Enjoying Healthy Food

[pegkerr]

from my SparkPeople blog:

I went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner last night, The Birchwood Cafe, which serves organic locally grown produce, including many vegan and vegetarian dishes. (It's a little tough to track SparkPoints when I eat there because many of their dishes are so unusual that there is nothing to compare them to in the nutrition tracker. So tracking things eaten there is pure guess). When I had finished eating, I told them to send word to the cooks: I had ordered the Golden Beet Risotta, which included carnaroli rice with roasted golden beets, arugula, grand padano cheese, heirloom tomatoes, chevre, purple basil chiffonade, and pine nuts. "Tell them that it was so good I almost cried. It was the best meal I've eaten in a couple of months. Tell them I had to stop myself from making orgasmic sounds as I ate, for fear of scaring the other diners."

I love eating at the Birchwood because it's a terrific example that healthy food can be absolutely delicious. I had gone a little bit high on calories for the day before I had gone there, which was part of the reason I chose that restaurant: I knew that I could find a reasonable calorie option that would be a memorable dining experience.

Comments

[redbird]

I don't track calories (bad for my mental health), but the larger point applies whether one is doing so or not: there are specific tasty things that some eaters may need to avoid or limit, but good food can and should be tasty. Half the trick, I think, is minimizing the chemicals added to "stabilize" things for storage, or to make one batch just like the next.

Sometimes this manifests in weird ways: if it's winter, frozen fruit and vegetables may well be tastier as well as cheaper than "fresh" ones from thousands of miles away. (Or not: clementines travel better than raspberries, for example.)

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Now I have to wipe the drool off my keyboard. That sounds truly fabulous.

[annieways.livejournal.com]

Off the topic a bit, but your Starbucks coupon for free iced coffee can be used at Caribou. You should be receiving an email from me with more info.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I received it! Thank you, thank you! There is a Caribou Coffee right across the street from my office, and I will definitely use it.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip! I've switched to an organic, low-glycemic diet lately, which means there's hardly any commercial restaurants where I can find food that fits. (No white flour, no white rice, no corn products, no potatoes...)

Have you checked out the EcoPolitan, down on Lyndale Ave? It's vegan, and doesn't serve cooked food; it's all raw stuff, but very creative, fresh and good.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I haven't tried it, although I've heard of it. Thanks! I'll stop by sometime.

[aerden.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of goldn beets--that sounds about as odd as purple peas--but it sounds like it was tasty!

Chantal

[deedop.livejournal.com]

As the wife of a chef, I want to thank you for specifically requesting your praise be passed along to the kitchen. Too many times, diners just sing their praises to the waitstaff, then leave a big tip, and neither the praises nor any percentage of the tip ever make it near the kitchen.

Also, golden beets --> YUM.

[tesla-aldrich.livejournal.com]

I just signed up for a SparkPeople account today - looks like a very interesting tool. Thanks for turning me on to it!