As teens, healthy food is not always among the more appealing options when it comes to eating. However, food can taste great while also doing us some good. What are some local options for fun, affordable, “clean” food?

Chillicious Thai

3651 Justin Road, Suite 100

Chillicious is a small affordable Thai restaurant that is packed with people sitting at small tables that hug the walls. They’ve got traditional food with salads, spring rolls, curries, fried rice and noodles. Each dish is unique and has its own healthy vegetables. The majority of the dishes are about $15, with enough food to last a couple of days.
I got Thai Fried Rice with chicken which was $14.50. I like that Chillicious lets you customize the spice level for most of their dishes. I personally can’t stand bland food. I chose a four. My fried rice was well seasoned, and it included carrots, peas, eggs, tomatoes and onions. The rice was super filling too with a good aftertaste. When coupled with the Red Curry the flavors combine perfectly and explode in your mouth. The rice goes down easily, and it has a nice soft texture when put together. This dish includes something from almost every food group; it has grains, protein, fruits and vegetables, as do many of the dishes in this restaurant. It is a great alternative to fast food.

Gyro 360

4610 Long Prairie Rd Ste 140

Gyro360 is a Mediterranean restaurant with traditional food options like falafel, pita, bowls, and sandwiches. All the furniture is a calm, matte black. The restaurant is covered in windows and natural light to eat under.

I got the Chicken bowl for $11.99. It’s made up of rice and lettuce, cucumber, corn and tomatoes. The rice was well seasoned, but a little dry. Once it was combined with the tzatziki sauce though, it got much better. The chicken was tangy and flavorful. The texture of the overall bowl was good with the crunchy lettuce, juicy corn, chicken and soft rice. The bowl not only tasted good, but I felt good while eating it because it wasn’t too filling but just enough. Normally, I don’t like food unless it’s spicy, but this bowl was flavorful enough to make me want it again. The chicken bowl was a balanced meal made with tons of clean ingredients. While being healthy, it stayed tasty.

Luna Grill

2500 Cross Timbers Road, Suite 100

Luna Grill is a Mediterranean restaurant with a mix of traditional food and more Americanized food. The restaurant is calm with gentle music playing in the background and plenty of tables.

I ordered the Mediterranean Chicken Wrap which comes with tons of vegetables like kale, cucumber and red onion. It also includes pearled couscous, feta cheese, and creamy vinaigrette sauce. For only $11, this dish is brimming with more food than you’ll actually eat. Some of the ingredients were new and unusual to me, like the feta and couscous, so naturally, I was excited to try them. However, this dish was minorly disappointing. The creamy sauce from the photos tasted much more soggy in person. It leaked onto what could have been great chicken. The taste wasn’t completely ruined, but the texture was a little off for me. The couscous felt a little too grainy, and the tortilla seemed a little too thick. However, it ended up being okay because the feta cheese and vegetables worked well together. They provided a much better, crunchy texture that temporarily made me forget about the rest. Overall, the dish was okay and healthy.

Hugo’s Lost Colony

2420 Justin Road, Highland Village

This restaurant is located on Justin Road by Briarhill Middle School and serves Tex-Mex food. The atmosphere of the restaurant is incredible with nature-y decor hanging from the ceilings and color changing candles at the tables.
While Mexican food does not appear to be traditionally healthy, it has aspects that are often overlooked. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Fajita for about $19. While this seems more expensive than the other options, this dish comes with an enormous amount of food, and the leftovers lasted me two days. The fajita includes beans, tomatoes, rice, chicken, peppers, cheese and sauces, which is every food group. This restaurant is great, especially for people who love more spicy and flavorful food. I could write sonnets for the salsa alone. I would eat it by itself as a full meal. While it includes a few unhealthy ingredients, they are matched by cleaner ones. The fajita was fun to eat because I could build it myself and it had a giant serving size. The food is phenomenal because it’s healthy, but the taste isn’t overpowered with clean ingredients.