Diet: healthy restaurant choices

Many restaurants are making an effort to provide healthier menus. Here are a few links to get you started:

Healthy Dining Finder
Healthy Dining's expert staff of registered dietitians and master's level health/nutrition professionals consults with each restaurant to find menu items that meet the nutrition criteria outlined below, which are based on recommendations of leading health organizations. All menu items are reviewed by Healthy Dining's nutrition staff before being posted on the site. Here are the restaurants they found in or near Marlborough.

Healthy Fast Food?
This site provides some guidelines for making the best choices when visiting fast food restaurants.

Food & Diet
The folks at Food & Diet researched as many fast food restaurants as they could think of (over 70!)and have created a comprehensive list, each linked to that restaurant's menu and its nutritional values. Some chains do not provide this information, an indication of their commitment to healthier eating.

Eating Healthy at Restaurants
An article by Lori Corbin for ABC Channel 7 news in Los Angeles gives praise to some restaurant chains (and links to their menus), but warns against the temptation to snack even though the menu is light.

Applebees now serving WeightWatchers
Applebees now lists calories, fat and fiber content for some of its menu items. And, it calculates the Weight Watchers' points values for its foods.

Center for Science in the Public Interest
CSPI has published a diner's guide for health and nutrition claims found on menus. This article explains the FDA guidelines and gives suggestions that can make dining out healthier. You can even take a quiz to test your eating-out knowledge!

If you hear about other local restaurants with healthy menus, please send them along to the webmaster.