Calorie Friendly Popular Adelaide Restaurants

At equ HQ we’re all about enjoying life and the delicious food and drinks that come with it, but we totally understand that when you’re on a body and mind transformation journey you don’t want to compromise all your hard work and get off-track.

So we asked our nutritionist Caillin Bursill to recommend her calorie and macro-friendly picks from some of Adelaide’s most popular eateries… 

Melt Henley House

Overlooking Adelaide’s stunning Henley Beach, this restaurant boasts both an incredible view and an enviable menu.

You’ll find this eatery on the middle floor of the popular Henley House. The menu takes inspiration from many cuisines including Italian, Spanish, modern Australian and more. So there really is something for every taste!

As for the calorie and macro-friendly order choices, Caillin suggests:

• You can definitely enjoy some pizza and a good rule of thumb to remember is that each slice will be around 200 calories – more if the pizza has a number of heavier toppings (like meats, multiple sauces, etc.) and less if it’s a minimal pizza like a Margherita. 
• As a starter you could choose to have a couple of slices of pizza and some tapas. The Green Beans with garlic, chilli and anchovy are a good source of fibre (50 cals a serve), the Kingfish sashimi (100 cals a serve) and the pan-fried halloumi with pickled onions and focaccia (250 cals a serve) are all winners.

You can view the full menu here. 

Africola

Located on Adelaide’s East Terrace, this African-inspired menu changes based on ingredient availability and seasonality, so you know you’re always being served up the best of the best. 

Grilled and smoked meats, flavoursome veggies and a unique wine list are some of the deliciousness you can expect here.

Caillin suggests heading here with a few friends and sharing the below (keep in mind the menu may change but you can opt for similar meals):

• Peri-Peri chicken with Mpumalanga fire, boom Chakalaka – one piece per person will be approximately 350 cals.
• Pumpkin, habanero, almond and raisins – 150 cals. 
• Carrot, Labneh, garlic saltbush – 100 cals.
• Boston Bay Mussels with fermented chilli and white peas – 250 cals. 
• A cocktail here will be around 250 cals, a glass of wine is around 130 cals and a spirit of choice with soda around 70 cals.
  

You can view the full menu here.

Spaghetti Island

OK, so this one is for the carb-lovers (let’s face it, who isn’t)! As the name gives away, this place serves all things spaghetti.

This one’s a little different to the other restaurants, though, as it’s currently delivery-only, so a good option for a date-night-in perhaps!

Remember, just because it’s carbs doesn’t mean it’s ‘bad’ for you. Here’s what Caillin suggests from the menu:

• Calorie-friendly pasta picks to look for are anything with a red/tomato-based sauce and lean meat. I especially love the lean turkey and chicken bolognese!
• On the other hand, steer clear of anything with a creamy base as these are generally very calorie-dense.
• A good rule of thumb is approximately 850 cals a bowl.

You can view the full menu here.

Beach Bum

Set on Brighton Road in Hove, this restaurant cooks up delicious Hawaiian street food with both Japanese and Mexican influences. Now that’s a tasty fusion!

While they boast an extensive menu, the tacos really are the star here. 

As for Caillin’s calorie and macro-friendly recos:

• Again, your best friends are lean, grilled meats and staying away from deep-fried or breaded foods as they’re going to add far more calories to your plate.
• Roast pumpkin taco – 150 cals each.
• Any of the noodle dishes – approximately 700 cals per dish.
• The burrito bowl is around 700 cals. Definitely opt for tofu or chargrilled chicken as the main protein in this case otherwise calories will be higher.
• Salmon Aburi – 850 cals.
• Teriyaki chicken – 650 cals.

You can view the full menu here.

The Local Greek

This is where ancient and modern Greek cuisine meet!

This North Glenelg restaurant aims to create food reminiscent of what the owner’s mother and grandmother would cook throughout their childhood, while adding their own new-age twist. Do you can only imagine how deliciously homely the flavours are! 

Here are Caillin’s menu favourites:

• Chicken Souvla – 700 cals.
• Lamb gyros – 750 cals.
• Haloumi Yiros – 750 cals.
• Olympia Greek Bowl – 700 cals.

You can view the full menu here.