to plan your catering
Healthy food delivery sounds like an oxymoron when you’re scrolling through DoorDash at 8pm. Most delivery apps feel like a minefield of fried appetizers, loaded burgers, and dishes swimming in sauce. But here’s the thing: you can actually find and order healthy food through these apps if you know what to look for and how to customize.
The key is understanding that “healthy” doesn’t mean ordering a sad salad and calling it dinner. It means finding meals with decent protein, vegetables, reasonable portions, and ingredients that aren’t deep-fried or drowning in cream sauce. These meals exist on every delivery app, you just need to know where to look and how to hack the menu to make standard dishes healthier. And if you’re ordering food for a team or group and want healthy options that people will actually want to eat, try CaterAI where you can specify exactly what you need and skip the endless scrolling through delivery apps trying to find something that works for everyone.
The Reality of Delivery Food
Before we get into specific hacks, let’s be real about what we’re working with. Restaurant food is designed to taste amazing, and that usually means more salt, fat, and sugar than you’d use at home. Delivery food specifically tends to be even more indulgent because restaurants know they’re competing for your attention against hundreds of other options.
That doesn’t mean all delivery food is nutritionally bankrupt. It just means you need to be strategic. You’re looking for dishes that are naturally lighter, restaurants that offer customization, and menu descriptions that signal fresher ingredients and simpler preparation methods.
The other reality is that healthy delivery food costs about the same as unhealthy delivery food. You’re not paying a premium for grilled chicken instead of fried. The cost is in the delivery fees and markups, not necessarily in your food choices. So you might as well make choices that make you feel good after eating instead of sluggish and overfull.
Restaurant Types That Make Healthy Ordering Easier
Not all restaurants on delivery apps are created equal when it comes to healthy options. Some cuisines and restaurant types naturally lend themselves to healthier choices.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
These restaurants are goldmines for healthy delivery. Look for places serving grilled meats, hummus, tabbouleh, grilled vegetables, and rice or grain bowls. The food is naturally built around lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats from olive oil.
Order grilled chicken or lamb shawarma plates with extra vegetables and skip the pita or get it on the side. Build bowls with protein, hummus, salad, and a grain. The flavors are strong enough that you don’t need heavy sauces to make food taste good.
Poke and Hawaiian
Poke bowls are essentially customizable healthy meals. You pick your base (usually rice, salad, or half and half), your protein (raw fish, grilled fish, or tofu), your vegetables, and your sauce. The portion sizes are reasonable and you’re getting quality protein with vegetables.
The trick here is going easy on the sauces and toppings. The spicy mayo and crispy onions add up fast. Stick with soy-based sauces, load up on the vegetable options, and you’ve got a solid meal.
Asian Fusion and Vietnamese
Vietnamese restaurants especially are great for healthy delivery. Pho is a huge bowl of food that’s actually not that caloric because it’s mostly broth, rice noodles, herbs, and lean beef or chicken. Banh mi can be healthy if you get grilled meat instead of fried and don’t load it with mayo.
Summer rolls (not fried spring rolls) with peanut sauce, vermicelli bowls with grilled meats, and lemongrass chicken dishes are all solid options. Vietnamese food uses a lot of fresh herbs and vegetables, so the base is already healthier than a lot of other cuisines.
Mexican (With Strategic Ordering)
Mexican food gets a bad rap but you can make it work. Skip the cheese-heavy burritos and loaded nachos. Instead, go for burrito bowls where you can see and control what’s in them, grilled fish or chicken tacos, fajita plates, or ceviche.
Ask for extra vegetables, get the sour cream and cheese on the side, and load up on pico de gallo and salsa. Black beans are healthier than refried beans. Corn tortillas have fewer calories than flour tortillas. You can make Mexican delivery work with a few smart swaps.
Salad and Grain Bowl Chains
These places literally exist to provide healthier fast-casual options. Sweetgreen, Cava, Chipotle, they’re all built around customizable bowls where you pick your base, protein, vegetables, and dressing.
