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In the realm of healthy eating, dining out seems the hardest battle to fight. Often times we’ve already lost before we’ve even ordered our first appetizer. In an ideal world, everyone would sit down to a healthy, home-cooked meal three times a day. But our busy schedules don’t always allow for it. And as hard as we try to make good choices when dining out, we often draw a blank when trying to order a more health-friendly meal.
For more than 30 years, LeAnne Skinner, a registered, licensed dietician and certified sports nutrition specialist, has worked with Olympic athletes, marathoners, swimmers, and even the average mom on how to get the most out of their bodies through proper diet and exercise. Having witnessed the city’s restaurant scene blossom in the past few decades, Skinner knows her clients eat out a lot and has a few pointers for ordering off the menu without completely sacrificing a good diet.
First, look for the key words grilled, steamed, or boiled. These are the healthiest options for preparing foods, as long as the kitchen is not using too much butter. The second is portion control. Save yourself the temptation of finishing your plate by asking for a to-go box at the same time they bring your food. Take half of your meal home with you and enjoy what you have left on your plate. Third, slow down while you eat. According to Skinner, it takes 30 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach that you’re full. Enjoy your time dining out; take a bite, then sip some water, or a glass of wine. Finally, exercise. “Exercise is an important part of being healthy. To optimize your health, one should eat well and be healthy,” she says.
With her help, we’ve narrowed down a few ways to help you healthfully navigate the city’s restaurant scene. Armed with these health-conscious tips, you could easily dine out every day of the week.
Sushi — With new sushi restaurants such as Zushi Sushi and Piranha Killer Sushi popping up around town, this abundant Japanese-style cuisine may seem a safe choice for healthy dining. There are, however, a few pitfalls to this cuisine that can set your health-conscious goals back. We all love a good sushi roll, especially if it’s something like the crispy tempura Shag roll with avocado, sun-dried tomato, and salmon from Uchi. But in addition to the fresh fish and vegetables in sushi rolls, there is an abundance of rice, which in large quantities can equal a carb overload. And if you add fried tempura and spicy mayonnaise-based sauces to the mix, your calorie count increases significantly. The average spicy tuna roll can have 290 calories and 11 grams of fat. A regular tuna roll has only 184 calories and 2 grams of fat. Your best bets with sushi are sashimi, which are simply slices of fresh fish often drizzled with citrus, sparse amounts of oil, soy sauce, or other vinegary flavors. The Austin Style Sashimi at Kenichi is a great choice with yellowtail, cilantro, Serrano pepper, and basil vinaigrette.
Architects Arthur Andersson & Chris Wise of Andersson/Wise on their Tower House
Of the series of Highland Lakes that terrace the hill country to the west of Austin, Lake Travis is the longest, winding over 60 miles through the natural terrain. There are a few small limestone cabins from the 1930s on Lake Travis, used primarily in the summer. One such cabin sits on a slope rising from the water under a canopy of native oak and cedar trees. It had one large room, a little sleeping room, a kitchen and a porch facing the water. Our clients requested two additional bedrooms with baths and a living area for larger groups to gather in. Rather than add onto the old cabin, we chose to open it up inside and locate the new sleeping quarters in a separate building.
The stone cabin is now juxtaposed with a serene, vertical tower of wood, rising up out of the forest and into the bright Texas sky. The tower draws you in to see the lake, which is barely visible at ground level through the thickets of trees. Upon entering the tower, a small arrival space leads to shaded stairs inserted between the outside wall and the interior rooms. As you walk up, rectangular openings in the exterior wall invite breezes to circulate and offer brief, tantalizing glimpses of trees, sky, and lake. The orientation changes on every floor due to the winding nature of the stair and circulation path. Walking is the best way to experience the building, but a small elevator is available for direct transport to the top.
Two small bedrooms with bathrooms occupy the first and second floors. Their interior walls are made of birch plywood, which is lighter in tone than the Massaranduba wood outside. Large corner windows within each of the bedrooms reveal broad views of the woods and the lake. Finally, above the bedroom spaces, a third level opens to a panorama of the lake and distant rolling hills beyond. On this terrace, some 30 feet above the ground, even the hottest summer afternoon under a roof and be open to the prevailing breezes blowing from the lake. In the tower, site and orientation provide natural air cooling without relying on an air conditioning system.
Mexican Cuisine — It’s probably safe to say that we all know the bliss when diving into a gooey bowl of creamy chile con queso with a salty tortilla chip. We also often feel the guilt later when the queso is followed by an enchilada combo plate. But not all Mexican food has to be a sacrifice to healthy eating. Restaurants that serve “interior” Mexican dishes typically incorporate fresh vegetables and fresh fish into their menus. Most of La Condesa’s menu spotlights a lighter fare including five ceviches, all using fresh fish, citrus, and fresh vegetables. Manuel’s, and its little brother Changos, serve hormone-free, all natural meats and sustainable seafood. With a quick and easy menu loaded with fresh ingredients, Chango’s is an excellent fast-food pick. “It boils down to one simple thing: fresh ingredients, and that’s what we work so hard to do,” says owner Greg Koury, who says his favorite health-friendly dish on the menu is the tostada loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, and black beans. For a little added protein flavor, the pork carnitas or grilled mahi mahi are excellent additions.
