Over this past year, I have been forced to start reevaluating what I eat in order to be happier and healthier. I found, though, that it is hard to steer away from the pizza or Chinese food that is so readily available, especially to college students. Even when I was home for the summer, I looked for the easy way out of cooking, even if that meant eating something worse for me. Fortunately, I worked at a restaurant and was able to step back and realize that I needed to choose the healthier food over the fried food. I could get a chicken breast and broccoli for dinner instead of chicken fingers and fries. I opened my eyes to better eating, and I found some great places to eat out without feeling guilty.
The first thing that comes to most minds about better eating is having a nice big salad. Sometimes, even I crave a salad, and I have found some great combinations with nuts, fruit, cheese, and even a salad dressing I like—I am not a fan of dressing, so this is a major finding. I went out to Chili’s with some friends, and in the back of my mind I was thinking about some ribs, but I decided to try their crispy chicken salad. It came with mandarin oranges, carrots, almonds, crispy rice noodles, red bell peppers, and water chestnuts. I got it without the peppers, but I tried the ginger-sesame dressing and couldn’t get enough. The only thing that could have improved the salad was having grilled instead of crispy chicken.
There are some other places with really great salads for meals as well. I finally made it out to Quiznos to try their new flatbread salads, and yes, they give you a real fork with them. My friend had the chicken caesar, which looked delicious, but I tried the roasted chicken with honey mustard dressing. I was pleased with the amount of chicken, bacon, and cheese piled on top of the greens. It comes with tomatoes and onions, but I asked for mine without them. It was a salad I was proud to say I had a craving for, and I couldn’t even finish the whole thing. The toasted flatbread was a definite plus for a change of flavor now and then.
Healthy eating isn’t only about having salad and vegetables, though. Another great alternative to a heavy meal is having soup or a soup and sandwich combo. One of my favorite meals from Panera Bread is their half and half combo. I always get the soup with half of a turkey sandwich. I am a sucker for their broccoli cheddar, but the French onion and the cream of chicken are amazing as well. The combos also come with a choice of an apple, bread to dip in soup, or a bag of kettle chips, which are always delicious and never stale. The creamy soup is very filling, and the half of a sandwich is just enough food to feel stuffed.
Of course, there are many other places to get a salad and some soup. If you are going out to eat, look for the healthier side of the menu or the soup and salads section, usually listed under appetizers. Salads have come a long way from lettuce, cucumbers, and dressing, and you can definitely find something that fits your mood and is full of flavorful ingredients. Even if you aren’t trying to watch your diet, switch it up now and then with something healthier—I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you can find. If you know a place we could review, e-mail features@poly.rpi.edu with information.