The risk here is actually going overboard with toppings and dressing. Just because it’s a salad doesn’t mean it’s healthy if you add four cheeses, candied nuts, fried chicken, and drench it in ranch. Build your bowl strategically and these places deliver exactly what you want.
Menu Description Red Flags and Green Lights
The words restaurants use in menu descriptions tell you a lot about how food is prepared and how healthy it’s likely to be.
Words That Usually Mean Healthier
Grilled, Broiled, Baked, Roasted, Steamed
These cooking methods don’t require much added fat. Grilled chicken is going to be lighter than fried chicken, always. Roasted vegetables are healthier than fried vegetables. Steamed dumplings beat fried dumplings.
Fresh, Raw, Marinated, Herb-crusted
These words signal that the dish focuses on ingredient quality rather than heavy preparation. Fresh fish, raw vegetables, marinated meats, herb-crusted proteins, they’re all going to be lighter than dishes that need heavy sauces or frying to taste good.
With a side of vegetables, Served with greens, On a bed of spinach
Any menu description that emphasizes vegetables is usually a safer bet. It means the dish was designed with some balance in mind, not just maximum indulgence.
Words That Usually Mean Less Healthy
Fried, Crispy, Breaded, Battered, Tempura
These all mean deep-fried. The food is coated in something and submerged in oil. It’s delicious, but it’s not what you’re looking for when you want healthy delivery.
Creamy, Rich, Loaded, Smothered, Topped with cheese
These words signal heavy sauces, lots of dairy, and added fats. Creamy pasta, loaded fries, smothered burritos, cheese-topped anything, they’re all going to be calorie-dense.
Alfredo, Carbonara, Parmigiana, Au gratin
These are specific preparations that are inherently heavy. Alfredo is butter and cream. Carbonara is eggs, cheese, and pork fat. Parmigiana means breaded and fried then covered in cheese. Au gratin means covered in cheese and cream.
Crispy, Crunchy (when not referring to vegetables)
If the protein is described as crispy or crunchy, it’s probably fried or coated in something to make it crispy. Crispy chicken is fried chicken. Crunchy tofu is fried tofu.
Customization Hacks That Actually Work
Most delivery apps let you add special instructions. Use them. Restaurants are used to modification requests and will usually accommodate reasonable asks.
The Sauce on the Side Move
This is the most important hack. Always get heavy sauces, dressings, and condiments on the side. You control how much you use instead of getting whatever the restaurant thinks is the right amount, which is usually way too much.
Order dressing on the side for salads and use half of what they send. Get teriyaki sauce on the side and dip your chicken instead of having it drenched. Ask for cheese and sour cream on the side for burrito bowls. You’ll be shocked how much less you use when you’re in control.
Double the Vegetables
Most dishes come with a token amount of vegetables. Ask for extra vegetables or double vegetables. Sometimes there’s a small upcharge, but it’s worth it. You get more food volume, more nutrients, and better balance.
“Extra vegetables, light on the rice” is a great modification for most Asian dishes. “Double the lettuce and tomatoes, easy on the cheese” works for Mexican food. “Add extra broccoli” for pasta dishes. Restaurants can almost always do this.
Swap Your Base
If a dish comes on white rice, ask if you can get it on brown rice, quinoa, or a salad base instead. Some restaurants offer this swap for free, others charge a dollar or two. It makes a significant nutritional difference.
“On a salad base instead of rice” turns a lot of dishes instantly healthier. The protein and vegetables stay the same, but you’re replacing refined carbs with greens.
Go Light on the Cheese
Cheese is everywhere in delivery food and it adds up fast. “Light cheese” or “easy on the cheese” as a modification cuts calories significantly without ruining the dish. Most dishes are over-cheesed anyway, so going lighter actually improves the balance.
Ask for Grilled Instead of Fried
If the menu offers both grilled and fried versions of proteins, always pick grilled. If it only shows fried, ask in the special instructions if they can grill it instead. Sometimes they can, sometimes they can’t, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
“Can I get the chicken grilled instead of fried?” works more often than you’d think.
