As a college freshman, I’m constantly thinking about how much I miss home, or more specifically, my favorite meals from home. If you have a mom who’s an awesome cook, maybe you miss the smell of your kitchen every night. But if you had a hectic schedule and a mom who has callings other than cooking, maybe you miss your favorite restaurant meals just like I do.
Eating out is definitely more common for a lot of students in college. I can only visit the dining hall so many times throughout the week, and for those of us in the Greek community, sometimes during lunch or dinner hours the house seems impossibly far away. And as much as I would love to cook for myself more, I either have trouble motivating, or I don’t have the right ingredients to make anything decent (although if anyone knows a good meal to make out of barbeque Popchips and Tyson chicken nuggets, feel free to share). So, a lot of the time I’ll turn to eating at the various restaurants across town.
Dining out frequently can have its risks. Many people are worried about the high calorie entrees or the large portion sizes. But in my experience, most restaurants have a variety of healthy options, so you have control over how healthy, or unhealthy, you want your order to be. And more and more restaurants are either providing nutrition menus at the counter, or they already list the calorie amount on the menu. For example, McAlister’s Deli serves satisfying meal portions, but they also have a nutrition menu readily available at the checkout counter. While this isn’t the case for all restaurants, you can typically tell which establishments are healthier than others based on their name and menu. Or at least, that’s the impression I was under.
One of my favorite restaurants in Tuscaloosa is Tropical Smoothie Café in Midtown Village. For those who have never been, as soon as you walk through the doors you notice the modern feel of the restaurant. The white, wood paneled walls and fresh smell convince you that the food you’re about to order is not only healthy, but will also help energize your day. I always order their Peanut Butter Cup smoothie, and because I’ve convinced myself that it’s a healthy restaurant, I assumed everything on their menu was healthy.
I bragged about this discovery to my friends, and eventually brought them along with me. When we all sat down and ordered our food, my friend Maddie brought up the nutrition menu online. She browsed for the Peanut Butter Cup smoothie, and her draw dropped. I refused to hear the calorie count until I finished indulging on my favorite smoothie for possibly the last time. After I finished, Maddie broke the news to me that my beloved “healthy” smoothie was, *drumroll*, 693 calories. My heart was broken. How could a restaurant that seemed so healthy serve something that was so high in calorie content?
If anyone else loves Tropical Smoothie Café, don’t worry, my smoothie is one of the few that is that high in calories. Actually, most smoothies have half that count. And they conveniently separate the smoothies into categories such as “Superfood Smoothies” and “Indulgent” (guess which one mine falls under), so the nutrition value truly depends on what you order. After I experienced this shock, I decided to look more into the calorie count and nutrition value of my favorite meals across Tuscaloosa. Although most restaurant menus will have generally similar items, there are always at least a few healthy options available.
So don’t worry about eating out from time to time, or even daily if that’s your thing. Plenty of restaurants across Tuscaloosa are dedicated to feeding you only the best, and nutritional info is almost always available at your fingertips. Below I’ve included a list of healthy restaurants I’ve discovered. Take a look at the nutrition menu by clicking on the restaurant title.
This restaurant is located on the strip and has a wide variety of pocket pitas to satisfy your healthy cravings. Whether you want a veggie pita or you’re hungry for a Chicken Crave, these pitas average around 400 calories. As an extra cool feature, if you visit their website you can build your own Pita and it’ll count the calories for you! Definitely check this place out if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to a massive burrito.
Although I’ve never personally been here, my friends are slightly obsessed. They serve smoothies, juices, and various sandwiches and bowls, and a majority of the items on the menu are under 500 calories! This is definitely on my list of places to visit, and you can find it near Krispy Kreme on McFarland Boulevard.
Ever heard the phrase, “everything is good in moderation”? I think this may be the case with Panera Bread. Although they have launched a marketing campaign advertising their fresh and real ingredients, the calories still seem to add up with some of their menu items. The half portions seem to have reasonable calorie counts, but the average full portion or “you pick two” combo will end up being 700 calories. But, let’s be honest, the mac and cheese is definitely worth it.
Chicken Salad Chick is an extremely underrated gem of the south. Guys: I’m going to be honest, it’s super girly, but it’s so worth it. You can have your choice of multiple scoops of different types of chicken salad, or you can order a sandwich with a side of fruit. My personal favorite is the Sassy Scotty, although there are several incredible flavors to try, most around 400 calories per scoop. There are also healthy salads available!
Although Taco Mama does not have a nutritional menu available online, they do promise to serve their guests the freshest ingredients. I recommend Taco Mama because you can choose every ingredient that goes into your Mexican creation. Check out their menu for all your options!
If you have any more suggestions, please feel free to comment below!