Two weeks ago, in the run-up to the Guardian's food week, we asked you to write in and wax lyrical about the best healthy fast food you had ever eaten in Britain. The idea was to prove that you can eat quickly and well in this country - without eating the sort of additive-loaded rubbish served up by most mainstream fast food joints.

And write in you did, in your hundreds. You recommended everything from a tiny falafel joint in Edinburgh to a Hare Krishna retreat just off London's Oxford Street, and we received more than enough suggestions to fill a book.

Owing to space constraints, what follows represents only the creme de la creme of your suggestions, and this is not a comprehensive guide to Britain's healthy fast food joints. For reasons unclear, Guardian readers in the south - Londoners excepted - were a little backwards in coming forwards. Readers in Manchester, meanwhile, recommended what amounted to whole districts chock-full of healthy and quick eating options. And we are not suggesting that there are no healthy fast food eateries in Norfolk, Devon, Cornwall, Cheshire, Fermanagh or any of the other under-represented counties. In fact, if anyone in those counties would like to make any suggestions, it's not too late to add them to our online list.

Some choices may seem a little incongruous - there are at least two pie shops in this healthy hit parade - but the reasoning behind their inclusion is (arguably) sound. After all, eating good, health-giving food doesn't have to be an exercise in masochism. You probably shouldn't put yourself on an all-pie diet - however divine, fresh and local the pasties from Bristol's hotly recommended Pie Minister are - but a well-sourced pastry, once in a while, can certainly count as healthy. It is, as ever, all about balance - and not just quinoa and tofu. So why not follow that pie with some sushi? Or noodles? Or a home-made quiche, or a fresh, crispy salad? And bon appetit.
Helen Pidd

· Read the full list of recommendations here

London and the south

Busaba Eathai
106-110 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F 0TR, 020-7255 8686

Though you can't book and often have to queue, the Thai food here is fantastic, fresh and good value. Lots of veggie options add to the appeal. A personal favourite is the chicken and butternut squash curry. You have to share large square tables with strangers and can sometimes feel rushed - but it dishes up good fast food when you need it.
Lorna Tony, Hammersmith

Casse Croute
19 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RJ, 020-7928 4700

It's always incredibly busy at lunchtimes, but well worth the wait: salads, sarnies, jacket potatoes, and even fabulous cakes and coffee. Their goat's cheese, roasted peppers and harissa in a sunflower seed bap is divine - and I'm sure it has mystical hangover-curing properties.
Abi Spooner, Crystal Palace

Degustibus
53 Blandford St, London W1U 7HG, 020-7486 6608

Toasted ciabatta with green chicken curry and roasted vegetables, about six or seven quid and worth every penny. Haven't been there for ages but still think about it over here in Sydney.
Simon Kwk Shuen Leung, Sydney

Food for Thought
31 Neal St, London WC2H 9PR, 020-7836 0239

They do great vegetarian quiches, salads, pastas etc. Try their shepherdess pie and homemade flapjacks.
Leftofclapham

Govinda's Restaurant
10 Soho St, London W1D 3DL, 020-7437 4928

This Hare Krishna restaurant is a great place for healthy food which is served up quickly, is filling and very reasonably priced. It's vegetarian, but doesn't suffer from a lack of flavour.
Mr C

Hummus Bros
88 Wardour Street, London W1F 0TJ, 020-7734 1311

Fantastic tasting hummus made fresh every day, served with warm pitta bread and delicious hot toppings - a very filling and satisfying meal for around a fiver. They also make desserts - my favourite is the Malabi, a milk-based dessert, similar to pannacotta, and served with date honey. Delicious, good value food as well as funky decor and atmosphere.
Chris Cowen, London

The Kebab Kid
90 New Kings Rd, London SW6 4LU, 020-7731 0427

I lived in Parsons Green, Fulham, six or seven years ago, and this is the best kebab shop in London. I went from a meat eater to a veggie but all their kebabs were fantastic; I especially remember the falafel ones. I'm feeling like a trip on the District line right now.
Byrnoid