Cuisine-Specific Ordering Strategies
Different cuisines require different approaches to healthy ordering. Here’s how to navigate the most common delivery options.
Chinese Food
Chinese delivery is notoriously heavy on the oil and sauce. Your best bets are steamed dishes, dishes with lots of vegetables, and anything that’s stir-fried rather than deep-fried.
Order: Moo goo gai pan (chicken with vegetables), steamed dumplings, Buddha’s delight (mixed vegetables), chicken with broccoli with sauce on the side, hot and sour soup, string beans or Chinese broccoli as a side.
Avoid: General Tso’s chicken (fried and sweet), orange chicken (same), anything described as “crispy,” lo mein (super oily), egg rolls and fried wontons.
Modifications: “Light sauce,” “extra vegetables,” “steamed instead of fried,” “sauce on the side.”
Italian Food
Italian delivery can be a carb and cheese bomb, but there are ways to make it work.
Order: Grilled chicken or fish with vegetables, pasta with marinara or aglio e olio (garlic and oil), grilled vegetable sides, minestrone soup, Caesar salad with dressing on the side.
Avoid: Anything with Alfredo, carbonara, or vodka sauce. Lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmigiana, fried mozzarella sticks, garlic bread with cheese.
Modifications: “Whole wheat pasta if available,” “light on the cheese,” “extra vegetables with the pasta,” “red sauce instead of white sauce.”
Thai Food
Thai food uses a lot of vegetables but also tends to be heavy on coconut milk and sugar in the sauces.
Order: Tom yum soup, papaya salad, satay chicken with peanut sauce on the side, basil chicken, drunken noodles (ask for lots of vegetables), curry with extra vegetables and sauce on the side.
Avoid: Pad Thai (surprisingly high in sugar and calories), fried spring rolls, anything swimming in coconut milk-based curry unless you’re okay with that.
Modifications: “Extra vegetables,” “light on the sauce,” “less oil,” “brown rice instead of white rice.”
Indian Food
Indian food is tricky because many dishes are cream-based or fried. But there are lighter options.
Order: Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, dal (lentil dishes), saag paneer, chana masala (chickpeas), vegetable curry, basmati rice.
Avoid: Butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, korma dishes, samosas, pakoras, naan bread loaded with butter.
Modifications: “Tandoori style instead of curry,” “less cream,” “extra vegetables,” “one naan instead of two.”
American Casual Dining
This is the hardest category because American casual food is often designed to be indulgent.
Order: Grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat with a side salad, turkey burger with vegetables, grilled salmon with steamed vegetables, rotisserie chicken with vegetables, cobb salad with dressing on the side.
Avoid: Burgers with multiple patties and bacon, fried chicken sandwiches, loaded fries, anything described as “ultimate” or “loaded,” milkshakes and desserts.
Modifications: “No mayo or mayo on the side,” “lettuce wrap instead of bun,” “side salad instead of fries,” “dressing on the side.”
Portion Control When You Can’t Control Portions
Delivery portions are usually huge. A single entree could easily be two meals. If you can’t control the portion size they send, you can control how much you eat in one sitting.
Before you start eating, split your meal in half and put half in the fridge for tomorrow. This works especially well with pasta dishes, rice bowls, and anything that reheats well. You get two meals for the price of one and you’re not overeating just because the food is in front of you.
Share meals if you’re ordering with someone else. Get two entrees for two people and split them. You both get variety and neither of you eats an entire massive portion by yourself.
Use smaller plates. Restaurant portions look less overwhelming on a smaller plate, which psychologically helps you eat a more reasonable amount.
Eat slowly and stop when you’re satisfied, not when the food is gone. This is obvious advice but it’s harder with delivery food because it’s convenient to just keep eating. Put your fork down between bites. Drink water. Give yourself time to recognize when you’re actually full.
