It is becoming increasingly easier these days to eat affordable, healthy food. Today you can go just about anywhere and find vegetarian and vegan platters being served.
While certainly not a complete list of such places, here are some of the more affordable alternatives to fast food when dining out in Eugene.

The Glenwood
Owned by Jacqui Manniger since 1978, there are two Glenwood locations. The closest to campus is on 1340 Alder St. and the second is located at 2588 Willamette St.
The Glenwood boasts a menu of more than 20 vegetarian or vegan entrees. Some of the more notable dinner selections on tap are the Tomato Cheese Soup and the Pasta Genoese. The soup is a single combination of cream of tomato and various cheeses, including jack and cheddar. The pasta is an orchestration of pesto sauce, spinach, olives, tomatoes, garlic and feta cheese. The average price of a meal selection is between $5 and $7.

Govinda’s
Originally founded in Santa Cruz, Calif., Govinda’s is owned by Al Marsben, who moved the restaurant to its present day location at 270 W. Eighth St. nine years ago. It is a vegetarian buffet-style eatery, which Marsben proudly boasts, “Has the best salad bar in town.”
The multi-dimensional buffet has a host of internationally themed dishes. Some of the best meals Govinda’s has to offer come from recipes that originated in India, Italy, France and China. An all-you-can-eat full buffet for dinner costs $7.50, while its lunch counterpart costs $6.50. There is also a partial buffet available for the economical price of $5.

The Keystone Café
The Keystone Café, located at 395 West Fifth Ave., was founded 25 years ago. Gail Brown has been the head of the restaurant since taking over six years ago.
The cafe closes relatively early, 5 p.m., and thus specializes in breakfast and lunch. The prides of the menu are the vegan pancakes, an alternative to normal buttermilk or dairy-style pancakes. The Keystone Café offers different flap-jack styles including oatmeal sesame and buckwheat barley. The average breakfast is around $6.50, while lunch runs a little cheaper at $5.50.

The Locomotive
This upscale restaurant is owned by Eitan and Lee Zucher. It originally opened its doors in 1996 and has been dedicated to serving organic food and meatless entrees.
The Locomotive serves both vegetarian and vegan meals on its international menu. The menu changes weekly for added variety, with each nightly bill of fare offering five appetizers (two soups, three salads), four main courses and 10 desserts. The menu also includes organically produced wine and beer.
Although a little on the expensive side, with the average entrée running at $13, The Locomotive is the perfect place for those wanting an ideal dinner or at least those who want to impress first dates. It’s located at 291 E. 5th Ave.