No matter where you’re living, it can be difficult to dine out when you’ve made a pledge to eat more healthily.
Restaurant menu options taunt you with their calorie-rich goodness, and you’re constantly tempted just to break the diet for one day so you can enjoy whatever’s on offer. The good news is that you don’t need to do this, especially in Manchester; there are plenty of amazing healthy eating restaurant options available, whether you’re in the city centre or further out.
We’re about to get into the best healthy eating restaurants in our fair city, but before we do, remember that healthy eating isn’t just good for your body; it’s good for the environment, too. Going vegan – or, at the very least, cutting out a lot of meat from your diet – will have beneficial effects on the environment, because a lot of greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat industry. Take a look at this information delow.
Without further ado, let’s get into the healthiest restaurants you can visit in Manchester.
Remedy Kitchen – Royal Exchange Arcade
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This chic little spot is situated within the Royal Exchange Arcade shopping centre, but don’t be fooled; it might be a touch out of the way, but its food deserves to be mainstream. From Thai curry to protein-rich pancakes, you’ll find everything that you could possibly need after a workout (or while you’re watching the carbs) at the Remedy Kitchen. A five-star TripAdvisor average speaks for itself; this is healthy food, but it’s also utterly delicious.
The Allotment Vegan Eatery – Lloyd Street
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If you’re a vegan, you’ll know that vegan cuisine isn’t necessarily healthy by default; after all, there’s nothing stopping you slathering food in sweet chilli sauce, which is delicious and incredibly bad for you in large quantities. However, at The Allotment, you’ll only find healthy vegan dishes. That doesn’t mean they’re not delicious, though. We’d recommend the jackfruit tacos, which are bursting with flavour, but you can’t go wrong no matter what you order.
KBK (Kettlebell Kitchen) – Great Ancoats St
“Healthy” doesn’t have to mean “low-calorie”, and at Kettlebell Kitchen, the chefs know this. That’s why many of their meals are packed with nutrients and calories to help you recover after a workout. This isn’t the place to go if you’re not obsessed with your fitness; there’s a reason it’s called the Kettlebell Kitchen, after all. With meal prep and calorie-counted options available, as well as specific macronutrient-targeting meals, KBK is your one-stop Manchester spot for fitness nutrition.
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Evelyn’s Cafe Bar – Smithfield Building, Tib Street
You’ll find plenty of Asian-inspired cuisine and menu options at Evelyn’s, which runs a brunch menu for busy diners and a dinner menu for the evening. This venue’s take on fish and chips infuses the classic British dish with Asian flavours, bringing a chilli tang to the chips and a ginger beer twist to the tempura sea bass. We’d also recommend the ribeye steak, which is tender and cooked to perfection whichever way you like it. Don’t worry, though; everything on this menu is pretty healthy, too!
Vertigo – multiple locations
Vertigo is a plant-based chain (its slogan describes it as a “plant-based eatery”) with multiple locations across Manchester, so whichever one you visit, you can’t go wrong. The jackfruit chilli is particularly stunning here; we previously believed that you simply couldn’t make a delicious chilli without meat, but Vertigo has convinced us otherwise. You’ll also find a range of smoothies and other drinks to accompany your meal, all of which use only plant-based ingredients.
The Green Lab – Dale Street
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The Green Lab describes itself as a “health studio concept”. We’re not sure about that slightly pompous designation, but it does serve some mighty fine food. Its vegan spiced cauliflower wrap is delicious and has just 557 calories in it, which you won’t believe while you’re eating it. The smoothie bowls are also excellent; they’re packed with fruits and healthy ingredients, but they’re also sweet and delicious, making them perfect for helping you recover after a particularly grueling workout.
The Counter House – Blossom Street
Describing itself as a “vibrant neighbourhood eatery” (a description it’s difficult to disagree with if you’ve been), The Counter House isn’t just about healthy eating, but it does have plenty of options for you if you’re watching your intake. The roast salmon with miso potatoes is an excellent choice for diet-conscious individuals, while the scrambled tofu with toasted sourdough makes a surprisingly convincing substitute for the traditional eggs on toast.
Nam – Blossom Street
Another Blossom Street gem, Nam is, as you might expect, a healthy take on classic Vietnamese cuisine. The baked sea bass with turmeric and ginger broth is warming and comforting without being unhealthy, while the traditional Vietnamese goi salad can be eaten either with chicken or with mango (or both if you’re feeling adventurous!). There’s also a brunch menu if you’re walking past and need somewhere to satisfy a craving. Take it from us: Nam is the only place to go in Manchester if you love Vietnamese food.
There are plenty of other healthy eateries in Manchester, of course, but these are some of our favourites. As the world’s food consciousness increases, we’re only likely to see the number of healthy eating options skyrocket, so even if you don’t find somewhere you love among these restaurants – which we think is pretty unlikely – you’re bound to discover your new favourite haunt eventually.
Manchester
Woman who protested alone outside Chanel show labelled ‘a queen’
Daisy Jackson
A woman who staged a lone protest outside the Chanel show in Manchester last week has been inundated with praise from locals.
The woman was positioned on High Street, mere metres from where a-list celebrities and high-fashion models were parading for the fashion giant.
The fact that the exclusive event took place in Manchester has been considered a huge coup for the city, and one which will have had a significant economic impact.
But the woman outside the Chanel show chose the opportunity to highlight the stark contrast between the luxurious fashion show and the harsh reality of many living in poverty in our city.
