Lifestyle
Top 5 Casual Healthy Food Places in New York City
The best casual healthy food places in NYC are Dig, Just Salad, Sweetgreen, CAVA and Westville. Best order at each, with official calories and protein.
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The short answer
The best casual healthy food places in New York City are Dig, Just Salad, Sweetgreen, CAVA and Westville. For the most protein, Dig's Charred Chicken & Rice lists 89 grams for 820 calories; for a lighter lunch, Sweetgreen's Kale Caesar has 41 grams for 545 calories. All five make it easy to build a meal around protein and vegetables, and the first four publish full nutrition information.
New York has more places to eat than anywhere in the country, which makes eating healthy weirdly hard. You've got 30 minutes for lunch, a bodega on every corner, a pizza slice for three dollars, and a long line at the one salad place everyone in your office goes to.
The good news is that a handful of casual spots make healthy eating in the city easy: fast, reasonably priced, all over the five boroughs, and with food you'll actually want to eat. Here are our top 5, what to order at each, and the real numbers behind those orders.
What are the best casual healthy food places in NYC?#
The best casual healthy food places in NYC are Dig, Just Salad, Sweetgreen, CAVA and Westville. Here's the standout order at each, with numbers from each chain's own nutrition guide:
| Spot | Best for | Standout order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dig | High-protein plates | Charred Chicken & Rice | 820 | 89 g |
| Just Salad | Light salads | Chicken Caesar Salad (no dressing) | 400 | 37 g |
| Sweetgreen | Reliable salads and bowls | Kale Caesar | 545 | 41 g |
| CAVA | Filling Mediterranean bowls | Greek Salad Bowl | 580 | 37 g |
| Westville | Sit-down vegetable plates | Market Plate | Not published | Not published |
What makes a casual restaurant "healthy"?#
For this list, we looked for places that check four boxes:
- Protein-forward meals. Grilled chicken, steak, salmon, tofu or lentils as the base of the dish, not an afterthought.
- Real vegetables. More than a lettuce garnish.
- Published nutrition. So you know what you're actually eating, not just what sounds healthy.
- Fast and casual. Order at the counter or in an app, and be back at your desk in 20 minutes.
Chains with 20 or more locations are required to post calories and provide full nutrition information on request under FDA menu labeling rules, and four of the five spots below publish complete nutrition guides online. The numbers in this post come straight from those guides.
1. Dig#
Best for: a hearty, high-protein plate that feels like a home-cooked dinner.
Dig started in New York and builds its menu around seasonal vegetables and simple proteins. It's one of the easiest places in the city to eat a lot of protein without eating junk. According to Dig's fall 2026 nutrition guide:
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Charred Chicken & Rice | 820 | 89 g |
| Steak & Greens with Chimichurri (sauce not included) | 610 | 43 g |
| Autumn Chicken Plate | 520 | 41 g |
| Fan Faves Plate | 470 | 41 g |
The Charred Chicken & Rice is one of the highest-protein meals you'll find at any fast casual spot in the city. For a lighter lunch, the Autumn Chicken Plate gives you 41 grams of protein for just over 500 calories. Dig changes its menu seasonally, so check the current guide.
2. Just Salad#
Best for: a fast, customizable salad or wrap at a good price.
Just Salad was founded in New York City in 2006 and has locations all over Manhattan, with a big build-your-own menu alongside its signature salads. From Just Salad's nutrition guide:
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Caesar Salad (dressing not included) | 400 | 37 g |
| Thai Chicken Crunch Salad (dressing not included) | 310 | 28 g |
| Chicken + Tzatziki Harvest Market Plate | 830 | 45 g |
| Protein Power (digital exclusive) | 770 | 55 g |
The salads are the lightest options on this list, but watch the dressing: Just Salad lists dressings separately, and a 1 oz "light" serving of most vinaigrettes and creamy dressings adds 120 to 160 calories. If you're hungrier, the Market Plates add rice or lentils and land in the 800-calorie range with 40+ grams of protein.
3. Sweetgreen#
Best for: a reliable, high-quality salad or warm bowl almost anywhere in Manhattan.
Sweetgreen opened in Georgetown in 2007 and now has locations all over New York. Its menu changes with the seasons, but the signature salads and bowls stay consistent. From Sweetgreen's nutrition guide:
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Kale Caesar | 545 | 41 g |
| Chicken Pesto Parm | 510 | 38 g |
| Chicken Sesame Crunch | 615 | 35 g |
| Harvest Bowl | 760 | 40 g |
The Kale Caesar is the sleeper pick: 41 grams of protein in a salad, thanks to the chicken and parmesan. Be careful with plant-only options if protein matters to you. The Super Green Goddess has just 12 grams of protein for 465 calories, and the Hummus Crunch has 21 grams for 505.
