As healthy eating has become a major concern in society nowadays, a growing number of restaurants are embracing the concept of lighter dishes with a focus on green ingredients. The Global Times has picked some restaurants in Shanghai that follow a "light food" principle to help you make a more healthy choice.

A salad from Takumi Robatayaki & Sake

a salad from Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai (bottom) Photos: Courtesy of the restaurants

Grand Tower Lounge

Located next to the lobby of the Grand Tower, Grand Tower Lounge of Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai launched a Go-Healthy menu full of light favorites early this year.

Well lit by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lounge exudes a simple harmony between pastel-chic décor and contemporary furnishings.

"All food on the menu is low in sodium and fat, and prepared in such a way that the full nutritional value of each ingredient is retained," said executive chef Ulrich Jablonka, the dietician who came up with the idea of the Go-Healthy menu.

"We launched the menu at the beginning of the year, when a lot of people vow to lose weight and live healthier, but only a very few actually keep to this. I thought of helping them with a couple of healthy, nutritious but tasty dishes," Jablonka said.

Made up of five different salads, three signature soups and a sandwich, the Go-Healthy menu features a mix of flavors from around the world with its organic baby greens and tandoori chicken breast salad being recommended dishes.

The organic baby greens dish is made up of quinoa, pickled daikon and fresh seaweed mixed with light soy dressing. It is crisp, sweet and a little bit sour.

Quinoa is the health highlight in the salad due to its relatively high amount of protein, lack of gluten and slightly nutty taste. The ingredients of the salad together offer a good supply of dietary fiber, phosphorus and magnesium. The dish is suitable for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant.

The tandoori chicken breast salad is a mixed, heavier meat salad consisting of tandoori chicken breast, lettuce leaves, cucumber, onions, white cheese, capsicum and mustard vinaigrette. Its secret lies in the mix of more than 19 different spices such as cinnamon and turmeric, used in the marinade.

"Using the freshest ingredients, we provide our guests with a wholesome selection with nutritious value. Every dish has a low calorie count and yet remains every bit as delicious," said the chef.

Another highlight is the celeriac veloute, which gets its strength from only one root, the celeriac. Its texture is rich and smooth, contrasting in flavor with the refreshing zing of the vegetable salads. The soup is usually served with a healthy bread basket containing rye bread rolls and a multi-grain sticks.

Available daily at the Grand Tower Lounge, the Go-Healthy menu is 88 yuan ($14.09) for two items or 48 yuan for a single item. Prices are subject to a 15 percent service charge.

Opening hours: 10 am to 12 pm

Add: 33 Fucheng Road 富城路33号

Tel: 6882-8888

Big Housekeeper

Tucked away on Wuning Road South, Big Housekeeper is a health-conscious organic store offering a one-stop shopping experience for mindful eaters. The venue is split into three parts, a kitchen, a dining hall and a supermarket.

"Most of our customers are white collars in their 30s or 40s who are gradually finding themselves confronted with health conditions due to high working pressure, unhealthy dietary habits, lack of physical exercise and environmental pollution. In line with the different requirements of our customers, we have made a whole set of personalized dietary plans to help improve their health," said Wu Hui, manager of Big Housekeeper.

The store provides fresh organic farm produce sourced nationwide and grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Hotpot may usually mean an oil-heavy feast, but the one here uses only seasonal organic ingredients without any additives.

The store also offers healthy supplements, such as fruit enzymes and vinegars, that can be added to drinks.

"We not only sell healthy products, but also recommend healthy recipes to our guests and give lectures each Saturday to teach people how to eat right and maintain healthy living habits," said Cao Yufei, vice president of Big Housekeeper, who started the store last year along with his friends. Big Housekeeper boasts a team of professional and attentive nutritionists to assist diners and shoppers in their selections.

Opening hours: 9 am to 10 pm

Add: 397 Wuning Road South 武宁南路397号

Tel: 5239-7500

Takumi Robatayaki & Sake

Takumi Robatayaki & Sake is an upscale Japanese restaurant that celebrates the traditional robatayaki method of cooking. The restaurant's retro-styled environment includes rustic walls, interior wood paneling, red lanterns hung from the ceiling and cheerful waiters and waitresses all dressed in Japanese kimonos.

The Japanese head cook, Kazuhisa Yokota, insists on the selection of fresh ingredients with his biggest wish being to bring the authentic robatayaki culture to China.

With 23 years of cooking experience, Yokota is not only an expert in cooking the most traditional Japanese cuisine, but also combines Western and Korean style cooking to improve customer satisfaction. For the past two years in Shanghai, Yokota has worked hard to learn Chinese in an effort to interact more closely with his Chinese customers.

There is a highly popular organic garden vegetable dish which looks like a miniature garden featuring fresh carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, maize and white radish in a colorful array.

Average price per person is 120 yuan for lunch and 350 yuan for dinner.

Opening hours: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm to 10 pm

Add: 4/F, IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue

世纪大道8号国金中心商场4楼

Tel: 5011-1677