Eating out : Healthy Places in Texas

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adnamalegna
adnamalegna Posts: 203 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Y'all! :) I travel a lot throughout the state- especially towards Graham, North Dallas, East Texas and Deep East Texas. I always pack a cooler for the kiddo's and I, because so many places don't have much to offer. What's your favorite healthy place to grab a bite in Texas? (And if y'all wanna message me any fast, yummy, healthy recipes for on the go- have at it!)

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  • Kanuenue
    Kanuenue Posts: 253 Member
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    I travel between Houston, Austin, and Dallas pretty regularly. I stick with anywhere I can build my own meal and watch them prepare it. If they are a chain with nutritional info online, that's another plus. Subway, Chipotle, Freebirds, etc all let me control and visualize exactly what's going in my food.
  • adnamalegna
    adnamalegna Posts: 203 Member
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    I just recently went to Chipotle; and I'm in love. :) Thanks for the tips!
  • jkmiller82
    jkmiller82 Posts: 214 Member
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    I agree with Chipotle, but it can get out of control calorie-wise pretty fast if you don't pre-plan the meal. Any Mexican restaurant is going to have fajitas. That's a good option without the tortillas and sour cream/cheese etc. Dallas and Ft. Worth have a delicious vegan restaurant called Spiral Diner and you'd be surprised how delicious it is. There's also Cafe Max in Richardson where you can build a salad trio. I don't know the exact calorie count, but you'd be pretty safe with the chicken salad, cucumber salad, and fruit salad combo. It is amazing! There is enough for two meals as well. Good luck!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Texas is a big *kitten* state....

    Personally, I prefer local fair to chain restaurants like Chipotle that you can get pretty much anwhere.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    There's this restaurant in the Dallas are called Seasons 52 where all the dishes are under 450 calories and are made with fresh organic ingredients. Never tried it, but it has a separate vegetarian and vegan menu which is a huge plus for me!
  • adnamalegna
    adnamalegna Posts: 203 Member
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    Great tips, people! Keep 'em coming:)
  • Shesaid_destroy
    Shesaid_destroy Posts: 128
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    This piece of advice is coming from a French who loooooves Texas from having lived in Austin for 4 years.
    This place is not really healthy, but you HAVE to try it : the Salt Lick BBQ!
    They now have several location, the original one being South of Austin on I35, a little out of town in the countryside.
    They have another one in Round Rock.
    It is the bomb! You'll never have BBQ like that anywhere else. And you can buy the dry rub spices and the BBQ sauce... It's laid back, and family style and soooooo yummy!
  • rachtxaggie
    rachtxaggie Posts: 14
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    Lo Cal's Healthy Joint in Houston has a huge variety also Salata Amazing salad place if you are ever in Houston. :)
  • Shesaid_destroy
    Shesaid_destroy Posts: 128
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    Oh! And also Kirby Lane restaurants in Austin. Amazing brunches! Excellent quality for the money!
    And Magnolia. Gaaaawd! I love Magnolia's Cafe!
    (Now i'm feeling hungry... Lol)
  • 2aycocks
    2aycocks Posts: 415 Member
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    I love Outback Steakhouse. They also have salmon, sweet potatoes, and other good things for you.
  • Absonthebrain
    Absonthebrain Posts: 587 Member
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    Sweet tomatoes and souper salad!!
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
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    Mexican? Try the tortilla soup at Los Cucos (a chain). A nice vegetable soup with just a litlle cheese and a few tortilla strips in three different size bowls. Not a ton of cheese and chicken.

    Mediterranean? Try Fadi's in Dallas and Houston. I'm sitting in one now where I just finished off a yummy kale salad, lentil soup, and baked salmon. Arpi's and Phoenicia in Houston are even better. Their use of oil, for example, is minimal compared to other Mediterranean places.

    Fish? Rockfish. Terrific fish with tons of ways to avoid calories, fats, processed junk.

    Also, I'm fond of Ruggles Green in Houston. A wide mix where there's healthy stuff but watch out for the many healthy but calorie dense bombs on their menu. My favorite is the veggie lettuce wraps. Oh, and also their quinoa side salad is fabulous!
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
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    Cafe Express in Dallas, Houston, and I don't know where else has a California burger which I get bunless with turkey but the best part of it is the roasted artichokes and tomatoes. Fabulous! And you can ask for a side of those to go with.

    Cafe Brazil in Dallas has some excellent black bean soup.

    Hungry's in Houston has about a million things that are healthy and yummy. I love their Garden of Eatin' Wrap which I usually eat with a cup of black bean soup.

    Yes, Sweet Tomatoes is always great for salads and their eight soups they have on any given day always includes one or two healthy choices. I just have a hard time because it's easy to walk up and snarf a blueberry muffin or ten. At 140 calories each, one ought to be my max.
  • adnamalegna
    adnamalegna Posts: 203 Member
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    Oh! And also Kirby Lane restaurants in Austin. Amazing brunches! Excellent quality for the money!
    And Magnolia. Gaaaawd! I love Magnolia's Cafe!
    (Now i'm feeling hungry... Lol)


    This made me giggle. :laugh:


    Thanks everyone!! I love all the suggestions! Keep them coming! We have trips planned to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico as well- so chime in if you know of good, healthy eats there too. Thanks again Y'all!
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
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    Just back from Freebirds. That was excellent! I had not known they were owned by Whole Foods so of course the food looked really great. I had a big salad with nice mixed greens, black beans, roasted veggies, tomatoes, poblano salsa, and a little tomatillo dressing. Well under 300 calories and it was really tasty. They gave me a Pot Brownie for free because it was my first time there. I'm glad I brought it home and put it straight in the trash because it's 610 calories by itself.
  • strawberriekt24
    strawberriekt24 Posts: 61 Member
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    The only thing I really have to contribute here is that Fresh by Brookshire's in Tyler is amazing! Although it's a grocery store rather than a restaurant. So maybe if you just need a snack? I am very fond of their gelato bar though :) I need to spend more time in that area- my sister lives there.
  • cxdyer
    cxdyer Posts: 105 Member
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    I like Zoes Kitchen, we have a few in Houston. My favorite dish is the power protein plate at only 510 calories. Grilled chicken with caramelized onions on top and their slaw made with vinaigrette (not mayo) and feta cheese underneath. Absolutely delicious and I'm not usually a fan of slaw that isn't sweet and creamy like KFC, but this stuff is addicting.

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