Tell me what you think about this: How would you like to see more healthful foods featured in dining reviews? Don’t panic! I’m not talking about going all spelt and sprouts on ya, just talking about consciously choosing at least one healthier options when I review and then telling you about it.
This comes after a week of being in and out of the cardiologist’s office. I’m fine, but let me tell you, nothing can inspire you (at least temporarily) to adopt better habits than seeing people walking around with oxygen, or folks so pitifully obese that they’re breathing hard just walking. At home I try to follow the 75 percent rule: Good nutritious food 75 percent of the time, and eat 75 percent of what’s on your plate. Yes, I said try. I’m bad about having good intentions and falling off the wagon after a whiff of good cheese.
But when I’m dining out, it’s harder. I eat appetizers. I order desserts–all this I do for you! What do you say I opt for the healthier choices sometimes? It’ll be better for me, it’ll let you know if you can trust the grilled fish, and maybe it will even make chefs take a good look at their menus and give us tasty healthy options.
If you know of places serving up yummy and healthy food, don’t keep it a secret.
And don’t get the idea I’m giving up creme brulee or anything foolish like that. Just going to moderate a little…
Reviews
Responses to “Healthier dining?”
November 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Most of the restaurants I can think of that have “heart healthy” items or reduced portion entrees on their menus are chains. So it wouldn’t help to suggest you review those restaurants, Jennifer. But maybe you could tell us about places where people can make an interesting & healthy meal from perhaps an appetizer, soup & salad rather than ordering an entree. Or you could tell us things that chefs do to make food taste good without loading up on lard, cream & butter. We won’t fault you for walking on the healthy side because we could all benefit from that information now that the holidays are just around the corner.
November 9th, 2007 at 2:24 am
I think it’s a great idea. Many places have menu items that automatically become healthier by subbing a veggie-type side instead of a starchy one, they’d be great things to hear about!
November 9th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I know, Carole. I’m not talking about the little heart on menu. I want to be healthier, but no one’s going crazy here… I don’t want to give away my game plan and get spotted doing it, but I don’t see myself ordering anything a happy little heart next to it.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Jennifer,
I think you are on the right track since Memphis was voted in the top 5 of the most unhealthy cities. I am always looking for great tasting healthy alternatives!
November 9th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I don’t understand the aversion to chain restaurants. My husband is not a good eater, so to get him to go to a place that isn’t a chain is a major accomplishment. While I enjoy eating at varied places, I don’t get the opportunity often. If there isn’t a steak or burger available when I dine with hubby, then I’m out of luck. I would love to hear about healthier options at lots of places — even the ones with “happy hearts” next to menu items!
November 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Jennifer,
Bari’s entire menu is healthy! There is No butter used in anything, only extra virgin olive oil. We offer appropriate portions for each course and we also have a wide variety of exceptionally healthful foods, like rapini, which is one of the top greens with the highest antioxidants, and fresh grilled sardines which have the highest level (in fish) of omega-3 fatty acids which are proven to help with depression and are loaded with calcium as well. Our menu follows the Mediterranean diet ,which is known to have many benefits but the most important one is prolonging your lifespan, of fish, vegetables, beans, & olive oil . The more colors you eat the better, Bari has grilled and marinated zucchini, red bell peppers, eggplant, endive, Portobello mushrooms, as well as radicchio and fennel salads, sautéed cabbage, rapini, fava beans. You can eat anything from our menu and it will be extremely healthy but most people don’t even think about it that way because there are no little hearts by our menu items and because they are so tasty!
November 9th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Well… good luck with that. Most Memphis restaurants do not have any healthy choices on their menus, despite the misleading “happy hearts.” Pasta slathered with butter instead of cream sauce isn’t a truly healthy choice. Neither is a salad loaded with half a pound of cheese.
If you do review “healthy” choices, I want to see nutritional information, based on a chart by an outsider stating how many calories and how much saturated fat that food contains, and not on the lies of the restaurant itself. I’m also not interested in a review of a meal that isn’t a meal - for example, ordering an appetizer and soup instead of a meal because that’s the only thing on the menu that doesn’t have 12,000 calories. If any male would look at you as if you were insane if you tried to convince him to order it instead of actual food, it’s not truly an option.
November 9th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Oh, Jennifer, I HATE the idea of you in a cardiologist’s office, but I’m always looking for restaurants that are doing great soups, innovative salads, and other dishes that use fresh, local produce and fish. No hearts necessary for me, either, but sure … tell us what’s good and good for us. And how far we can push the chef.
November 10th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Don’t apologize and please bring the spelt and sprouts on! How I wish Memphis has jusIt one Alice Watersesque restaraunt where the food is fresh and full of nutrition and taste and without so much meat. Rarely can you find vegetarian options that aren’t eggplant or pasta. Even if you’re a vegetarian or not, better options would be great for everyone and everyone’s heart. Square Foods, Umai and Saigon Le all have vegetarian options that are good and good for you.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:07 am
If the food choices I make at a restaurant, even soup/salad, satiates my hunger, I consider it a meal. Perhaps restaurants shy away from offering more healthy dining options because the demand simply isn’t there.
I prefer low fat meals but I’m not above having a Huey burger a few times a month and will never give up pizza or fries but I just try to not indulge too often. It does help to substitute vegetables for a starchy side or ask to have the bread removed from the table. Sharing an entree and/or dessert is also an option to reduce the fat and sugar overload. I avoid appetizers as they tend to be overpriced, small and fattening. Soups are often cream-based and, for me, require bread which ups the fat/carb load so I avoid that as well. I do love salads with fruit, nuts, chicken and a light dressing. It is definitely a meal…and healthy if I push the bread away!
November 10th, 2007 at 11:51 am
By the way, I love both sprouts and spelt–don’t get me wrong. Try the panzanella made with spelt instead of bread on the lunch menu at Cafe Toscana–fantastic!
November 11th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Huey’s has added grilled mahi-mahi with a salad “garnish” to their menu for $7.98 !
This is an 8 ounce filet, and it’s delicious. They offer it with or without Cajun seasonings, and they also offer it as a sandwich. I live near the Downtown Huey’s location, and this is my favorite menu item when I go there.
They also have some other new “healthy” choices.
Suggest you check it out, especially that grilled mahi-mahi.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Does spelt taste anything like soy flour? If so, I want NO part of it. Soy flour is just about the nastiest tasting thing I have ever tried to eat. I’m so fortunate that I can’t have soy now & don’t ever have to try it again.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I thought I had found a website that might prove to be useful but it appears that most of the restaurants for the Memphis area are chains with the little hearts by their healthy choices. If anyone wants to check it out, the address is: www.Healthydiningfinder.com - it might have more choices for places other than Memphis. I found it in an article in Good Housekeeping magazine Oct. issue.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I was impressed with lunch at Square Foods Saturday…a huge portion of veggie stir fry (no tofu) and a szechuan chicken wrap. Both were really tasty and good portions.
Paradise Cafe is another really healthy and good place (out east).
The burrito places offer healthy options. Swanky’s does a good salad or burrito on whole wheat. I have to limit my portion and avoid the pinto beans and cheese (and pork).
Vietnamese and Japanese places also have many healthy dishes.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
For 6-7 bucks, you can get a pita sandwich the size of your head at PITA WRAPS on Poplar, just east of Mendenhall.
It is healthy and filling. I just wish they had better side dishes like tabouli or small salads.
16 comment.