’Tis the season to begin slacking on your New Year’s resolution. The promise you made to yourself back in January to lose 20 pounds before summer, lasted for a few spin classes and countless meals consisting of only a zestless salad. We know—you’re fed up and bored with this age-old resolution, and that Big Mac is looking pretty good right about now. But before you delve into the deep-fried world, take in to consideration a few of the healthier options around town. And you’ll be surprised where you’ll find them.
Grilled Atlantic Salmon
Maple Tavern
Home of the Man vs. Maple Challenge—a two pound burger, a pound of fries, and two pounds of wings—you wouldn’t immediately think of Maple Tavern as your go-to health conscious restaurant. But on the contrary, the good folks of Maple Tavern are more than happy to cater to the needs of their dieting customers. Executive Chef Mike Shaughnessy says they pay close attention to what their customers are asking for when it comes to dietary restrictions. Referring to the gluten-free craze, Shaughnessy says, “We don’t have a specific menu geared towards that, it’s more of a verbal spiel. We know there’s a high demand for this type of thing right now, and if the customer asks their waiter or waitress about it, they’ll come to find that roughly half of our menu can be turned into gluten-free meals.” Shaughnessy also stresses the fact that the Maple Tavern kitchen uses olive oil more often than butter when preparing their dishes. Not only is this healthier, but it tastes better too! Delicious dish to love: Grilled Atlantic salmon, with roasted potatoes and veggies, $15. Delicious dish to be wary of: Tavern Mac & Cheese, which is crème based, $11. 9375 Deerwood Ln. N.; 763.425.2700
Lightly Sauteed Shrimp Wrap
3 Squares Restaurant
What’s so special about 3 Squares Restaurant is that they literally make everything from scratch. This can be both a curse and a blessing for the health conscious consumer. “At the end of the day, we are a comfort food place—there are definitely some hidden no-no’s in some of our dishes,” says manager Liz Bergquist. “But we also have a lot of substitution flexibility where you could eat healthy here too if you wanted.” 3 Squares Restaurant offers a full gluten-free menu upon request, egg substitutions, and will often cook with oil instead of butter. And in lieu of the normal, greasy McDonald’s-style burger, 3 Squares Restaurant ups the ante with their fine line of alternative burgers—the turkey burger, the bison burger and the veggie burger. “We don’t mind at all when people ask for substitutions or other specifications for their meal. If there is something we can do to make them happier, we will do it,” Bergquist says. 3 Squares Restaurant is also open for breakfast. Delicious dish to love: Lightly sauteed shrimp wrap with a side of veggies and black bean salsa, $10.95. Delicious dish to be wary of: Homemade cornbread, $2.95. 12690 Arbor Lakes Pkwy.; 763.425.3330
TKY Skinny
Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Potbelly Sandwich is one of the hottest lunch spots around town, but the company name doesn’t inspire much hope when it comes to dieting. In the middle of your work day, it’s easiest to rush in and grab a quick sandwich before you head back to the office. But slow down and take a moment to scrutinize the menu before you throw all your hard dieting work down the drain. You have two options that your body will appreciate—asking for “thin-cut” bread on any original sandwich, or ordering off of the “Skinnys” menu. Both options will use 1/3 less bread on your sandwich, which significantly cuts down on calories. An Italian sandwich on wheat bread goes from 660 calories to 495 with the “thin cut” option and hold the provolone cheese. And if you invest a little more time into this particular dining option, go to Potbelly’s website before you head in for lunch. They have a fantastic personalized nutrition calculator that will add up your calories, fat content, cholesterol, sodium, etc. as you add or subtract certain ingredients from your meal. Delicious dish to love: TKY Skinny on multigrain wheat bread, only 327 calories, $4. Delicious dish to be wary of: Big Jack’s PB&J on multigrain wheat, 861 calories, $4. 12409 Elm Creek Blvd. A28; 763.424.3193
Make-it-yourself Bowl
Mongo’s Grill
Mongolian dining at its finest! It’s hard for the health conscious consumer to go wrong at Mongo’s. They don’t have a traditional menu with specific dishes, but rather a list of fresh ingredients that you choose from to create your own personalized stir fry bowl. You choose your vegetables, protein, rice and/or noodles, and finally your sauce. “If you’re looking for a cheeseburger and a beer—well, everybody does that, but we don’t,” says manager Dan Stuttgen. “Mongo’s Grill is a really unique, fun and interactive dining experience that you’d have a tough time coming across anywhere else in the Twin Cities.” Mongo’s has 26 different veggies, four different noodles and 26 different sauces to choose from. If stir fry isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger, consider choosing one of Mongo’s healthier rice dishes or wraps to top it all off and make it a bit heartier. Make-it-yourself bowls range from $9.49–$11.49. 11628 Fountains Dr. N.; 763.493.2695
Capellini Pomodoro
Olive Garden
A hearty Italian meal is a favorite comfort food for many and hard to give up. But what makes it comfort food is also exactly what will wreak havoc on your diet plan. No need to fear, Olive Garden has worked hard to create healthy options for their dieting customers. They are more than happy to bend the rules with substitutions, gluten-free options, low-fat dressings and most importantly with their Garden Fare menu. This special Olive Garden menu offers distinct options for two different types of dieters—the fat content conscious dieters, and the carbohydrate content conscious dieters. Request this menu in lieu of the standard menu. Delicious dish to love: Capellini pomodoro, 480 calories and 11 grams of fat for the lunch-sized portion, $8.95. Delicious dish to be wary of: Fettuccini alfredo, 800 calories and a whopping 48 grams of fat for the lunch-size portion, $9.50. 12520 Elm Creek Blvd. N.; 763.420.9699