The Apps Have Filters Now (Use Them)
Both DoorDash and Uber Eats have dietary filters that actually work. Under the search or filter options, you can usually select things like “healthy,” “vegetarian,” “low-calorie,” or “nutritious.” These filters aren’t perfect but they point you toward restaurants that are at least trying to offer lighter options.
Some apps also show calorie counts for items, especially for chain restaurants. If the information is available, use it. Seeing that a seemingly innocent salad has 1,200 calories might change your mind about ordering it.
Look at reviews specifically for healthy items. Search for reviews that mention “healthy,” “light,” or “grilled” to see what other people who are trying to eat well have ordered and liked.
When to Just Accept It’s a Cheat Meal
Sometimes you order delivery because you want the indulgent thing. That’s fine. Not every meal has to be perfectly balanced and healthy. The issue is when every delivery meal is a cheat meal.
If you’re ordering delivery three times a week, aim to make at least two of those three orders relatively healthy. If you’re only ordering delivery once a week, maybe that’s your cheat meal and you don’t need to optimize it.
The goal isn’t perfection, it’s making better choices more often than not. One loaded burger isn’t going to derail your health. But a pattern of always choosing the heaviest, least nutritious option when ordering delivery will add up over time.
Planning Ahead Beats Hungry Decision-Making
The absolute worst time to try to order healthy food is when you’re starving. You will order the first thing that looks good, which is usually not the healthiest option. Hunger makes you want immediate gratification and maximum flavor, which usually means fried and heavy.
If you know you’re going to order delivery, decide what you’re getting before you’re starving. Browse menus in the afternoon when you’re not hungry. Save your go-to healthy orders as favorites in the app. Have a list of restaurants you know have good healthy options.
This is especially important if you’re ordering for a group or workplace. Try CaterAI when you need to feed multiple people and want to make sure there are healthy options everyone will actually eat. Tell it your group size, dietary needs, and budget, and it’ll handle finding options that work instead of you trying to coordinate individual delivery orders that satisfy everyone.
The Bottom Line on Healthy Food Delivery
Healthy food delivery exists, but you have to be intentional about it. The apps aren’t designed to push you toward the healthiest options because they make money when you order food, period. They don’t care if it’s grilled salmon or fried chicken.
Your strategy needs to be: know which restaurants have healthier options, use menu descriptions to identify lighter preparations, customize aggressively, control portions, and get sauces on the side. These aren’t complicated hacks, but they make a real difference.
You’re not going to eat perfectly every time you order delivery. But you can eat significantly better than if you just order whatever looks good in the moment. That adds up, especially if delivery is a regular part of your routine.
Quick Healthy Delivery Ordering Checklist:
Before You Order:
- Browse menus when you’re not starving
- Use app filters for “healthy” or “low-calorie” options
- Look for restaurants with customization options
- Check reviews for mentions of healthy items
- Decide on your order before opening the app when hungry
What to Look For:
- Grilled, baked, roasted, or steamed proteins
- Dishes with vegetables prominently featured
- Menu items with “fresh” or “light” descriptions
- Restaurants offering grain bowls or customizable plates
- Options to swap bases (cauliflower rice, salad instead of regular rice)
Customization Requests:
- “Sauce on the side” for everything
- “Extra vegetables” whenever possible
- “Light cheese” or “easy on the cheese”
- “Dressing on the side” for all salads
- “Grilled instead of fried” if both options exist
- “Brown rice instead of white rice”
- “Whole wheat option if available”
What to Avoid:
- Anything described as “loaded,” “smothered,” or “crispy”
- Cream-based sauces (Alfredo, carbonara, tikka masala)
- Fried appetizers and sides
- Dishes where cheese is the main ingredient
- Extra-large portions (or plan to save half for tomorrow)
After You Order:
- Portion out half for a second meal if the serving is huge
- Use the sauce sparingly even though it’s there
- Stop eating when satisfied, not when the container is empty
- Save restaurants and orders you liked for easy reordering
Following these guidelines won’t make delivery food as healthy as cooking at home, but it’ll make it significantly healthier than the default delivery experience of ordering whatever looks most indulgent in the moment.
