I’m really excited to have another place to eat healthy. When I cook at home, I normally follow paleo rules, but when I can’t stand to do another set of dishes, I prefer to dine out vegan style. I do this for two reasons, the first one is for my dairy allergy. I don’t even have to ask if it was cooked in butter since they don’t have any animal products in their kitchen. The second reason, relates to the low quality of animal protein at restaurants. There are exceptions, but most of the time you just don’t know what you are getting or where it is coming from.

Shameer and I tried out the Veggie Grill in Santa Monica, and I can easily see why they are so popular. The prices were very reasonable for food that tasted fresh. I also saw a lot of locals getting take out, so I can see how this would be popular for people after a long work day. My favorite part of the mindful living menu was the portions. Even though they have to list calories, they still gave you a decent size dinner. I absolutely hate it when you order something healthy and you’re hungry and then they bring out a small portion. The great thing about truly healthy food is that you can eat a lot of it, and not have to worry about calories or gaining weight. So big props to Veggie Grill for that.

When we were there, we tried the Bombay Bowl which was my favorite, the Quinoa Power Salad which is what the picture above is, the All Hail Kale Salad with Blackened Chickin’ and the Chill Out Wings with BBQ Sauce. Normally, I’m not a fan of fake meat, but I wanted to try it out since it was organic and non-GMO. Would I order it again, probably not. Did it taste good? Surprisingly yes. The Chill Out Wings were uncannily close to fast food chicken fingers, so I could see why they might be a yummy alternative when you have a craving, but I still prefer to eat as unprocessed as possible. I loved the Bombay Bowl, because the curry sauce had a ton of great flavor which made the roasted veggies and steamed kale taste delicious, plus the fat from the coconut milk in curry sauce made me feel satisfied. For the same reason, the Quinoa Power Salad was awesome because it gave you plenty fat from chopped avocados and almonds.

We went to dinner early … about 5:15ish to avoid parking issues. They have a small lot in the back in their Santa Monica location, but it was full and difficult to maneuver when we left, so I’d avoid the rush if possible. Santa Monica parking can be hellish, but it’s the closest to us. They have plenty of other locations if that is a concern for you.

If you liked this article, check out my List of Healthy Restaurants in Los Angeles.