Whether eating clean and healthy made your New Year's resolution goals or not, it's everywhere this time of year -- so consider this your friendly, guilt-free reminder to fuel your body in ways that help you feel your best.

Health is about balance, and enjoying meals out can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle. Here's your jumpstart guide to healthy options in Hendricks County, Indiana, that taste great and will help you feel even better this year.

Tlahcos Mexican Cuisine

Fresh, inviting menu items from Tlahcos

We all crave Mexican food sometimes, so Tlahcos Mexican Cuisine had to make the list. It's easy to find healthy dishes with their fresh, high-quality ingredients like chopped onions, peppers, cilantro and lime.

This downtown Plainfield favorite offers a variety of authentic creations that include fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins (steak, chicken, seafood, etc.) to choose from with flavors that will satisfy your tastebuds. My menu favorites include, their house-made guacamole de la casa and their authentic street-style tacos, which comes as a vegetarian option too!

Barley Thyme Kitchen & Brew

Barley Thyme Kitchen + Brew

Barley Thyme opened its doors in Danville nearly a year ago, serving colorful and seasonal dishes packed with nutrition.  A go-to is their chopped salad topped with tomatoes, cucumber, fire-roasted corn, egg, parmesan cheese (optional) and choice of dressing. Grilled chicken can also be added. 

The current seasonal winter salad will make your tastebuds crave their arugula and spring mix, honey mustard dressing, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, feta, avocado and green apple. 

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The Prewitt Restaurant + Lounge

Seasonal salad at The Prewitt Restaurant + Lounge

The Prewitt, a renovated 1920's movie theater in downtown Plainfield and a place I went to see movies as kid, is now a dining experience you don't want to miss!  Healthy items on the menu include soups, lemon-garlic asparagus, shrimp cocktail, pan-seared salmon, sautéed swordfish with carrot puree and other side salad options. 

Seasonal dishes curated by their chef take food as a form of art to the next level, like their seasonal winter salad (pictured above) made with shaved brussel sprouts, bacon, goat cheese, pomegranate and creamy balsamic-rosemary vinaigrette; add chicken, steak, shrimp or salmon for protein.

Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery

Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery

If you love a cozy, quaint and home-like atmosphere for breakfast or lunch, you can be well-fed while still eating healthy at the Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery in Danville. The fact that they use locally grown produce and cook food from scratch makes this a wise choice. 

Regular customers savor the various omelettes (which you can tailor to your needs), chia pudding with berries & seeds, fruit plates, yogurt & berry parfaits and various soups on the menu.  My daughter, who has very strict dietary needs, absolutely loves when the curried chicken quinoa soup is on the menu. 

Singing Crust Bakery

Singing Crust Bakery

If you are "kneading" a place for quality bread products with no artificial ingredients, look no further than this small Clayton take-out bakery! Using unbromated, unbleached flour, the Singing Crust makes fresh, artisan bread daily.

Their bread is served at the Oasis Diner in Plainfield and at farmers' markets in Avon and Brownsburg. You can also stop in for a carry-out, made-to-order sandwich for breakfast and lunch.

Not Yo Mama's Meal Prep

Not Yo Mama's Meal Prep

I was amazed to learn about the concept of Not Yo Mama's Meal Prep; fresh & healthy chef-prepared meals in Avon that you can pick up or have delivered!  Elevate your nutrition with custom-crafted meals tailored to your preferences, dietary needs and lifestyle schedule.

Our family purchased a gift card for our mom this Christmas, and so far she's raved about the queso chicken and rice, Italian beef bowl and the butter chicken. Stay up-to-date with current meals in stock as well as their weekly menu on their Facebook Page.

The Hayloft

The Hayloft grazing box

The Hayloft is a feel-good option that gets you thinking outside the box about nourishment. If you are in a pinch and need quick-to-order snack or meal ingredients, this farm-to-table market in Brownsburg is where it's at. Grazing boxes provide healthy alternative edibles, including vegetables, cheeses, fruits and meat (boxes come in sizes small, medium and large).

This one-stop shop has locally grown produce, meats, eggs and much more. Helpful hint: For more produce with multiple vendors, visit the Hendricks County Winter Farmers Market from January to April 2026.

Coming Soon: Roots Market + Eatery

Roots Market + Eatery

Roots Market + Eatery is an exciting project in the works on Main Street in Plainfield that you will want to add to your healthy-eating rotation when it opens soon. 

Roots will house a locally farmed butcher, a local bakery (Singing Crust Bakery), a deli shop and an event space. We will provide more information about this new business on the Hendricks County Insider blog after it opens.