Kim's Vietnamese
Middle Yard, Camden Lock, London NW1 8AF, 020-7284 2084

Turn left just before the painted railway bridge that says "Camden Town" and look for the queue of locals, office workers and market traders. Kim's does the best takeaway noodle soup for £3.50, along with other rice and noodle dishes, but the soup is the winner. Oh, and locals get a discount.
BigOlly

Konstam
109 King's Cross Rd, London WC1X 9LR, 020-7833 5040

Divine food: salads, cakes, sandwiches and soups - all freshly prepared. The menu changes daily and there are lots of inventive combinations and unusual produce to munch on. I have a feeling it's all locally sourced too, which makes the food taste even better, but it's very small so don't all rush at once or I might not be able to battle against the queues.
Hannah Carnell, Islington

Kulu Kulu Sushi
39 Thurloe Place, South Kensington, London SW7 2HP, 020-7589 2225; 76 Brewer St, London, W1F 9TX, 020-7734 7316

It's authentically Japanese, delicious and delivered right to you at your seat. Will set you back about £10 for a big meal.
Naomi Lawson, London

Leon
36 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JB, 020-7437 5280; 12 Ludgate Circus, London EC4, 020-7489 1580

The Ludgate Circus one is like a huge loft apartment (on ground level) with scrubbed wooden tables and sofas. Feels like Manhattan. The food is all seasonal and tries to be organic/free range wherever possible. Their sweet potato wrap is a dream. Their fresh lemonade so refreshing and their orange-chocolate brownies are simply dangerous.
Barnacle

Meds
37 Burdett Rd, London E3 4TN, 020-8980 4088

This cafe is a gem, serving North African food, Mediterranean dishes and all manner of favourites. I ate there this week and had home-made lamb koftas, pitta and salad served with a number of lovely dips for £4. The service is fantastic, the staff very friendly.
Alison Eley, Bethnal Green

The Place Below
St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, London EC2V 6AU, 020-7329 0789

A restaurant in the crypt of St Mary-le-Bow - gourmet food for veggies, but it serves very tasty and healthy vegetarian food and plenty of it. You can eat in or get takeaways.
Elizabeth Wakely, Llanmadoc, Gower

Planet Organic
25 Effie Rd, Fulham, London SW6 1EL, 020-7731 7222, and at various branches across London

Offers great vegetarian food - hot and cold. You can get a big box for £5 and they really pack it in. You can choose from a diverse and delicious menu that includes tofu stir fry, polenta, quinoa, taboulleh, couscous and fresh salads. The staff are also very friendly.
Fabio Adler, Fulham

Ranoush Juice
43 Edgware Road, London W2 2JR, 020-7723 5929, and at various branches in London

Fresh juices, schwarma kebabs (chicken/lamb /falafel/hummus) and a monstrous selection of Middle Eastern sweets. All topped off by a spectacularly rude attitude. I love these cats!
Jim Reid, Brixton

Real Burger World
252 Lavender Hill, London, SW11 1LJ, 020-7738 1500

Fantastic, well-sourced ingredients and loads of fresh veg. The salmon burger is amazing.
Cara Clark, South London

Red Veg Ltd
95 Dean St, London W1D 3TB, 020-7437 3109; 21 Gardner St, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UP, 012-7367 9910

Fantastic vegetarian and vegan burgers, hot dogs, nuggets, etc.
Georgiana Vear, Hackney

Alpha Bar
89 Covered Market, Avenue 3, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3EE, 01865-250499

The best healthy food in Oxford is here ... don't mind the queue, it is worth waiting.
SmooveJ

Dexter's Grill & Bar
23 Church St, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8DE, 01932 849949

I love this place - great with nippers, friendly staff, amazing grub and nice bar. Shame they still let the mugs smoke in there though.
Mr B

Vaults & Garden Organic Cafe
University Church, High St, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 4AH, 01865 279112

A sit-down restaurant that offers daily organic specials and a multitude of fairtrade/organic beverages in a beautiful setting. There's a cafeteria-style set-up, so it moves fairly quickly.
Msjn

North and the Midlands

Bagel Nash
Carlton Tower, 34 St Pauls St, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 2QB, 0113-245 4519 and at various branches across Leeds

