Best Restaurants with Healthy Menus in Palm Springs

Renowned throughout the desert for its upscale California cuisine, Cork Tree Restaurant uses local products to bring Chef Herve's creations to life. Start with an organic rainbow beet salad with local dates, then try the demitasse soup tasting, which offers a sample of three soups of the day. For your main course, you can choose from offerings like duck breast and smoked mushroom risotto, Patagonian sauteed sea bass or hibiscus braised boneless short ribs. The superb food offerings are complemented by quality service, excellent presentation and an extensive wine list that features many California wines. The dining room is home to intimate booths for a romantic evening, as well as live entertainment in the evenings. Patio dining and private rooms are also available.

Led by Chef Jimmy Schmidt, Morgan's in the Desert is known for its seasonal menus that incorporate fresh produce from the Coachella Valley and beyond. The James Beard-award winning chef is known for his innovative menu offerings, such as pan-roasted maple leaf duck breast. Steak lovers will enjoy Morgan's in the Desert, which is renowned for its thick, quality cuts of beef. Indulge in a juicy porterhouse or a thick New York strip steak--you won't be disappointed. You'll also be pleasantly surprised with classic sides like macaroni and cheese and garlic steak fries. Plus, with the extensive wine menu, its easy to find the perfect wine to match with your dinner choice.

While Palm Springs might be more than 100 miles away from the ocean, locals can still enjoy fresh seafood at Pacifica Seafood Restaurant in Palm Desert. This fine dining restaurant offers fresh catches daily, and popular Pacifica dishes include the Surf 'n' Turf, which includes steak and lobster, and the Seared Ahi Tuna. For a seafood splurge, try the Butter-Poached Australian Lobster Tail, which is just as decadent as it sounds. Not a seafood lover? Don't fret--Pacifica offers plenty of beef, chicken and vegetarian options, too. For before- or after-dinner drinks, pull up a stool at the Vodka Bar, which boasts more than 140 different types of vodka from around the world.

The Uptown Palm Springs district is known for its modernist architecture, retro art and chic d--cor. Now, a farm-to-table restaurant is blending the modern architecture that made the city famous with a menu inspired by locally sourced ingredients. After much anticipation, Workshop Kitchen + Bar opened in the historic El Paseo building on Palm Canyon Drive. Chefs and owners Michael Beckman and Joseph Mourani work with roughly a dozen local farms, many within an hour of the Coachella Valley, to source fresh ingredients for their rotating menu. Menu items include market veggie enchiladas, a huevos rancheros bowl and slow-roasted lamb tajine. A farmhouse-style table and a selection of large format plates allow patrons to meet new friends over a shared ribeye or grilled chicken. Combined with an alcoholic punch bowl that can serve up to 12 people, you're not likely to dine alone at Workshop.

There's no real meat at Nature's Health Food & Cafe, though you'd never know it by taste alone. This health food store and restaurant combo offers a vegetarian and vegan menu with more than 100 items, including pastas, stir fries, burgers, burritos and wraps. With such an impressive menu, you're sure to find a healthy option to please your palette, whether you're vegan or consider yourself a meat-eater. Soy chicken, soy beef, tofu, tempeh and grain sausage offer meat-free ways for you to get your protein fix. You'll also find plenty of gluten-free wraps and entrees if you're avoiding wheat. Plus, you can enjoy fresh juices, elixirs, organic smoothies, shakes, shots and healing tonics.

Founded on a farm-to-table principal before it became the latest restaurant trend, Luscious Lorraine's is committed to serving organic, wholesome foods while supporting sustainable agriculture. Executive Chef and owner Lorraine Ornelas draws menu inspiration from her own quarter-acre farm and local farmers' markets. With an emphasis on serving fresh and organic ingredients, Luscious Lorraine's specializes in wholesome breakfast and lunch options. The menu revolves around four S's: Smoothies, salads, soups and sandwiches. Among the popular options are "green drink," which is fresh kale, celery, cucumber, green apple and lemon juice, and the chicken wrap sandwich. Luscious Lorraine's is located inside Harvest Health Food Store, where you can buy fresh ingredients to recreate your Luscious Lorraine's experience.

Located in the relaxing Miramonte Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, Grove Artisan Kitchen is known in the Coachella Valley for its use of local and homegrown produce. Chef Robert Nyerick uses citrus from the resort's groves and fresh produce from his onsite herb and vegetable garden to create artisan dishes like golden tomato gazpacho, fattoush salad, cannelloni florentine and free-range roasted chicken served with roasted root vegetables. Chef Nyerick works with local growers to source fresh ingredients, including local ranch-raised meats and Pacific seafood. Combined with Chef Nyerick's passion for using traditional, time-honored preparation techniques, the farm-to-table menu at Grove Artisan Kitchen is a study in simple, locally sourced elegance.

Who says eating out can't be healthy? At Palm Greens Cafe, the organic, vegan and vegetarian selections will keep you on track with healthy lifestyle choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu offers something for everyone, including organic dishes with fish, chicken and turkey. Egg and tofu breakfast scrambles, quinoa salads and wraps stuffed with greens and veggies are just a few of the healthy choices you'll find throughout the day at Palm Greens Cafe. Between meals, you can pop into this South Palm Springs eatery for freshly squeezed juices and power smoothies with your choice of a vegan cookie or gluten-free brownie for a mid-day boost.

Sure, you'll find Native Foods Cafes sprinkled throughout health-conscious cities along the West Coast, but Palm Springs is actually where Native Foods Cafe first opened its doors in the early '90s. The menu is surprisingly hearty, and yes, completely vegetarian. Burgers, sandwiches, salads and soups appease both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, whether you opt for the Super Italian Meatball Sub (made with seitan meatballs) or the Classic Deli Reuben, made with homemade sauerkraut and horseradish "cheese." You'll find nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free and wheat-free menus at Native Foods Cafe, too. When it comes to dessert, you'll find that all of the sweets at Native Foods Cafe are free of dairy, refined sugar and cholesterol (not to mention guilt!).