Seafood — Aside from Sushi, traditional seafood may seem an easy choice for healthy dining. But be careful, just because fish is touted as one of the leanest proteins on the market doesn’t mean there aren’t hidden fats in the preparation. Skinner suggests requesting steamed, poached, or grilled cooking methods when ordering fish, and be sure to ask whether or not the fish is brushed with butter while it is being prepared. It’s always wise to stay away from heavy sauces that have added butter, cream, and oils. Instead, opt for dishes that have vegetable salsas or relishes served with the fish, and steamed vegetables on the side. One of Skinner’s favorite seafood restaurants, Eddie V’s, serves a Hong Kong-style steamed Chilean sea bass with light soy-sherry broth and sesame spinach. At Perla’s on South Congress, a few selections from the oyster bar followed by a Bluebonnet Farms baby lettuce salad with omega 3-rich almonds is a great way to start. Follow this with the gulf snapper—but be sure to ask if it’s prepared with butter and request a steamed version if it is.
Home Grown — There’s a lot of be said for eating local. Not only does it help reduce the carbon footprint for the environment, but it also gives consumers the benefit of knowing the source of their food. When you shop at the farmer’s markets around town, or dine at some of the restaurants that serve food from local farms and purveyors, you can appreciate the raw, natural, bounty of the season. The good news is there are countless restaurants in town that support local foods. For fine dining, you can find everything from Boggy Creek Farm vegetables to Richardson Farms pork belly at Olivia. At Texas French Bread, you can find Water Oaks Farm goat cheese and Loncito’s lamb on their dinner menus at their Rio Grande location. And every day, you can find these ingredients and fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers and from the backyard garden of Eastside Café. “I love that they grow their own vegetables,” says Skinner. “There are very few things I have tried there that I don’t love.”
Vegetarian — Vegetarians can offer themselves a hefty pat on the back for putting vegetables at the center of their diet, something nutritionists wish the average American would do. In Austin, chefs and restaurateurs are heeding the vegetarian clientele. Instead of the usual steamed veggies with rice, you can find delicious handmade garden burgers at Blue Star Cafeteria, a fresh deli case at South Austin favorite Thai Fresh (served with the choice of brown or white rice), and a heavenly Austin Hippie Salad at Trio loaded with nutrients including field greens for iron and fiber, antioxidant-rich dried currants, avocado loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, chickpeas for protein, and candied pecans and cornbread croutons for a little guilty pleasure. Vegetarian-specific restaurants such as Casa de Luz have devoted their menu to veggie delights, including red bean tamales, sautéed onion, burdock, celery, yellow squash and steamed broccoli, or vegetable lentil soup.
Take Home — Want to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal from the comfort of your own home? Ditch the drive-through and try picking up something from your local grocer. Central Market and Wheatsville are famous for healthy, pre-made options in their deli cases. Perhaps the leader of the pack in healthy to-go food is Whole Foods Market. It may seem like Disneyland for the foodie, but the flagship store of this national grocery chain has a commitment to promoting good health. Just ask Health Eating Specialist Mary Olivar at the Whole Foods downtown. Her job is devoted to being a resource and educator for Whole Foods’ staff and customers. “Most people are only eating three to four percent fresh vegetables and fruit in their diets,” says Olivar. My job is to demystify vegetables for people so that they’re eating more of them on a daily basis, whether cooking at home, or eating out.”
The downtown store is set up with a variety of healthy options to take home. The fresh salad bar has a whole new selection of lettuces, and single-ingredient items such as red quinoa or millet. At the vegan raw bar, every item is plant-based and made from scratch, such as vegan nachos made with flax seed crackers and cashew butter made to mock sour cream. One of the best-kept secrets is the fish venue where you can select a fish of your choice, and the staff will season and steam it for you while you shop. Simply pick up the finished product when you’re ready to check out along with a salad or side from the chef’s case and your healthy dinner-at-home is set.
Dessert — Since we’re talking about eating healthy, it’s only appropriate that we address the one thing people desperately want, but deprive themselves of the most: dessert. Having a sweet tooth doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Just remember portion control. If you really want to treat yourself, share that decadent chocolate intemperance at Jeffrey’s with a friend. And keep in mind, you always have a choice when you order. Most restaurants include a daily sorbet, which includes a fraction of the calories found in ice cream. Or skip dessert at the restaurant and opt for a more heart-friendly frozen yogurt at Yummy Yo or Fro Yo Yo. These tasty yogurt spots not only let you select from a number of flavors, but with fewer calories and fat than ice cream, the experience is virtually guilt free—just stay away from the calorie-packed add-ons. But if frozen desserts aren’t your thing, consider a simple nibble of quality dark chocolate. Studies have shown that dark chocolate—not milk or white chocolate—can help lower blood pressure and is high in antioxidants, which help maintain a strong immune system.
When it comes to dining out healthy, the bottom line is that it is up to you to ask how your food is prepared. “Be proactive when you’re dining out,” says Skinner. Just stick to the four golden rules: steamed, grilled, or boiled; portion control; slow down while you eat; and be sure to exercise. Happy Healthy Eating!
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