Healthy, quick, stylish, reasonable and friendly. It also does an excellent range of vegetarian, vegan, organic, wheat-free lunchtime munchies. The mushroom crunch flan is the stuff of dreams.
Anon

Barburrito
1 Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester M1 1RG, 0161 228 6479

This place is brilliant ... really healthy Mexican fast food for about a fiver a head. Think it has been open about four months and it already has a cult following.
Morgan Davies, Manchester

Byker Vista Cafe
Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1AN, 0191 261 6295

This upstairs cafe does wonderful soup.
Anne Clark, Newcastle upon Tyne

Dare Cafe
49 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3AB, 0113 230 2828

This well-established trendy cafe in the heart of Leeds' student kingdom attracts customers from breakfast to nightfall. A funky interior sets the scene for a laidback, cool atmosphere. The full English breakfasts are legendary for curing hangovers, and the food is priced well within most people's budgets. In the evenings the cafe transforms into a Mexican eatery, serving up scrumptious burritos and fajitas.
Pip Fletcher, Hyde Park, Leeds

Earth Vegetarian Cafe
16-20 Turner St, Manchester M4 1DZ, 0161-834 1996

A small vegetarian, organic, fairtrade, dimly lit hippy place - you can't get more healthy or ethical and the staff are very friendly.
Hana Agil, Manchester

Eighth Day Vegetarian Cafe
107-109 Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7DU, 0161 273 1850

Good for healthy and quick stuff. Upstairs has a deli counter with loads of choice in veggie and vegan pasties, wraps and other tasty snacks, while downstairs is a canteen-style cafe with lots of healthy and tasty dishes and it doesn't take long to get served.
McGoogle

French Connection Baguette House
1 Bridge St, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1DP, 01922 642255

They sell freshly made baguettes and sandwiches. The bread for the baguettes is baked in store and is one of their selling points. They're also very competitively priced.
Mark Clayton, Walsall, West Midlands

Oklahoma
74-76 High St, Manchester M4 1ES, 0161 834 1136

Great for veggie or vegan toasties, soups, snacks, etc and also lovely cakes, all with friendly service. Quirky decor and fab little shop in back as well. Located in the Northern Quarter, across the road from Earth Cafe.
McGoogle

Vennels Cafe
71 Saddler Street, Durham DH13NP, 0191 375 0571

Tucked away behind Durham's cobbled high street, this is the quintessential English cafe that tourists delight in discovering and students love to bring their parents to for a pot of tea. Busy during lunchtimes, but worth queuing for home-made quiche, fresh salads, creamy soups and jacket potatoes. The massive wedges of chocolate fudge cake may not be particularly healthy, but have to be tasted to be believed. It turns into a trendy wine bar at dusk.
David West, Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Paradiso
1 Market Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 6QQ, 0191 221 1240

It's tucked away in an alley so only the well-informed go there. They do the most amazing sandwiches and I've never had Sunday lunch there, but the menu looks to die for. It's a bit pricey (about seven quid to eat in with a sarnie and side) but won't break the bank.
Nikki Robinson, Newcastle

Shlurp Ltd
Brazennose House, Brazennose St, Manchester M2 5BP, 0161 839 5199

It's about the same price as Pret, but it's independent and they do brilliant soups and wraps. About five soups to choose from each day, all cooked freshly. Simple tomato and basil, clear chicken broth and noodles, to delicious beef-stew fare.
Paul Islam, Didsbury

Tabac Ltd
126 Bold St, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 4JA, 0151 709 9502

Home-made harissa and breadsticks that will make your mouth water, alongside fab healthy cooked brekkies and other dishes.
Alison Eley, Bethnal Green

V2 Go
11a The Orient, The Trafford Centre, Manchester M17 8EH, 0161 747 2700

Fantastic vegetarian fast food. The branch in the Trafford Centre is an oasis of cheap tasty food in a sea of overpriced rubbish. The falafel in pitta is fantastic!
Pete Simpson, Manchester

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Baked Potato Shop
56 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1PB, 0131 225 7572

Almost mutant-sized baked potatoes, loads of different fillings, all vegetarian or vegan, hot food and realllllly cheap. The people are always friendly and it's faster than a Big Mac.
Cerinamroth

