Jetties, with four locations in Washington, is a “step above” most delis in terms of nutrition, says dietitian Jennifer Reilly. The Sconset sandwich is a veggie-friendly choice. Photograph courtesy of Jetties' Facebook page.
It’s no wonder Jetties, with locations in Georgetown, downtown DC, Bethesda, and Macomb, is such a beloved institution. Dietitian Jennifer Reilly says it’s a “step above” most delis, thanks to its offering of multigrain bread and almost as many salads as sandwiches.
Still, its menu isn’t perfect. Reilly says most options are very deli-meat heavy, which means they’re high in sodium, too. Fortunately, she scoped out the menu and picked the healthiest item on the menu for us.
WORST: Tom Nevers
With three types of meat (turkey, ham, and bacon), plus mayo and three slices of sourdough, this sandwich doesn’t score many nutritional points. The extra slice of bread “adds more calories of simple fast-acting carbs and zero heart-healthy fiber,” says Reilly.
Cava Mezze Grill's menu is customizable and offers plenty of healthy options. Photograph courtesy of Cava Mezze Grill's Facebook page.
A few weeks ago we featured 100 Very Best Restaurants pick Cava Mezze in our Lunch Break series. But many of you wanted to know: What about its sister restaurant, Cava Mezze Grill?
Cava Mezze Grill, with locations in Tysons Corner, Bethesda Row, Columbia Heights, Tenleytown, and, most recently, the Mosaic in Merrifield, offers equally delicious Mediterranean food in the form of make-your-own pitas or bowls.
The good news: “It’s really easy to make a healthy dish” here, says Allison Marco, a registered dietitian at Georgetown University. The bad: “It’s easy to get excited about all the ingredients and go overboard.”
Marco navigated the menu so that next time you head to Cava Mezze Grill, you don’t make any diet-derailing mistakes.
Burgers in general may not be the healthiest, but there are a few that are more nutritious than others. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user _mogi.
The words “healthy” and “burger” don’t often go together, especially when said burger is topped with cheese and fried onion straws on a thick bun. But sometimes you just can’t resist a juicy beefwich. Lucky for all of us, local burger joints are beginning to recognize the need for healthy menu options. We rounded up some of nutrition experts’ top picks for burgers in Washington that you—and your waistline—can feel good about.
The Ahi Tuna Burger at BGR
If you’re watching your weight, try this option from BGR: sushi-grade tuna topped with grilled pineapple and pickled ginger. The tuna provides heart-healthy fats and a wealth of protein.
Restaurants' create-your-own-salad options can be overwhelming. Local nutrition experts offered their favorite DIY-salads to help you out next time. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user angel n.
Sometimes, a restaurant’s premade meals just doesn’t cut it. That’s why we love that lunch spots such as Sweetgreen and Chop’t offer make-your-own salad options. The only problem? There are so many choices it’s easy to go overboard and create a monstrosity of a diet-busting salad.
We combed through the Lunch Break archives to find nutritionists’ past recommendations for what perfect salads they’d create at the following restaurants. Read on for their helpful advice.
Cava Mezze, with locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, is one of Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurants. Nutritionist Jared Rice says its easy to eat a balanced and healthy lunch at this gluten-free restaurant. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user snowpea&bokchoi.
Cava Mezze, with locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, is known for adding a touch of modern flair to its fresh Greek-inspired dishes. Here at The Washingtonian, we love their moderately priced dishes so much we recently named Cava Mezze one of the 100 Very Best Restaurants of 2013. It also scored major points for offering a pretty lengthy gluten-free menu.
We asked nutritionist Jared Rice to check out the lunch menu and pick out the healthiest and worst items. Read on for what he chose.
Worst: Cava Gyro Sandwich
The first item on the menu doesn’t scream healthy, Rice says of the sandwich stuffed with gyro meat, French fries, and pickled onions. “The combination of processed meat and fried potatoes makes this sandwich high sodium and a hyper-inflammatory mess.”
Union Market DC offers plenty of healthy snacks and meals, including Trickling Springs Creamery's local yogurt with fresh fruit and TaKorean's tofu tacos. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user angela n.