She held a sign that read: “Over 250,000 children living in poverty in Manchester. Higher than UK average.
“Manchester has one of the highest level of homelessness. 1 in 74 people. 7407 and rising!
“Where have you hidden the homeless Andy??”
Speaking about Chanel, she told photographer Project Certi: “No one was consulted about this. It’s not for the people of Manchester. You can come here if you want a celebrity spot but that’s not for you.
“This sort of thing moves around the world, they’ll have it somewhere weird and wonderful every year, and this is kind of like, capitalising on the working class history of Manchester.
“The poster’s got, ironically, the suffragettes on it, you know, people fighting for rights. They’re using images from the Hacienda, they’re using music of Joy Division and New Order, all of that what made Manchester on the music map all came out working class struggle. It all came during Thatcher and the attack on the working class, which is exactly what we’re seeing now with 12 years of austerity.”
There was one woman on her own amongst the public. She was one person with a sign and i felt it was only right to amplify her voice. She makes some good points. #manchester#chanel#chanelshow#fyp#trending#people
She also highlighted the man who died on the street in the Gay Village on a night where temperatures dropped, and the ‘cr*ppy B&Bs’ that homeless people find themselves housed in.
Speaking of the impact of Chanel on Manchester though, Deputy Leader Luthfur Rahman OBE said: “The impact of the decision by CHANEL to hold its prestigious Métiers d’Art show here in Manchester is something that is already resonating with people around the globe and is going to continue to be felt by the city for quite some time.
“It speaks volumes about the regard in which Manchester is already held across the world, but more importantly it also sends a clear signal to international businesses and the international visitor economy that Manchester is the place to be.
“It’s impossible at this stage to even begin to quantify the economic impact hosting the event has had on the city, or to put a figure on it. The true impact will involve not just the direct spend and income generated within the city over these last few weeks leading up to and during the event, but also the longer-term benefits that will come from the massive boost to Manchester’s profile that CHANEL has given the city, that in turn translates into more visitors coming to see what Manchester has to offer, and more businesses choosing to invest here.
“It has been without doubt quite a moment for Manchester, not least coming as it does off the back of many other significant moments for the city this year, that together place Manchester in absolute pole position on the world’s stage for the years ahead.”
In the comments on Project Certi’s video, one person wrote: “Thank you for giving this woman a platform.”
Another wrote: “Whoever this woman is, she’s a legend. As are you for capturing it.”
Someone else posted: “I have so much respect for this woman, I’d love to meet her and let her know she’s not alone in her feelings towards this.”
One comment said: “She is such a queen, bang on with everything she’s saying.”
Unexpected Manchester city centre street named ‘one of the most polluted’ in the UK
Clementine Hall
A new fieldwork study has revealed the worst air polluted city centre streets in the UK, and a popular Manchester thoroughfare has been named one of the worst.
Except, it’s really not the street you’d expect it to be.
For some bizarre reason, despite the fact it’s a pedestrianised commercial shopping street in the heart of Manchester city centre, Market Street has been named one of the most polluted streets in the country.
Recordings were taken at high streets in the 25 largest towns and cities in the country over a two-week period, and the results found that 76% are exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended annual level of air pollution, The Hoot reports.
The study enlisted a planning consultancy to collect samples using an air quality monitoring device at 11am on either a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to ensure as much comparability as possible between the locations.
Market Street has been named one of the ‘most polluted’ streets in the UK / David Dixon (via Geograph)
The study comes after a poll of 2,000 adults found that 36% have concerns over the health of the community due to air pollution, or the health of their family (26%) or themselves (25%).
Speaking on the shocking findings from the new study, Sam Clarke, who is the chief vehicle officer at the sustainable energy business, said: “With millions set to hit the high street this festive period, we wanted to look at the state of the nation’s air quality in the locations people will be doing most of their Christmas shopping.
“It’s shocking to see that so many were above the World Health Organisation’s annual recommendations for air pollution, and that one in 10 shoppers are even planning on foregoing the highstreets altogether due to air quality.”
20 streets in the UK were over the recommended World Health Organisation recommended levels of 5 µg/m3).
The Most-Polluted Streets in the UK
Stoke-On-Trent (Parliament Street) – 11.7
Newcastle (Northumberland Street) – 11.5
Leicester (Gallowtree Gate) – 11.2
Coventry (West Orchards Way) – 11.1
Hull (Jameston Street) – 10.7
Bradford (Broadway) – 10.6
Southampton (Above Bar Street) – 8.8
Nottingham (High Street) – 7.7
Luton (George Street) – 7.6
Manchester (Market Street) – 7.6
Northampton (Abington Street) – 7.3
Birmingham New Street – 7.3
Liverpool (Church Street) – 7.1
Derby (St Peter’s Street) – 6.9
London (Oxford Street) – 6.8
Sheffield (Fargate) – 6.3
Brighton (Western Road) – 5.6
Leeds (Briggate) – 5.3
Portsmouth (Commercial Road) – 5.1
“If we’re to reach the World Health Organisation’s annual target of 5 µg/m3 of PM2.5 in our air, collectively we need to change our behaviours,” Sam Clarke added.
“With vehicle emissions being a key contributor, anything we can do to travel more greenly, from walking more to cycling, and including electric vehicles, is a very valuable set forward to improve the air we breathe daily.”