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Five of a kind: Healthy takeaway

Forget the bain-marie, try these healthy offerings on those can't-be-bothered cooking occasions.

Sarina Lewis

Foxes Den: a chic take on the charcoal chicken joints.
Foxes Den: a chic take on the charcoal chicken joints.Supplied

Foxes Den

Mayo-heavy pasta salad and gluggy coleslaw has no sway at Foxes Den, a chic take on the charcoal chicken joints. A Scandinavian-style interior sets the stage for oven-roasted free-range chickens low on grease and big on taste. While the chemical-free birds might be the stars of the show, super salads are certainly deserving of best-supporting accolades. Think fresh batches of quinoa and pumpkin with dried figs, grilled onion, pepitas and cinnamon yoghurt, or a textural Asian-style slaw alive with zesty lime and coriander. Hot roast veg is a takeaway mainstay and house-made fizzy drinks take the commitment to health and quality up a level. Make a beeline for the hot chicken roll with pickled ginger, plum sauce and coriander when it hits the rotating lunch menu.
99 Bay Street, Port Melbourne; 9646 4353; daily 11am-9pm; foxesden.com.au.

Half Moon Cafe

Half Moon cafe's 'signature special'.
Half Moon cafe's 'signature special'.Kerrie O'Brien
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This hot spot at the top end of Sydney Road attracts fans from across the city. They're attracted by the moist-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside falafel made Egyptian-style, which means the usual chickpea base is thrown over in favour of fava beans. The end result is a juicier mouthful made all the more appealing by the house-made condiments. Order a ''Half Moon'' signature special to receive a toasted pita stuffed with tabouli, hummus, yoghurt, pickles, chickpea, olives and rocket (ask for chilli to take things up a notch) surrounding three of those fork-smooshed balls of yum. There are meat options, but this is one venue where it pays to run with the vegetarian pack.
13 Victoria Street, Coburg; 9350 2949; Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm, Sat, 10am-5pm.

Paco Y Lola

Melbourne's love affair with Mexican continues. The opening in May of Paco Y Lola on the South Melbourne Market's busy Cecil Street is good news for locals hankering for a feed of good Mexican on the fly. Sure, there's a restaurant with a handy tequila list and eat-worthy menu (soft shell crab quesadillas are fast developing their own following), but it's the street-side burrito van that's drawing the lunchtime crowds. Try the chicken burrito with kidney beans, sweet corn, pan-fried shredded chicken and sour cream - it's redolent of smoke and subtle heat. For vegetarians and the gluten-intolerant, a subtly tasty bean quesadilla, and sweet corn and diced onion chopped rounds of griddle-cooked hot cakes.
Paco Y Lola, Stall 99-100 Cecil Street, South Melbourne; 9696 5659; Wed-Sat 8am-10pm; Sun 8am-5pm.

Meat Me Souvlakeri

Like hamburgers, pizza and fish and chips, the souvlaki has had its reputation as a healthy food choice maligned by repeatedly poor execution. At Meat Me, prepare to have your preconceptions challenged; the name may be cheesy but its signature dish is anything but. The pita is thick and soft, the tangy yoghurt plentiful and the lamb carved from the spit tender and rich, textured by the occasional crunch of a well-charred piece. Fresh tomato and onion add zing and if the healthy part of you finds it difficult to overlook the few crispy french fries they stuff inside, well, console yourself with the knowledge that that's just how it's done in Greece. Open 12 hours a day, this place is constantly bustling with expatriate Greeks who know a good souva when they taste it.
24 Eaton Mall, Oakleigh; 9568 5555; daily 10.30am-10.30pm.

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The Red Cat Food Store

It's the kind of place every neighbourhood needs: a bolt-hole destination for freshly cooked, home-style treats and meals for those times when doing it yourself seems just another burden. Anna Jacobson runs the joint, cooking and selling her delectable goodies (many of them made from the produce supplied by locals and neighbours) from the small storefront. It's the go-to place for a chunky vegetable minestrone, a cheesy quiche Lorraine, or a traditional braised beef pie. Make the most of the sweets like grandma used to make: think lime and pomegranate muffins or a moreish fruit crumble. Regulars know to ask for favourites, as Jacobson is happy to make to order.
410 Station Street, Thornbury; 0457 000 105; Wed-Sun, 10am-3pm; redcatfoodstore.wordpress.com.

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