10 healthiest restaurants in America

by Jacki Donaldson (Subscribe to Jacki Donaldson's posts)
Mar 27th 2008 9:00AM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements

Romano's Macaroni Grill. It's one of my favorite places to eat and one of a few where I'm able to order a pretty healthy meal. I have a standard order when I go to this Italian eatery -- the Insalata Blue. This 570-calorie salad, when ordered as is -- with chicken, walnuts, onions, crumbled blue cheese dressing, and a hefty dose of balsamic vinaigrette dressing -- is full of fat and sodium. The way I order it -- bib lettuce, salmon instead of chicken, no onions (just don't like them), and no dressing -- allows me to eat safely while dining out.

Health magazine likes the Macaroni Grill too. The editors here like it for its "Sensible Fare" menu, whole-wheat penne, simple salmon, and grilled skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli option for kids. This is just some of what puts the Grill on this magazine's list of healthiest restaurants in America.

Health names nine dining destinations as healthy finds. Denny's is one -- try their grilled chicken salad or oatmeal for 100 calories and two grams of fat -- and so is Bob Evans. For the whole list, complete with danger zones and perfect picks, check out the whole list here.

Note: Health magazine judged all the restaurants on these criteria: healthy food preparation, whole grains on the menu, limited or no trans-fats in all dishes, low-sodium options, portion control, and how easily the customer can access nutritional information.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kristen 3-27-2008 @ 10:24AM

I clicked through there, and I think it's really interesting that many of the restaurants listed were also listed as restaurants with the fattiest entrees. In particular, Ruby Tuesday was listed and they mentioned that they loved the turkey burger -- that was one of the specific items that had a ridiculous amount of fat. Have they changed the recipe? Because kudos to them if they have!

I feel like this proves a great point -- there are very few places you can go to eat and NOT find something acceptable on the menu. If you order a salad without cheese and dressing and fried goodies, you're going to do fairly well anywhere, whether it's a health food restaurant or a pizza joint.