Lyfe Kitchen, a health-minded chain that recently opened outposts in Lone Tree and Boulder, has a mighty mantra: “Great-tasting food that’s also good for you.”

But the proof, as the saying goes, is in the pudding. Or, in the case of Lyfe Kitchen, the chocolate budino. Although the dessert (made with chia seeds, pomegranate, and toasted almonds) is remarkably gluten-free and vegan, it arrives with too little chocolate flavor and an off-putting texture. A similar nutrition-verses-flavor swap appears in the sweet corn chowder, where the addition of cashew cream masks the main ingredient.

Better bets are dishes that eschew substitutions in favor of straightforward ingredients. Try the grass-fed steak (pictured) with roasted potatoes, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and garlic-parsley jus, or the fish tacos with freshly made corn tortillas, grilled mahi, avocado, chayote slaw, scallions, cilantro, and chipotle aïoli. Good news: No matter what you choose, every menu item is less than 600 calories.

8505 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree, 303-706-9100; 1600 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-245-0950