Wednesday, January 4, 2012

All Aboard the Health Train: 2012 Healthy Eating Roundup Makes Keeping Resolutions Easy

"Diet" can be a heavy word, and no one wants to hear such a downer in a city with so many fabulous eateries. Healthy eating is more about considering the effects of what you're ingesting -- how your lunch will benefit your body and all of its systems -- including those all-important taste buds. Really, if it's not tasty, why bother anyway?

Guilt-free "Skinnier Cocktails" at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar weigh in at 99 calories per glass and $9.95 each.  They're always on the bar menu to give you more options than diet sodas for a sassy but not sissy low-cal drink. Fresh fruits and juices knock sugary mixers out of the glass. Tickled Pink mixes Belvedere Vodka, Mionetto Prosecco, orange juice and raspberry. Bikinitini is a Florida beach trip in a glass with Grey Goose L'Orange Vodka, lemon juice, orange juice, Monin sugar-free syrup and soda water. The Stoli Bombshell fruits up Stoli Vanil Vodka with fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves and freshly squeezed lime juice. The Russian Prom Queen mixes fresh lime juice, cucumbers and blueberries with Stoli Blueberi Vodka. The Farmer's Daughter starts with Ketel One Vodka and adds strawberries, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice and cranberry juice. And finally, the Stiletto spikes fresh blackberries, lime and ginger with Hendrick's Gin.

Atlanta Smashburger locations dispel the myth that fast-casual dining paves a highway to the hips. Atlantans so love their veggie burgers that black bean veggie burger sales at area Smashburger restaurants nearly double the national Smashburger average!  Smashburger salads fill you up with fresh, crisp greens and toppings, and grilled chicken can be added to up the protein ante. The harvest salad features balsamic tomatoes, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and blue cheese topped with balsamic vinaigrette. Create your own healthy grilled chicken sandwich by selecting a multigrain bun and choosing free toppings such as lettuce, tomato, red onion, kosher pickles and jalapeños along with a variety of sauces and mustards. Sweet potato smashfries and veggie frites add even more veggies to your plate.

Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten fills bento boxes with vegetarian selections for Monday night diners at Spice Market, located inside the W Atlanta-Midtown. Even carnivores will find the multi-layered boxes plenty to please at $24 per person. See the vibrant veggie bento box on our blogarchive.

Book a vegetarian-focused table at Woodfire Grill, and the chefs will prepare a five-course chef's tasting vegetarian menu that the entire table will relish. The vegetarian dinner costs $70 per person, and everyone at the table must participate. A tasting included a first course of cucumber and cantaloupe noodles with grapefruit and mint emulsion; a second course of roasted hen of the woods and morel mushrooms, baby radish and turnips with brown butter, lemon zest and herbs; a third tasting course of chilled new potato and wild garlic leek soup; a fourth course of roasted local root vegetables, smoked squash puree and pickled cabbage salad; a main course of creamed escarole and rutabaga, spicy smoked apples, asparagus and Anson Mills farro; and dessert of strawberry shortcake with sour cream pound cake, rhubarb jam and strawberry whip.

Say "hola" to heart-healthy menu items at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food. Three scrumptious selections have been certified as heart healthy by Medical City Heart. A generous Ensalada Especial heaps plates with mixed field greens, grape tomatoes, jicama, cucumbers, red onions and red cabbage and is served with citrus vinaigrette dressing. Go heartier by adding portobello mushroom or salmon. Increasing your intake of salmon for those healthy omega-3 fatty acids is easy when ordering flavorful mesquite-grilled salmon filet served with sautéed vegetables and fresh pineapple pico de gallo. Vegetable purists will find the grilled vegetable platter fills their wish dish with mesquite-grilled zucchini, yellow squash, portobello mushroom, red potatoes, and red and yellow onions served with roasted red and poblano peppers and a side of fresh pineapple pico de gallo.

At RA Sushi in Midtown, cradle a Skinny Cocktail in your hands and roll each potent sip across your tongue with pleasure. There are only 200 calories in a Lychee-teenie, Skinny Ninja or Thin Ginger ($8 each). 

No comments: