HEALTHY RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTS

Dining out can be healthy and delicious

BY BAILEE WILLIAMS SWUPHD Health Educator

ameron Payne, owner of Twisted Noodle Café in St. George, Utah, is showing his community that dining out can include delicious healthy options. After working for the Biggest Loser reality show for eight years, Cameron realized that St. George was a hub for active lifestyles but there weren’t a lot of options for healthy eating. He wanted to create a place where people could enjoy good food that would be delicious, nutritious, and wouldn’t leave them with that full, weighed down feeling. Five years later, Twisted Noodle Café is a prime example of that vision, and now many others are showing that dining out does not mean unhealthy eating. That is why the Southwest Utah Pub- lic Health Department created the Healthy Habits Restaurant Recog- nition Program. This program rates restaurants in the St. George area on the health value of their menu op- tions, including calories, fat content, preparation, whole grain options, and allergy-friendly alternatives. In 2019, seven winners were awarded the gold, silver, or bronze level out of 22 applicants, with Twisted Noodle

Café earning the gold level. These restaurants display the qualities mentioned above. Give them a try and look for our Healthy Habits seal of approval in their window. Restaurants interested in applying for the 2020 Healthy Habits award can contact Alecia Ledward at aledward@swuhealth.org.

HEALTHY TIPS FOR EATING OUT

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CALORIES Calories can add up, especially when dining out. It might seem like no big deal ordering a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke, but there goes over 1,000 calories - half of the recommended daily total. When you are calorie conscious and look at the nutritional value of what you eat, you become more aware of what is going into your body. Maybe you get a meal that is less calories or eat half and save the rest for later.

HOW IS THE FOOD PREPARED? Is the food you are going to order fried (of- ten called “crispy”) or can you get it grilled, steamed, or baked? This can make a big difference in the nutritional value of what you are ordering. SUBSTITUTE YOUR GRAINS The carbohydrates in grains can add up! Some restaurants even offer lettuce wraps as a substitute for bread. Some menus display this option, but if they don’t it never hurts to ask. You can also optimize your grains by choosing whole grain rice, bread, or pasta.

EVALUATE YOUR SIDE OPTIONS What side options are you choosing when you dine out? Do you lean toward the French fries, chips, and bread, or a side salad or bowl of fruit? Maybe next time, when asked what side you want, stop and think “What would be the best choice? How would this affect my calorie count? Is this helping me get a balanced amount of food groups in my diet?” Choosing a side salad or fruit instead of the bag of chips might be less appealing at first but in the end you will be happy you made that healthy choice. DRESSINGS AND CONDIMENTS: get them on the side. Ever ask for your dressing on the side? It's second nature just to expect dressing and condiments to be served on your food, but that doesn’t allow you to decide how much you really need. You might enjoy the meal with less sauce.

2019

TWISTED NOODLE, VIVA CHICKEN, TWENTYFIVE MAIN, PORT OF SUBS, CHICK-FIL-A, MAD PITA EXPRESS, GEORGE'S CORNER RESTAURANT