Eatin' 9 to 5

Taza
The sign here reads fresh and healthy, low fat and low cholesterol. We’ll buy that, especially if you avoid the fried falafel. Stick with the smooth hummus ($1.65), the creamy baba ghanoush ($1.65) and the juicy chicken shawarma ($4.50), and don’t miss the toasted, spicy pita “fries” (75¢) that trick your taste buds even better than Splenda. 176 N Franklin Ave, 312-201-9885.

Spa Café
Yeah, we know: It sounds like some posh spot where the tanned and toned prance around with cucumbers over their eyes. It’s not—they prance around sipping cucumber water (which is incredibly good, by the way). The rest of us can make combos from dozens of crazy options like cumin-carrot–peanut butter soup and grilled quesadilla with chicken, Brie, leeks, mango and cilantro—all for around $7. 112 W Monroe St, 312-551-0000.

Goodwin’s
When your food’s actually fresh, you’ll want to take more time to eat it. So take a seat on one of the cozy couches scattered through this bilevel space and savor a salad like the La Paz (romaine, black beans, pico de gallo, provolone and avocado; $5.75), or a wrap like the El Paso (black bean mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, provolone; $5.50). Apparently, people in La Paz and El Paso are skinny. 175 N Franklin St, 312-634-1134.

Caffé Baci
Not everything at this stylized chain is healthy—pizza and lasagna are just as cheesy here as everywhere else. But the salad bar will save you money and calories: A combo of three salads—choices include curried couscous, caprese salad and mayo-less tuna salad—rings in at under $7 (and you get a big ol’ piece of focaccia on the side). See www.caffebaci.com for locations.

Oysy
Okay, so lunch for $12 ain’t supercheap, but admit it: Sometimes you simply need sushi. Pick from a half-dozen surprisingly good entrées (from grilled salmon to “veggie delight”) and you also get miso soup, tofu salad, California maki, spicy tuna maki, Japanese pickle and seaweed salad. 888 S Michigan Ave, 312-922-1127.

Kramer’s
There’s a reason the counter guys here always hand you your lentil soup without the lid on it: It’s completely unseasoned. Luckily there’s a lineup of spices—onion powder, cayenne, etc.—to save your soup from bland health-food hell. It’s a little extra work to season your food yourself, but for a $4.99 lunch combo that also includes a flaky spinach pie and fresh vegetable juice, what do you expect? 230 S Wabash Ave, 312-922-0077.

Takumi
A bento box of chicken teriyaki, California roll, miso soup and some tempura veggies ($8.95) may not be as healthy as a salad, but it definitely tastes better. And it will keep you from gnawing your co-workers’ arms later in the day because you’re famished from trying to stay thin. 555 W Madison St, 312-258-1010.

Oasis Café
Carnivores who hate eating with vegetarians will find peace at this Middle Eastern find in the back of the Jeweler’s Mall (which is being remodeled, so Oasis will reopen on August 1). Daily specials are usually less than $7, with our favorites appearing on Mondays (Moroccan chicken pastille: flaky phyllo stuffed with saffron-ginger-cinnamon–laced chicken) and Fridays (couscous packed with sweet potatoes, roasted eggplant and steamed spinach). Or you can go with standbys like hummus and falafel, which will knock a few bucks off your bill. 21 N Wabash Ave, 312-558-1058.

Cellars Market
It’s tough to find a great salad bar in the Loop that doesn’t charge $20 for five chickpeas, eight spinach leaves and a drizzle of dressing. But the traders have this money game figured out, because their basement cafeteria has a killer salad bar (fresh fruit, baby spinach, edamame) with a weird pricing system: The stern little cashier ladies charge a maximum of $6.99 for a one-pound container of salad. So even if you cram more than a pound of salad into that box, you won’t pay more than $6.99. Look, we don’t question the economics—we just load up and pig out on crisp, vitamin-packed deliciousness. 141 W Jackson Blvd, 312-427-3444.