Engine Shed
19 St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh EH8 9SH, 0131 662 0040

Amazing value, this vegetarian cafe serves some of the dreamiest quiche in the country. Staffed by adults with learning difficulties, the counter-service operation is open for lunch each weekday and offers a hot vegetarian dish, a vegan dish, vegan soup, one or two snacks, a hot pudding and fruit salad. Great range of interesting salads, fab cake, it's nearly all organic and you can fill your boots for under a fiver.
Lizzie Young, Edinburgh

Flour
Room 46, 46 Upper Queen Street Belfast BT1 6FD, 028 9033 9966

Flour, located in the city centre, is also known as Crepe Room 46, and has been described as "the bijou shoebox of funky food" (gotobelfast.com). The menu offers crepe fillings such as feta with sun-dried tomatoes and green olives and there is normally a choice of freshly made seasonal soups and a range of fresh fruit juices.
Paul Lyons, Belfast

Grassroots cafe
97 St Georges Road, Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 6UR, 0141 333 0534

A popular veggie venue that's open from 10am to 10pm every day of the week. Its organic theme doesn't just cover the delicious food but a whole range of drinks; organic coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and wine. I feel healthy even thinking about it! But the food is delicious too. The risotto cakes are baked to perfection and the Cajun fries are mouth-watering - in a big bowl sprinkled with chilli powder and pepper. Yum.
Suzie MacDonald, South Lanarkshire

Ichiban Noodle Cafe
50 Queen St, Glasgow G1 3DS, 0141 204 4200
184 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow G11 6UN, 0141 334 9222

Ichiban is my favourite. A bit too pricey for every day but a good alternative to pub lunch. Their teishoku menu is good value at £5.90 for a side dish (usually sushi, gyoza or soup) and a main meal (good choice of noodles, soups and rice dishes). Good choice for the veggies too.
Kirsten Muirhead, Glasgow

Khartoum Cafe
6 Gillespie Place, Edinburgh EH10 4HS, 0131 228 9797

The best falafel and baba ghanoush north of the Mediterranean.
NippySweetie

The Olive Tree Company
353 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 3GL, 028 9064 8898

This unique delicatessen/cafe specialises in freshly marinated olives, handmade cheeses and salamis. Sandwiches with tapenade, vine-ripened tomatoes and spring onions and dolmades (vine leaves) salad with organic natural yoghurt and ciabatta bread are highlights.
Catherine Boyle

Open Sesame
32 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JQ, 028 9032 4343

This place does its very best to make tofu exciting and spicy, and does filled pittas, bean salads and weird soya sausage rolls, which are much nicer than they sound.
Claire Mitchell, Belfast

The Piemaker
38 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1LL, 0131 556 8566

Huge selection of yummy pasties including vegan and veggie options. Beef stew pasties, spiced pasties, cheesy pasties etc. While I would admit that pasties aren't exactly top of the healthy list, this lot do their best to minimise the damage so when you just need a hot yummy fix, this place is great. It's all cooked on the premises and it's pretty cheap too - pasties start at about 80p.
Windmizzle

Wrap Works
199 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7EJ, 028 9022 1141

This place has a Mexican flavour and provides, among other things, a choice of tortilla wraps with a wide variety of fillings. There is also a selection of fruit smoothies, and customers have the option of sitting in or taking away.
Tom Wilson, Newtownards

Wales and the west

New York Deli
19 High St Arcade, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF10 1BB, 029 2038 8388

This place is quite fun - you get what you'd call a VERY hearty sandwich!
Thomas Breeze, Cardiff

Organic Zone Ltd
19 Charles St, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF10 2GA, 029 2038 3885

Little cafe with great sandwiches and soup, all organic (as the name suggests).
Andrew Hagger, Cardiff

Pie Minister
24 Stokes Croft, Bristol, Avon BS1 3PR, 0117 942 3300

Fantastic pie, mash, peas and gravy for a fiver,freshly made. Chicken of Aragon and Heidi (goat's cheese) are personal favourites.
Joe Clark, Bristol

