The worst feeling is when you have started a new diet and everything is going well until you have an event coming up where you need to go out to dinner and partake in all the drinking and eating of the night! If you’re like me, it is enough to make you feel super guilty and makes you feel like you need to be even stricter the following day.
Well, don’t worry! This is a part of life and we just need to make sure these events can be incorporated into our lives in a healthy fashion. Let’s face it, the chances of you eating very healthy all the time are slim to none unless you go into some major hibernation all by yourself and have the will power of an ox.
I think the basic rule would be to make sure you are eating a protein (the less fatty red meat, the better), brightly colored and dark green vegetables, and a starch. Remember, portion control is important as well and limit the dressings or sauces. Below, I have listed specific dishes following these guidelines at some Jersey Shore restaurants that will not mess up your diet, but are still so delicious and worth every penny!
Nicholas Barrel and Roost- Red Bank- Shovel Salad
What kind of salad? The name is a little interesting, but this is up there with one of my all time favorite salads as the salad lover that I am! Iceberg lettuce, roasted peppers, red peppers, pepperoncinis, mozzarella, and banana peppers! You definitely will wish you had a shovel to scoop this delicious bowl in to your mouth!
Taka Restaurant, Asbury Park/ Shogun Legends, Wall/ Yumi, Sea Bright/ Teak, Red Bank- Sashimi/Sushi
All of the restaurants above serve awesome and fresh sashimi. Sashimi is perfectly colored and tuna is sushi-grade. Sashimi is very light, and all the sushi rolls here are fresh, innovative, and so delicious. Sushi is always a healthy option as well that doesn’t feel like “healthy food” if you’re a true sushi lover.
Mcloone’s Pier House, Long Branch- Pier House Salad
The Pier House salad is phenomenal. I always add a little blackened chicken to give myself my protein with an extra kick and tell them to go very lightly on the feta cheese. This salad is mesclun greens, granny smith apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and feta. It is a a little on the larger side, but afterall you’re just eating a salad so it is very filling if you eat 3/4 of it. Mcloone’s restaurants overall make really great salads, but this one is definitely one of my favorites.
Harvest, Farmingdale- Zoodles
Here is your spaghetti in zucchini form! Zoodles are yellow and green zucchini “noodles,” and these zoodles are packed with flavor! The asparagus pesto adds a delicious, addicting flavor the a rather healthy entree. I get chicken with my zoodles for my protein source, but Thai shrimp is another good option as well that I sometimes get. Harvest restaurant in general is a farm to table restaurant that serves healthy, locally sourced ingredients.
Catch, Red Bank- Scallops with a side of asparagus
Oh, this restaurant keeps making the lists, but that is because it is just so good! It is easily one of the best spots at the Jersey shore for seafood. Scallops in general are great for your waist line and even your cholesterol levels. This light fish that is more than 80 percent protein, when not saturated in creamy calorie filled sauces, is one of the top fish to eat while you’re on a diet! With the fresh catch section of a menu, you can choose a side. Here, my choice would be the asparagus. Arugula salad is also a good, healthy choice. You can’t go wrong here at Catch!
Obviously, these are not the ONLY meals around that can be a healthy option, but these are some of my favorites that you can’t go wrong on. Good luck and happy dining!
