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Keeping it Healthy on Takeout Night!
Jan 5 2012

Most of us recognize this scenario:

After a long day you're finally done with work and dinner needs to happen in 5 minutes. Maybe you're absolutely starving, or you have hungry kids waiting at home. You know your refrigerator is a barren wasteland so it's clearly going to be a take out night.

But wait! Before you go on total automatic pilot because you're that hungry, take a minute. When we're hungry and stressed there is a tendency to gravitate towards refined carbohydrates which are satisfying and fill you up quickly. Unfortunately this results in pizza for dinner every time it's takeout night, which is not a healthy solution for anyone.

Starting on the bottom of Solano (West side) and working up, here is your guide to healthy takeout, tested and approved by Woohoo Trainers and their families!

 

  • Cafe Raj (North Indian and Pakistani Cuisine)

    • 1158 Solano Ave

    • This tasty Indian restaurant is a great way to go, especially on a cold winter evening when you want something warm and filling. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes. The best part is if you skip the rice and the naan, everything else on the menu is a healthy option. If you must have rice, you can get brown rice which is a more nutritious alternative.

    • Recommended: Sag paneer, lental soup, and chicken shai khorma

    • Website: http://caferajonline.com/

 

  • Bua Laung (Thai)

    • 1166 Solano Ave

    • Thai food is a great option, and it tends to have milder flavors which is good for kids who don't always like spicy food. If you staying away from rice and anything fried, you'll find lots of tasty possibilities.

    • Recommended: fresh spring rolls, chicken satay (comes with peanut sauce)

    • Website: http://www.bualuangalbany.com/

 

  • Sophia Cafe (Mediterranean)

    • 1247 Solano Ave

    • For Mediterranean food try Cafe Sophia. Enjoy all the salads, sauces, and grilled meat while staying away from the pita bread.

    • Recommended: Mezza Platter with grilled eggplant salad, hummus, tahini and baba ganoush; and chicken shawarma.

    • Website: http://sophiacafe.net/home.html

 

  • When it comes to Mexican food you have several options. Check out

 

  • Barney's (Hamburgers)

    • 1591 Solano Ave

    • Yes you can get hamburgers for dinner without losing your healthy eating habits! Go for lettuce wrapped burgers and consider a turkey or tofu burger instead of traditional beef. Barney's also offers plenty of salads that come with grilled chicken.

    • Website: http://www.barneyshamburgers.com/

 

  • Kyoto (Japanese, sushi)

    • 1599 Solano

    • This takeout only sushi spot is great when you need food super fast. Everything is pre-made and you can look through the sushi and pick out what looks best. To keep it healthy go for the brown rice sushi. They offer some vegetarian sushi rolls and cooked rolls/ dishes for those who are not so sure about the whole raw fish thing.

    • Recommended: brown rice sushi, seaweed salad, edamame

    • Website: http://www.kyotosushiberkeley.com/

 

  • Kirin (Chinese)

    • 1767 Solano

    • This is a slightly greasier option than some of the other takeout spots listed, but you can still count it as healthy by skipping white rice. There are plenty of vegetarian options here too.

    • Recommended: Andy's chicken, seaweed salad, and any soup is a healthy choice.

    • Website: http://www.thekirin.com/

 

  • Zachary's (Pizza)

 

When you have time to sit down and enjoy a nicer meal with the family, try Gather (2200 Oxford st http://www.gatherrestaurant.com/ ) and O Chame (1830 4th Street, http://ochame.com/ ) for healthy and delicious!

Do you have a favorite healthy takeout spot to add to our list?

Questions, comments, want to run your idea by the expert? You can reach Eva Bramwell at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)