Los Angeles is known to the whole world as the center for good-looking Hollywood stars, models and just ‘really, really, ridiculously good-looking people’.

Los Angelinos don’t get these good looks and great bodies by eating the type of food that other parts of America are infamous for.

The cuisine in Los Angeles is focused on wellbeing, eating clean green and healthy. Kombucha is everywhere, dairy alternatives are de rigueur, and deep fried is strictly off the menu until you near the border with Ventura.

Healthy eating finds in Los Angeles:

Whole Foods Salad Bar

Whole Foods may be the best supermarket on the planet in my opinion. There is so much choice available, but I won’t go into detail about the grocery section here, the lunchtime salad bar is worth a visit on its own. There is a huge selection of lightly grilled vegetables, different mixed salads from all around the world, as well as individual vegetables, toppings, dressing, seeds… it goes on and on, a pure salad lover’s dream.

Mainland Poke

Poke is the best food trend in Los Angeles right now. Although LA has long been known for great sushi and Japanese food, it can be hard to find a quick grab-and-go sushi joint. Poke bowl is the quick lunch sushi alternative. This Hawaiian themed dish consists of raw fish, much like sushi, and comes mixed in a bowl with your choice of rice, grains, salads and other oriental or Hawaiian toppings. While there are many great Poke outlets around, my local Mainland Poke in Marina Del Rey is my favorite. The must-try ingredient that makes Mainland sushi special is the Wasabi Aioli.

El Huarique

In keeping with the raw fish theme, El Huarique Peruvian cuisine is another quick eating option that’s delicious. The Ceviche comes with sweet potato, white corn and cancha (deep fried corn).  Peruvian food is well known for being packed with superfoods like quinoa, maca, camu, purple corn, a fruit called aguaje, and pichuberry. But the Ceviche, fish cooked with the acidity of lemon juice, is the star of the dishes at El Huarique. This method of cooking the fish in lemon juice without heat allows the fish to retain all the nutrients.

But let’s admit it, there’s only so much clean eating one can do, and deep fried can be delicious – especially somewhere like Neptune’s Net.

Neptune’s Net

Neptune’s net does the most delicious fried seafood baskets, and yes, it’s on the edge of Los Angeles and may be technically in Ventura, explaining how it was able to find an audience to eat its unhealthy foods.

But eating out all the time can because very expensive, especially in a town like LA which is already expensive. And If you still want to fry your fish instead of eating it raw there are Air Fryers on the market that could be the solution to that fried flavor with less fat.

When cooking at home using a light oil or oil sprays is a good alternative to butter, lard, or heavier oils.  Healthier oils like avocado and olive oil are better for your health and your waistline. Using an air fryer can reduce the amount of oil by 80%.

Salads like those at Whole Foods can be made at home of course, although it’s so much more convenient to pick one up pre-made.

Some healthy dishes such as Poke and Ceviche are difficult to assemble at home, and sushi grade raw fish can be a hard find, although they do have it at the plentiful Whole Foods supermarket, so while you’re there pick up a salad and skip cooking at home!