4. CAVA#
Best for: big, flavorful Mediterranean bowls that keep you full all afternoon.
CAVA's build-your-own bowls make it easy to hit both protein and vegetables in one meal. According to CAVA's nutrition and allergen guide:
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Greek Salad Bowl | 580 | 37 g |
| Steak + Harissa Bowl | 620 | 37 g |
| Chicken + Rice Bowl | 700 | 40 g |
| Greek Chicken Pita | 720 | 48 g |
The Greek Salad Bowl is the best balance of calories and protein. If you build your own, grilled chicken (250 calories, 28 g protein) and grilled steak (170 calories, 23 g) are the leanest proteins, and doubling either is the easiest way to bump protein. Black lentils (270 calories, 18 g protein) are a great base if you want extra protein and fiber over rice.
5. Westville#
Best for: a sit-down meal with friends where you can load up on vegetables.
Westville has been a New York staple since its first restaurant opened in the West Village in 2003, and it now has locations across the city. It's a step up from counter service, but still casual and affordable. The star is the Market Plate: you pick several vegetable sides from a list of seasonal options, prepared fresh every day.
How to order it well:
- Add a protein if the menu offers one, so the meal isn't all sides.
- Mix cooked and fresh vegetables, like roasted Brussels sprouts with a lighter salad or steamed greens.
- Watch the richer sides. Anything mashed, fried or cheesy adds up fast when you pick four of them.
Unlike the chains above, Westville doesn't publish full nutrition information online that we could find, so it's harder to know your exact numbers. That's where Menu Scan AI helps: snap a photo of the menu and it estimates calories, protein, carbs and fat for each dish, then ranks the options against your goals. It works at any restaurant in the city, chain or not.
What should you watch out for at healthy NYC spots?#
Sodium and dressings. "Healthy" restaurant bowls can be very salty. Several of CAVA's signature bowls list 1,800 mg of sodium or more, and Dig's Charred Chicken & Rice lists 2,120 mg. The FDA recommends less than 2,300 mg a day for most adults, so one bowl can use up most of your day.
A few easy fixes:
- Get dressing on the side and use about half.
- Choose lighter sauces, like lemon, vinegar or a yogurt-based dressing, over creamy or sweet ones.
- Drink water, not lemonade. CAVA's large lemonade is 360 calories.
- Balance the rest of your day with less processed and salty food.
For more on handling salt when you eat out, see our guide to low-sodium restaurant orders. And if you're just visiting the city, our tips on eating healthy while traveling will help you plan the rest of the trip.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the healthiest fast casual restaurant in NYC?#
There's no single winner, but Dig, Just Salad, Sweetgreen and CAVA all make it easy to build a meal around protein and vegetables, and all four publish full nutrition information. Dig stands out for high-protein plates, Just Salad for lighter salads, and CAVA for filling Mediterranean bowls.
Where can I get a high-protein lunch in NYC?#
Dig's Charred Chicken & Rice lists 89 grams of protein, according to its fall 2026 nutrition guide. At other spots, CAVA's Greek Chicken Pita (48 g), Just Salad's Protein Power (55 g) and Sweetgreen's Kale Caesar (41 g) are all strong high-protein picks.
Are salads at Sweetgreen and Just Salad actually healthy?#
Most are, as long as you pick one with a real protein and go easy on the dressing. Some plant-only salads have just 12 to 22 grams of protein, which may leave you hungry. Just Salad lists its dressings separately, and a light serving of most dressings adds 120 to 160 calories.
How do I eat healthy at NYC restaurants that don't post nutrition?#
Look for grilled, roasted or steamed proteins, ask for sauces and dressings on the side, fill half your plate with vegetables, and skip sugary drinks. Apps like Menu Scan AI can estimate the calories and protein of each dish from a photo of the menu.
What is a good low-calorie lunch in NYC?#
Just Salad's Thai Chicken Crunch Salad is 310 calories with 28 grams of protein before dressing, and Dig's Autumn Chicken Plate is 520 calories with 41 grams, according to each chain's nutrition guide. At Sweetgreen, the Chicken Pesto Parm (510 calories, 38 grams) is a filling lower-calorie pick.
Sources#
- Dig: Nutrition guide, fall 2026 (PDF), calories, protein and sodium for Dig's plates and bowls
- Just Salad: Nutrition guide, calories and protein for salads, market plates, digital exclusives and dressings
- Sweetgreen: Nutrition, calories and protein for Sweetgreen's signature salads and bowls
- CAVA: Nutrition and allergen guide, calories, protein and sodium for CAVA's curated bowls, pitas and mains
- FSR Magazine: Westville opens sixth location in NYC's Financial District, Westville's history and NYC locations
- FDA: Menu Labeling Requirements, chains with 20 or more locations posting calories and providing nutrition information
- FDA: Sodium in Your Diet, the 2,300 mg daily sodium limit