The Healthiest Restaurants, Cont.
Two days ago we talked about some cuisines that were healthy and some that were not. I wanted to finish up that post with some more examples.
Ethiopian - This one is actually becoming more common in California and it’s a good example of some African cuisines. Lots of veggie based dishes, some but not a lot of meat and not too many grains or potato based side dishes. Ethiopian food is served family style, which allows you to eat more or less depending on how hungry you are. The only problem is the flat bread which is considered an integral part of most meals.
Middle Eastern - Very similar to Greek. Lots of veggie based dishes with little meat. The meat that you find is typically lamb or chicken and is usually not fried. Some side dishes can pack on the calories, especially the ones which are grain or bean based and include a lot of olive oil. These can include things like hummus or tahini and should be enjoyed in moderation. Relatively low in desserts which is also good.
BBQ - High in meat and especially in unhealthy meat like processed beef and pork. Preparation is decent without too much frying. Side dishes are really bad though tending towards fries, potatoes, baked beans or breads. The closest thing you get to a vegetable is a ketchup bottle. Even the desserts in places like these tend towards the unhealthy varieties with each BBQ place claiming to have the biggest cookie or the greatest ice cream sundae.
Pizza - Some people think of this as Italian but American pizza is pretty far from Italian cuisine. Pizza is one of the worst foods out there healthwise, consisting mostly of processed bread, processed cheese with processed meat on top. There are absolutely no redeeming health qualities to pizza. However, if you are going to eat it, go for thin crust and less cheese. If you could skip some of that sausage in favor of chicken, that would be good too.
Sandwich Shops - These places range from chain stores like Subways, to mom and pop style delis. They can be quite healthy but they can also be very deceiving. A sandwich is not necessarily a bad thing, but most places end up making it so. They use highly processed bread, pile on the meat/cheese and use high fat sauces like Mayo and Ranch. There’s a local chain in my area called Eric’s Deli Cafe. Their sandwiches seem healthy until you realize their “secret sauce” is essentially mayo. This makes a healthy looking veggie sandwich into a fat laden, 1000 calorie crime against nature. Try to use whole wheat breads or flat breads, substitute veggies for some of the meat or cheese and skip the “secret sauce”.
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So how about the vegetarian restaurants? I’m not a vegetarian but I like to go to these places because it opens my eyes to things beyond steamed broccoli and carrots. Living in the Bay Area we are so lucky to have many choices in veg restaurants. My personal fave is Greens. Every time I go there, I never feel like I missed meat. So delicious!
As a culinary student, i am learning all the tricks fine restaurants use to lace their meals with calories. quite shocking but be careful when you order. even “steamed” dishes are usually coated in butter and salt and many soups actually contain extra sugar to bring out a hint of sweetness.I find the best restaurants for healthy eating is actually salad buffets like souplantation where YOU have control over the ingrdients. But I alsl think if your treating yourself to high quality, fine dining, its really not the best time to go on diet.
Stephanie,
The problem with veggie restaurants is that they’re too unique. Each one I’ve been to is different so it’s hard for me to say ALL veggie restaurants are healthy. And I didn’t know you were from the Bay Area
If you’re ever in Mountain View, try a place called Garden Fresh. It’s a little hole in the wall Chinese place that uses no meat in their dishes. It’s absolutely great!
Hungry Waif,
Yep, I saw an article once about all those tricks. It’s a little scary to think about them. I go to a few salad bars myself, like Sweet Tomatoes or Fresh Choice, but even those have their pitfalls (hello ice cream bar!)
And yes, I’m not saying you should avoid all restaurants just because they serve something other than raw veggies and lean meat. However, for day to day eating, I like watching where I go.
Are you planning to be a chef?
Gal
good question, honestly, not really. I love cooking but i’ve been going to school for theater for a while. I just got a bit sick of standard university so i took a leave and plunged myself into something that has always interested me. I hope to actually wrtie a healthy cookbook one day, but being a chef is not really part of who i am. I hate having to run an operation like that and i love food, but i dont like working in restuarants odly enough. I love learning about the true origin of cooking and food and i hope to find ways to make it healthier for people.