Let's face it, how many of us run the other way when we are told a dish is healthy? Healthy food and good taste haven't exactly been delightful bedfellows, have they? But a little distance aways from the hustle and bustle of the perennially dug-up Church Street, is a little oasis of calm that aims to bring about a marriage between taste and health, that is, well harmonious. Say 'I do' to Little Green Cafe.

"The idea behind the launch of Little Green Cafe was healthy but tasty food," explains Bikash Parik, Co-Founder of Green Theory Ventures, the parent company behind LGC. And Parik knows a thing or two about what he's saying. He's also the brains behind the well-established Green Theory, one of Bangalore's most popular vegetarian restaurants that believes in all things green and healthy.

According to him, "Keeping the working crowd in mind, people who have to eat a non home-cooked meal, we wanted to bring something that’s both healthy and tasty to the table.  We add a little fun and a healthy twist to the menu to break the stereotype that healthy food can't be tasty."

The green mantra starts off with the ambience and and decor itself. Located on Museum Road, Green Cafe's ambience is all about being chemical free, organic, local and sustainable. How, you wonder?

"We have used limestone and clay plaster for the walls," explains Parikh. "We’ve upcycled teak wood for our floors and furniture as well. Woven cane work, one-of-a-kind passive, air cooling system and the green surrounding makes the ambiance eco-friendly and serene."

But let's face it, the proof of the pudding is in the eating (and drinking) isn't it? LGC's menu is eclectic and global, bringing together tastes that you may not have necessarily envisaged, with a healthy, yet tasty twist.

So the Thai Curry comes with semi-polished Kerala rice, your complete daily quota of all food groups made healthier with unpolished rice. “All macro nutrients in one dish,” says Chef Tanvi Chandan, who is a consultant and menu curator at LGC. Another tummy filler with a very low calorie count is the Peal Barley Risotto, which is made with jowar grains and vegetables in a tomato ragout.

If you thought waffles could never be healthy, think again, because here you get semolina waffles with mint chutney and tomato relish. Savoury waffles with three grains and pulses, topped with capsicum and corn, a low GI carb dish.

And did you ever think a mezzo platter could come enriched with chia seeds and other anti ageing ingredients?

But wait, there's more health coming your way: a carrot and ginger drink that's rich in vitamin A, Danta teas rich in antioxidants; an Orange and dill juice brimming with vitamin C that helps reducing of triglycerides.

Phew.

And desserts are not spared either. The sinful chocolate mousse goes all coy and healthy, made with yoghurt and served  with homemade granola. No cream or butter and less than a tablespoon of sugar in the whole dish.

So if that calorific biryani indulgence is making you guilty, LGC could be the place to seek redemption.