Here are seven excellent reasons to leave the house, in the form of eateries that serve dishes that are tasty as well as healthful and even challenge the term healthy eating as we know it. And also transcend the usual organic, vegetarian or calorie-counters' offerings we conjure up.

Fresh from the garden: One great example of a healthy dish that really warms you up and comforts you on a cold winter day is stuffed vegetables. What is special about Makom Balev, other than its location and design, is the fact that the staff carefully pick the herbs, vegetables and greens from the restaurants own organic garden. They make their stuffed delicacies from a variety of vegetables, filled with whole-grain rice, chopped mushrooms, tofu and organic spices in tomato sauce. Thus, ultimately, in addition to every sinfully rich dish on the menu like gnocchi with cream or hamburgers youll find offers that are made from all organic vegetables picked only hours before, whether its garden eggplant or lettuce. And when its so simple and delicious, you have to wonder: Why arent there more restaurants with their own gardens?

Makom Balev, 5 Pardes Meshutaf St., Ra'anana

Makom Balev (David Bachar)

Low sodium and original: Meshek Barzilay (Barzilay Farm) is a fairly long-standing institution, which moved last year to Tel Aviv's Neveh Tzedek after 10 years on Moshav Yarkona. To talk about health without mentioning this lovely vegetarian-organic haven, which specializes in healthful cuisine and has recently gone a step further and ventured into raw and natural foods, is a sin against the genre.

Meshek Barzilay's kitchen is based on organic fruit and vegetables, with the accent on freshness and tasty combinations. The menu changes with the seasons, with every dish showing two main emphases: tastiness and maximum nutritional value. And although the kitchen is mostly vegan with some vegetarian, it is outstanding in its variety and originality, thanks to the fine use it puts to grains and legumes. For example, youll find a vegan Vietnamese roll, made of rice paper filled with avocado and algae in ginger sauce, garlic and soy sauce. Youll be happy to know that almost all the dishes on the menu are low-sodium because they use celery salt, herb salt and salicornia. And if youre ready for a sweet chocolate dessert thats healthy too, theyve got it, in the form of one that's made of cocoa chips with cashew butter and dates in strawberry sauce. To wash it all down, there's a dazzling array of shakes and juices, to which you can add alcohol for a (fairly) healthy and (very) tasty beverage.

Meshek Barzilay, 6 Ahad Haam St., Tel Aviv

Meshek Barzilay (David Bachar)

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When healthy is sinful: A menu of must-eat venues in Israel