The Olive Shed
Princes Wharf, Bristol, Avon BS1 4RN, 0117 929 1960

These stalls are always loaded with hundreds of different types of olives, oils, antipasto, cheeses, breads and salads that looks as if they were prepared just five minutes before.
Sapna Begum, London

Watershed Cafe/Bar
Watershed Media Centre, 1 Canon's Road, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX, 0117-927 5101

This is a fabulous food place and they make a mean plate of nachos which they just pile on with salsa, sour cream and cheese.
David Shoare, Bristol

Yak Yeti Yak
12 Argyle St, Bath, Avon BA2 4BQ, 01225 442299

Have people tried momos before? They're delicious little Tibetan dumplings, filled with veg (or meat) and steamed. There's nothing better than getting takeaway veggie momos from this Nepali restaurant and eating them dipped in the spicey yoghurty dip, sitting in the sun by the river. I wish more places sold them as they're really difficult to make.
Yayforsunshine

· But if you do eat at ...

McDonald's ... best say no to a Big Mac, which gets almost half of its 590 calories from fat. Instead, order either the Chicken Tikka or Chicken Salad Toasted Deli Sandwiches (£2.99), which have less than 3% fat. On the other hand, the leaves in the Chicken Caesar Salad (£3.19) will count as two of your portions of fruit and vegetables. But it's probably best to choose the balsamic dressing rather than traditional caesar dressing if you're counting your calories.

Pret a Manger ... then why not try one of the new No Bread options (£2.60-£2.95), which are layered like a sandwich, but don't have any bread. Some of the No Bread lunches do have a very high fat content, however, particularly the More than Mozzarella and Crayfish and Avocado options, which contain 31.4g and 20.9g respectively. A lower-fat healthy option is the Deluxe Sushi (£4.99), which has only 3.6g of fat.

Marks & Spencer ... choose the Count On Us Chicken and Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes sandwich (£2.20), which has only 235 calories and 3.1g of fat, or the Chicken Caesar wrap (£2.30), which has 260 calories and 4.2g of fat. The stores salads are actually more calorific, with the Count On Us Tomato and Basil Chicken pasta salad (£3.00) containing 365 calories and 8.3g of fat.

Subway ... the chain has been offering seven sandwiches with less than six grams of fat since 1997 (between 3g and 20g per 100g being judged a moderate amount of fat to eat in one's lunch). All of these sandwiches also contain enough vegetable matter to constitute one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day. The Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki is the most popular choice in the UK, but the Veggie Delite has around 75 fewer calories. If you order one of these, priced between £1.99 and £3.29, make sure you avoid the selection of dressings and salads as they can drastically increase the fat content.
Catherine Boyle

Which is healthier

Baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn - or falafel with salad in pitta bread?
"While potatoes have a relatively high GI [ie, they release energy quickly], the skin is very high in fibre and the potato itself will be a reasonable source of vitamin C," says dietician Ursula Arens. But while the fish is high in protein and zinc, tinned tuna doesn't contain any Omega 3 oils as they are extracted during processing. And although sweetcorn is a vegetable, it is almost certainly canned and therefore heavily processed, and adds little more to the dish than a tiny amount of fibre. The falafel, meanwhile, is a reasonable source of protein and quite low in fat. The quantity of salad involved won't make a huge contribution to your five a day, but choose a wholemeal pitta and you'll be getting a fair bit of fibre.

And the winner is ... the falafel

California sushi roll - or cheese and salad sandwich?
Does sushi deserve its saintly image? From a calorific point of view, yes, says Arens. "There is some carbohydrate in the rice and some fat from the fish but overall this is a very low-calorie meal." But if you're watching your blood pressure, the salt - in the fish, seaweed, soy sauce, horseradish paste and pickled ginger - won't help matters. As for the sandwich? It really depends what sort of bread you choose. Wholemeal bread contains the most fibre and releases energy more slowly. Cheese is fatty but, in moderation, a healthy food. In conclusion, Arens says: "If you're overweight and/or sedentary, the sushi is a good choice but you'll probably find it necessary to eat something else within a couple of hours to get you through a long afternoon at work.

And the winner is ... the sandwich