If you haven’t made it down to Union Market, you’re missing out. The trendy gathering place is a melting pot of fresh food with a rotating lineup of vendors, including TaKorean and Rappahannock Oyster Company.
Union Market is open Wednesday through Sunday, so this week’s lunch break is focused on healthy eats you can find whether you’re headed there for a day trip or an early dinner. Check out our picks below.
DC Empanadas
DC Empanadas was named one of our healthiest quick lunches from DC Food Trucks. The empanadas are fried, but having one with a salad wouldn’t be the worst. The black beans and rice or vegetable curry are both delicious and great vegetarian options.
In celebration of DC Meat-Free Week, order a vegetarian-friendly meal at a local lunch spot, such as Protein Bar. Photograph by Jeff Martin.
Today marks the start of DC Meat-Free Week, and what better way to celebrate with a Meatless Monday lunch? The good news is that local lunch spots are not short of vegetarian-friendly options. Read on for some of our favorites:
Smokey Root Veg & Bean Soup at Pret A Manger
You don’t have to worry about being hungry 30 minutes after eating this soup. You’ll be satisfied for a while thanks to 11 grams of fiber and 8.5 grams of protein from the veggies and beans.
Nutrition expert Tanya Halliday says Energy Kitchen's burgers are some of the best healthy options on the under-500 calories menu. There are, however, some fatty, high-sodium meals to watch out for. Photograph courtesy of Energy Kitchen's Facebook page.
Energy Kitchen recently opened its first location in DC, bringing its everything-under-500-calories menu to health-conscious Washingtonians. But although the chain is touted for its low-calorie meals, does that mean everything is healthy?
Registered dietitian Tanya Halliday scoped out the menu and, for the most part, liked what she saw. “Since our eyes tend to be bigger than our stomachs, the portion-controlled options at Energy Kitchen can certainly help us avoid eating more than we need,” she says.
But she notes one oddity: Energy Kitchen’s calorie counts on the main menu don’t match up with the nutrition information sheet.* “This sets off a bit of a red flag in my mind regarding how accurate their nutrition information is,” Halliday says. (For consistency’s sake, the following calorie counts are based off the nutrition menu.)
Worst: Bison Cheesesteak Wrap
Not only does this wrap contain 21 grams of fat, it also has almost half of the recommended daily sodium limit. The 49 grams of protein is nice, but it’s better to consume moderate portions of it throughout the day than in one sitting, Halliday says.
Who said pizza can't be healthy? Popular pizza joints, such as Pete's Apizza, offer plenty of nutritious and veggie-friendly pies. Photograph by Scott Suchman.
Now that you’re on week three of your New Year’s health kick, you deserve a little treat. And who doesn’t love a delicious slice of pizza?
Before you scoff at us for suggesting it, remember this: Even the strictest dietitians say pizza can be a great way to incorporate a variety of veggies into your diet.
We rounded up some of the healthiest pizzas you can order at our favorite pizza spots in Washington. Just keep your serving size down to two slices and consider ordering a side salad to keep you from going for that third helping.
Naked Pizza: Superbiotic
This pizza is basically a veggie-rich salad on bread. The probiotic crust is topped with artichokes, greens, peppers, mushrooms—the list goes on. After two slices you’ll feel full and satisfied.
Protein Bar's vegetarian quinoa chili bowl is proof that you can find a healthy and cheap meal in DC. Photograph courtesy of Protein Bar's Facebook page.
With the holidays over, our wallets are a little lighter—and our midsections possibly a little heftier. Lunch Break is here to help. We rounded up some cheap, guilt-free lunches around DC that you can eat guilt-free, without worrying about hidden calories or a depleted bank account.
The Summer Bowl at Boloco—$5.93
For a decent 407 calories and 43 percent of your daily fiber, the original-size summer bowl will hold you over throughout the day. You’ll get protein from the black beans and fajita vegetables while cutting fat and calories by skipping the jack cheese and tortilla, which is more than 200 calories alone.
