Healthy Dining's Dietitians Offer Guidance in Finding Lower Sodium Restaurant Meals

HealthyDiningFinder.com Allows for ‘Sort by Sodium Values’

San Diego, CA – May 13, 2009 – Don’t despair! Even though some meals are higher in sodium, HealthyDiningFinder.com offers restaurant diners a valuable resource for finding dietitian-approved Healthy Dining menu options served at more than 60,000 restaurant locations throughout the nation. Many of the restaurants featured on the site offer menu options with sodium values below 600 mg. for a full meal. In collaboration with the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the Healthy Dining Program is the largest-ever restaurant industry nutrition initiative.

“If you are watching your sodium, dining out can present a special challenge. There’s good news, though. The registered dietitians at Healthy Dining are working with restaurants to help them offer a selection of great-tasting menu choices with health and taste buds in mind,” emphasizes Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, president and founder of Healthy Dining. “Healthy Dining’s signature website, HealthyDiningFinder.com features restaurants spanning fast food to fine dining, that have joined the Healthy Dining Program to offer their guests a selection of Healthy Dining options meeting recommended nutrition criteria. The site gives you everything you need to make smart choices when eating away from home.”

So what does Healthy Dining suggest when eating away from home and watching sodium? “First, always request no added salt,” states Jones-Mueller. “In a lot of meals, the sodium is naturally occurring in the ingredients, but you can always ask for ‘no added salt,’ which can reduce the sodium level significantly. Also, choose dishes created with fresh ingredients and ask for sauces and dressings on the side as these tend to be ‘higher sodium culprits.’ Consider splitting larger dishes with a friend.”

With just a few clicks, HealthyDiningFinder.com helps nutrition-conscious diners easily find restaurants offering Healthy Dining menu items. Enter a zip code and price range and then the search results will identify restaurants offering a selection of dietitian-approved Healthy Dining menu options.  Click on a restaurant’s logo, and find a full listing of the qualifying menu options with corresponding nutrient information. “Sodium is not a qualifying nutrient, but the site identifies sodium values, and many restaurants offer one or two selections that are lower in sodium,” explains Nicole Quartuccio, RD, director of nutrition. “Each restaurant’s page offers the ability to sort by sodium and other nutrients, so that you can quickly find the best choices for you.”

Menu Items Featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com:
*All of the values below include a ‘no added salt’ request.

Trendy Chaya Brasserie in San Francisco offers ‘Wild King Salmon’ with grilled Provencal vegetables, shaved fennel and rucola salad with corn relish. (620 calories and 310 mg.* sodium)

Chili’s Grill and Bar offers a ‘Guiltless Honey Mustard Salmon,’ seared to perfection and served with steamed seasonal veggies with Parmesan cheese. (420 calories, 600 mg.* sodium) 

The ‘Hamburger Deluxe’ at Jack in the Box weighs in at just 350 calories and 600 mg. of sodium. Healthy Dining’s dietitians recommend adding the fruit cup or smoothie to this quick serve meal for more nutrients and fiber .

Monical’s Pizza, with 62 locations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, serves a ‘Happy Heart Pizza’ with spinach, minced garlic, red bell peppers and red onions with a layer of low-fat mozzarella. (550 calories, 470 mg.* sodium for an 8-inch pizza)

Elephant Bar offers ‘Vietnamese Spring Rolls’ filled with shrimp and a variety of nutrient-rich vegetables and herbs. The rolls are served with an Oriental slaw, chilled tamarind macadamia nut sauce and Thai peanut sauce. Elephant Bar has 50 locations throughout the U.S. (400 calories, 580 mg.* sodium)

K-Bob’s Steakhouse serves a ‘Lean Ranch House Top Sirloin Steak with Steamed Broccoli.’
K-Bob’s has 16 locations in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  (250 calories, 470 mg.* sodium)

Rubio’s HealthMex Chicken Taco features all-white meat chicken, shredded cabbage, roasted chipotle salsa and salsa fresco in a soft, stone-ground corn tortilla. (170 calories, 390 mg.* sodium)

For more Healthy Dining options, visit HealthyDiningFinder.com. For more information on watching sodium when dining out, click here. For restaurants interested in talking with one of Healthy Dining’s registered dietitians about reducing sodium, call 1-800-953-DINE (3463).

 

ABOUT HEALTHY DINING:

Since 1990, Healthy Dining’s culinary nutrition experts have been guiding and inspiring chefs and restaurateurs to create and serve a selection of healthier menu options. A leader in restaurant nutrition, the company works with hundreds of restaurants and has analyzed thousands of menu items for nutrient content. In collaboration with the National Restaurant Association, Healthy Dining leads the largest-ever restaurant industry nutrition initiative. HealthyDiningFinder.com, the only resource of its kind, helps Americans find dietitian-approved Healthy Dining menu options, with corresponding nutrient information, served at restaurants spanning from fast food to fine dining, from coast to coast. The site is promoted to the growing segment of health- and weight-conscious consumers through employers, health organizations, health insurance companies, weight control programs, fitness centers, the media, and much more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided partial funding for the development of the initiative.

Contact:
Sara Lucero
858.541.2049
Sara@healthydiningfinder.com