downtown and the new rooftop bar! They’re all stunning, colorful and make a great lunch date or remote working afternoon.

10. Ms Bee’s Juice Bar

This spot came highly recommended by YOU. Ms. Bee’s Juice Bar has two locations: one in Brookland Park and another one inside of the Valentine Museum in downtown Richmond. Pick up ready-to-go cold pressed juices or stick around and enjoy a healthy weapon the adorable bee hive inspired patio in Brookland Park.

11. Roots Natural Kitchen

Roots Natural Kitchen can be found on VCU’s campus, one of only two locations in Virginia. It’s a fast, casual restaurant that serves grain bowls and salads. The menu has four-grain bowls and four salads but it gets even better. Just like Mezeh, you can create your own bowl. Starting with a base of lettuces or grains, you can choose up to 5 ingredients, a protein, and a dressing. With 6 bases, 22 ingredients, 5 proteins (4 of them being vegan), and 10 dressings, everyone will find something they like.

12. Tazza Kitchen

Tazza Kitchen is a verified foodie hot spot in Richmond.  Whether you need something fast or want to take your time with a bottle of wine, both of its locations and its to-go service have you covered. Tazza To-Go offers catering and prepared meals that change seasonally. There are two locations, one in Scott’s Addition and one in Short Pump. They pretty much offer everything, from brick oven spaghetti squash to smoked salmon cakes. Most of the dishes that they offer are gluten-free, vegetarian, or both. And if it’s not on the menu that way, there’s probably an option to make it that way.

13. Ipanema Cafe

Ipanema Cafe is a favorite among VCU students and Richmond locals alike. Not only are they known for their stellar food but they also have a long list of beer and wine. They also have a fun bar scene with karoke, etc. Located in the middle of VCU’s campus, on West Grace Street, Ipanema offers an entirely vegetarian menu. From there, every item that isn’t already vegan or gluten-free has the option to be made that way. If the menu isn’t enough, the atmosphere should be. Tucked into a cozy basement with an adjoining outdoor patio, it’s the perfect spot to relax and enjoy good eats.

14. Fresca on Addison

Fresca on Addison is located on the corner of West Cary Street and Addison Street, obviously. Their focus? Local, organic, fresh, and healthy. From curried butternut squash soup to chorizo tacos to pesto pizza, they have plenty of options. And even if you’re not in the mood for a full meal, stop in for a coffee and dessert. Don’t worry, everything can be made vegan.

15. Stella’s Grocery

Stella’s is a staple for Richmonders. Stella’s exists as a full-scale restaurant in Malvern Gardens, near Willow Lawn. The restaurant has launched a series of stores called Stella’s Grocery. It has three locations, one next to the restaurant, one in Scott’s Addition, and one downtown. Here, you’ll find gourmet prepared meals including salads and paninis, baked goods, coffee, and so much more. Pick up craft beers and wines and other gourmet cooking essentials. It’s the perfect little market on the corner.

16. Cava

Cava is like a Chipotle but with a Mediterranean spin. I go here for a filling, but healthy meal. You can create your own bowl, starting with a green, grain, or a green and grain base. After that, you can choose up to three dips or spreads, a protein, toppings, and dressings. Just like Mezeh, they have a nutritional calculator available. What’s really helpful is an allergens list for each of their ingredients. After my own heart, Cava teams up with nonprofit organizations to help local communities, too! They have locations in Midlothian, Short Pump, and on VCU’s campus.

17. Chopt Creative Salad Co.

Chopt Creative Salad Co. is a build-your-own salad place. They locations in Willow Lawn and Carytown. They have 13 permanent salads on their menu, with some additional salads for each season. If none of those suit you, just make your own! Chopt has 6 greens, 9 proteins, and more than 30 toppings to choose from. Oh yeah, and they have 17 dressings. The only problem you could run into is having too many options (me!). We don’t think that’s a bad problem to have.

18. Whole Foods

I finally made it to our new Whole Foods in Richmond, VA. As you may know, Whole Foods has a list of “unacceptable ingredients” is does not allow to be sold in its store, which makes it a good place to get your groceries. You can also swing through for a quick, healthy, meal, too! I spent some time exploring the hot bar and the prepared foods. I added some color to my box to be sure I was doing a good job staying healthy and preventing from going too far over the weight limit. Remember that the hot bar costs $8.99 per pound, which means go for the smaller box sizes if you want to ensure you don’t spend your “whole paycheck.” Tip: If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get extra deals and also free 2-hour delivery. You just have to have the app downloaded on your phone, which I did not. So, next time I will and I’ll try online ordering very soon!

19. Clean Eatz

I’ve eaten at the cafe of Clean Eatz and also picked up the meal plans. Every bite has been a delight and the staff just as much so. I order my meals for the following week every Thursday. I pay weekly, there’s no subscription. The meals are packed with flavor and totally filling. The properly portioned-sized meals are built with a balance of protein, carbs, and fats. I usually pick up five to fill in my meals for the week to eliminate the guessing, temptation, and lack of being prepared due to a busy lifestyle. My boyfriend loves them too, and he’s a chef. I always grab something fresh from the cafe when I’m there like the Good For You Nachos, or a yummy salad.

20. Nu Vegan

Since I moved across the street from Nu Vegan, I have eaten here a couple times a month! I love it because it’s set up cafeteria-style and I can pint at the food options I want and they load up to box right away. I don’t have to wait for food!  But the food itself is craving-worthy. Everything is packed with flavor and safely dairy-free! I can enjoy more traditional cheese dishes without worrying about my skin flaring up. My favorites include the chicken salad, red wine kale, the beef and broccoli, and the lasagna.

21. The Beet Box

The Beet Box makes eating healthy a fun affair. They have a location on Cary Street in the Fan and another location at Hatch Local Food Hall in Manchester. In addition to juices and smoothies, the Beet box team creates smoothie bowls and unique healthy toasts and wraps all loaded with flavor. The colorful murals and decor paired with fun music make eating healthy fun.

Where are your favorite healthy spots in RVA? Tell us in the comments!