Waldo: Where’s the healthy stuff?
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Can you help Waldo eat guilt-free?
PHOTO BY HOOK STAFF
Local blogger Waldo Jaquith asks the question: Where can I find healthful food? Jaquith is in the process of moving (don’t worry, it’s only a few miles), and so cooking at home won’t be an option for awhile. So he’s asked his readers to help him out. It’s a good question. Where are the best places to eat out healthy-style? Over at Jaquith’s blog, some nominees are Rev Soup, Eppie’s, Zazus, Whole Foods, Bodo’s, Sticks, and even Chipotle with its Joel Salatin pork.
“This is something I’ve been meaning to ask about here for awhile,” writes Jaquith.”My wife and I allow ourselves to eat out together one time each week— a lunch or a dinner on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday— and one lunch out during the work week, and quite frequently I’m looking for something that I’m not going to feel guilty about later.”
So let’s help him out; what’s your favorite healthy food destination?
Those are all good picks except for Chipotle. An average chicken burrito has 1179 calories, 47 grams of fat, and 125 grams of carbs (according to one reliable source). The ingredients may be less toxic than other fast food dishes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you! Eating half a burrito may make it a reasonably healthy meal, but there are countless restaurants around town that have healthier options, especially if you only eat half of what they serve you. I’m confident Waldo’s question isn’t how to eat healthily at restaurants, which is a question that might otherwise be worthy of a public forum, but which restaurants are more uniformly healthy.
In general, it’s interesting to see the increasingly popular equation that organic/local = healthy. It’s a good place to start, but a dangerous place to stop.
Basil also has some good options, with an extensive salad menu (not all of which are perfectly healthy, however).
Forgot to mention: Basil also delivers, which makes for a nice, healthier delivery option, though sushi can fill that gap if your definition of healthy doesn’t take mercury levels into consideration or you order the less mercury-intensive options.
jed, obviously if you’re trying to be healthy you don’t eat sour cream or cheese. that brings a chicken burrito down to 755 cal (tomato salsa, black beans). get that as a bowl & you’re down to 465 cal & 11 g of fat. take away the rice, which you might as well do, since what’s the point of eating white rice, and you’re down to 355 cal. which is nothing. i’m agreeing that chipotle is healthy. if you wanted to eat like a pig, you could do so at rev soup or eppie’s just as easily.
Get a salad at McDonald’s (without the crispy chicken or dressing, but with cheese) and it’s even less than that. McDonald’s is a healthy restaurant! Get two sandwiches at Rev Soup with cheese and mayo and it’s a ton of calories. Rev Soup is unhealthy! Come on, Orchid. Must we play these games? :-p