No preservatives
If You MUST…
I know, not everyone has the time or the motivation to cook every night. I’ll be honest, sometimes I’d rather stab myself in the foot than have to cook and re-clean the kitchen. Before, I would opt for a “lesser evil” like a salad from Chic-fil-a but these days, even that kind of grosses me out. I’m always left with that miserable, heavy, greasy feeling. Yuck! Do you ever feel the same?
Deciding where to eat has definitely caused a few arguments between the boyfriend and I. I don’t blame him, he’s a man and he’s hungry! I get mad at myself too, why can’t I just suck it up and eat fast food? I guess it’s my fear of eating processed foods with ingredients of unknown origin.
On a recent outing to Jason’s Deli, my fears were subdued when I saw a familiar white and green symbol on the salad bar sign. You know, that looks like this…
It seems that many restaurants are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that their customers want fresher and more natural ingredients. I’m very excited to see these changes. So if you MUST eat out and don’t want to eat junk here are a few of my favorite options.
Here are some options available nation-wide.
Like I mentioned above, on my recent visit to Jason’s Deli I noticed their menu now includes many organic items such as organic wheat wraps, organic spinach, organic apples, organic blue corn tortilla chips, organic milk, organic peanut butter, and organic carrots. Jason’s deli also offer a variety of organic coffee, milk and teas. Their organic pomegranate melon green tea is definitely a favorite of mine. The manager I spoke with said that they are trying to get as many organic items as possible and have eliminated High Fructose Corn Syrup from their deli rolls and wraps. Jason’s deli boasts that their chicken is completely free of antibiotics and hormones. They also now offer a gluten-free menu for those who are gluten sensitive. Jason’s deli was recently named one of the best restaurants in America by Parent’s magazine. Check out their video about childhood obesity and what they are doing as a company to help prevent it. Also check out their iPhone app! www.jasonsdeli.com for store locations and menu information.
I have eaten at Panera Bread a few times for lunch and once for breakfast and I have to say it was quite tasty. They are a cafe type restaurant that prides themselves in their fresh-baked bread. Health magazine named them as one of the top 10 healthiest restaurants in America. They serve a variety of fresh salads, soups and sandwiches. Many menu items on the kids menu are organic such as the American cheese, PB & J and yogurt. Panera bread also offers multiple types of whole grain bread for their sandwiches and apples as a side instead of chips. Like Jason’s Deli, Panera Bread also uses chicken that is hormone and antibiotic free! The founder of Panera Bread states it is “food we would serve to our families.” www.panerabread.com
Chipotle also made Health magazines list of Top 10 Fast Food Restaurants in America. At Chipotle you can create your own tacos, burritos and salads with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Chipotle is notable for their commitment to organics and hormone and antibiotic free meats. Founder Steve Ells calls it “Food with Integrity”. Yum! www.chipotle.com
Even though the coffee concoctions can get outrageous calorie wise at Starbucks, they do have some pretty decent options for drinks and snacks. Starbucks’s commitment to wellness begins by offering customers foods that “are no more that 500 calories and free from unnecessary ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, dyes, and artificial trans fats”. The Chicken on Flat bread with Hummus is pretty yummy and is ideal as a snack or lunch as it weighs in around 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein! Drink wise, Starbucks offers a variety of options to make your favorite coffee drink lighter and their menu also includes several drink combinations that are under 200 calories. Starbucks also offers a few different tea varieties such as green, black and passion fruit. I am a huge fan of their green tea! Their only shortcoming, I feel, is that they offer Splenda to customers who want an alternative to sugar. I won’t beat the horse to death, if you know me, or have read this blog before you already know how I feel about Splenda, so please avoid it! www.starbucks.com
In addition to high quality, all natural and organic groceries Whole Foods is also a great place for lunch and dinner. I can’t comment on breakfast, I’ve never had breakfast there and I’m not sure they offer it, but I do know they have a fantastic lunch and dinner selection. Our Whole Foods here in Austin is always packed for lunch. Whole Foods offers two full salad bars with the works, a pizza parlor, a BBQ stand and another food stand that offers Philly cheese steak sandwiches, burgers and fries. The best part about dining at Whole Foods is gelato for dessert! One of the company’s core values is “passion for food” in which they “appreciate and celebrate the difference natural and organic products can make in the quality of one’s life.” www.wholefoods.com for store locations.
I thought I would also share some great restaurants that I have been to and that I highly recommend if you’re in the area and hungry!
Austin, Texas:
The Grove wine bar & kitchen
Located off highway 360 and Beecaves road, the Grove offers pastas, salads, sandwiches and specialty pizzas. “The food is prepared from scratch using organic produce when possible.” The Mediterranean pizza is my favorite alongside their side salad with balsamic vinaigrette and candied pecans! Check them out if you’re in town! www.grovewinebar.com
San Antonio, Texas:
Pam’s Patio Kitchen–
This is one of my new favorite places, a friend of mine took me there for dinner, she thought that I would appreciate it and she was definitely right. The only downside is that Pam’s is located all the way in San Antonio! I had an amazing vegetable pizza on home-made Focaccia bread! It was so amazing that I ate most of my left overs on the way home. Pam’s uses local, fresh and organic ingredients.www.pamspatio.com
Denver, Colorado:
The Delectable Egg-
This place should be called the incredible egg! It is one more great reason to visit Denver. They serve breakfast and lunch all day, and it was hard to decide which I wanted. I finally settled on the spinach and artichoke turkey melt — best sandwich ever! The delectable Egg has four locations in and around Denver and uses locally grown and natural ingredients. www.delectableegg.com
In case these options are not available where you are you can also visit the following link and search for Organic and Vegan restaurants by state.
http://www.longevity-and-antiaging-secrets.com/vegan-restaurants.html
If all else fails the grocery store can be an option for a quick meal.
Amy’s is a great company that offers delicious organic and vegan frozen dinners, snacks and breakfasts. Amy’s products are organic, kosher and vegetarian. They are also additive, preservative and GMO free. I personally love their bean and cheese burritos and their pesto spinach pizza. I try not to buy any sort of frozen meals ever, but if I have to I turn to this company. The great news is that Amy’s products are becoming increasingly popular, I have seen them at H.E.B, Costco, Whole Foods, various other health food stores and even Wal-mart, so if you’re interested, they should be easy to track down. www.amys.com
I hope these options will help keep you out of McDonald’s & Pizza Hut when you are pressed for time or can’t eat at home. Choose to support companies and restaurants that use fresh, organic, and natural ingredients. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, VOTE with your dollars and choose for your health!
P.S – What are some of your favorite healthy options where you live?
Happy. Healthy. Holistic. 