Healthful Bites

For some time, it seemed like restaurants were trying to one-up each other to create the least nutritious dish available. (Remember this and this?) Thankfully that trend seems to have cooled off, as chains like The Cheesecake Factory, IHOP and Olive Garden now not only offer nutritional information for their menu items, but also have a section dedicated to lighter options. While hitting up local joints is always fun, I do occasionally visit chains too, so I thought it would be fun to start a “healthy chain reaction” series, in which I report back on items I’ve ordered off of these lighter menus. Since these will mostly be nationwide places, hopefully you can try them for yourself and share your input too!

First up: Ruby Tuesday. The casual family restaurant has had a salad bar for some time, but as you know, the moniker “salad” doesn’t give you a free nutritional pass. (Although since it is a bar, you have the power and can skip the creamy potato and pasta salads!) More recently, Ruby Tuesday added a “Fit & Trim” mark on their menus so diners can easily spot options that are less than 700 calories. There is a wide variation between, say, 200 and 699 calories, so it’s helpful that they also list the estimated calorie count for each FT pick.

For my first visit, I opted for something I wouldn’t generally have the patience to make on my own at home: spaghetti squash marinara.

You may not be able to tell by the photo above, but there is a generous mound of yellow spaghetti squash under the marinara and zucchini! That was one of the things I liked best about this dish—the ample amount of sauce and toppings. I’m a big fan of marinara in general, and this version is chunky and pleasantly spicy. The zucchini was grilled to a nice al dente consistency and added some color (and more vitamins) to the dish.

Some with more adventurous palates than I might find this boring, but overall, I was really happy with my order! The spaghetti squash dish was nicely prepared and is a smart pick for pasta lovers who are also volume eaters. You’ll find a large portion—I’d guess the above bowl included about three cups of veggies—for a bit more than 250 calories, 12 grams of fat and 9 grams of fiber.

What else sounds tasty on the FT menu? On future visits, I might opt for:

• Chicken Bella (454 calories, 22 g fat) Sautéed baby portabella mushrooms and artichokes in a Parmesan cream sauce over a fresh, grilled chicken breast.
• Petite Sirloin (476 calories, 27 g fat) Steak served with fresh, grilled zucchini and roasted spaghetti squash.
• Grilled Chicken Salad (372 calories, 10 g fat) Sliced, grilled chicken tops a fresh salad mix, peas, grated Parmesan, bacon, fresh vegetables and croutons.

It’s also worth noting that Ruby Tuesday offers FT sides that are less than 150 calories each (for example, sugar snap peas and mashed cauliflower) and allows diners to order downsized meals off of their lunch menu. It would be cool if they also offered lighter burgers or sandwiches. All over 800 calories Ruby Tuesday—really?

Related recommended reading: True, restaurants are offering some lower calorie options, but a new study says that a whopping 96% of chain menu items don’t meet full nutritional guidelines for a healthy meal (they’re often too high in sodium, saturated fat or fat). Yikes!

What is the most delicious dish you’ve had dining out recently? And do you have any suggestions for other places I (or we) should try?

Not only is soup a great vehicle for tasty veggies, but it’s also soul-warming and comforting on even the coldest of days. How can you not feel cozy with your hands cupped around with a big mug of steaming goodness?

Since fall is here, there’s no better time to put a pot of soup on and grab a spoon! I recently tried Dr. McDougall’s Light Sodium Garden Vegetable (seen below at left, and picked up at Bed, Bath & Beyond, because why wouldn’t you find soup there? :) ) and enjoyed the crisp bite of green peas, the creamy potatoes and fantastic nutrition stats.

While in the Denver airport a few days later, I stopped at a little establishment called Itza Wrap Itza Bowl. The Asian noodle soup sounded satisfying for lunch (which of course would be balanced with a dessert of Mountain Blackberry TCBY topped with strawberries!). The soup started with udon noodles and steamed veggies, all of which was topped with chicken broth. It was delicious, but as you might be able to see (above, right), I could have used a little more broth and a little less noodle. But overall, a pretty good choice for airport food!

Next up on my soup tour: Trying out my own chef skills with these three recipes.

• For a protein punch: Moroccan Lentil Soup from Happy Herbivore (124 calories, 1 g fat, 8 g protein)
• The perfect sandwich dipper: Tomato Basil Soup from Midwest Living (37 calories, 0 g fat)
• For a light take on creamy bowls: Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup from Hungry Girl (130 calories, 1 g fat)

What foods scream “fall” to you?