Summer is on its way and the long hot days will be upon us. As the weather heats up, most people try to find excuses to stay out of a hot kitchen, which means eating out becomes a more favorable option. Eating out can certainly be a welcome alternative to a hot kitchen; the issue becomes finding healthy good food options without having to deal with the consequences of putting “bad” food into your mouth. Having a discerning palate when it comes to eating not only healthy, but “clean” food, presents its challenges.
For those unfamiliar with the term clean eating, this refers to eating food that has undergone very little if any processing; is free of chemicals, additives, preservatives and any other substances harmful to one’s health. Here’s the dilemma. Finding a restaurant that fits the criteria for clean eating eliminates 90% of the restaurant establishments in any given local area. The exception to this may be in some of the larger, more forward thinking, health conscious cities such as New York or LA.
Restaurants that offer fresh, homemade foods are clearly your best bets. These are generally the smaller mom and pop local eateries whose owners “get it” when it comes to eating healthy. While many larger food chains are now offering some healthier versions of their regular menu items; the problem is the food items may be lower in calories but are often lacking in flavor and excitement! It is worth it to check out your local area to see what you can find. There’s bound to be one diamond in the rough that is worth the try or the splurge! Better yet, go out and buy that one item or kitchen gadget that you really want. Who knows, you may decide to try out what you bought and whip something up yourself!!
