Can we make a list of healthy, "safe" restaurants?

[The Governess]

For those of you who are trying to eat naturally, which chain restaurants are you comfortable dining at?

 

**Here is the updated list based on responses:**

 

In n' Out (although they use American cheese and there are artificial colors in their cheese, spread, and shakes)

Chipotle (free-range meat)

Sharky's (organic meat)

Whole Foods' sandwich/salad bar

Panera (maybe - their bread is baked fresh daily and they claim to use "all natural" eggs, breakfast sausage, and chicken)

O'Naturals (a few locations across U.S.)

Mad Greens (Colorado)

Burgerville (Oregon and Washington)

Jason's Deli

 

Noodles & Company and Baja Fresh were also mentioned, but I haven't been able to find any info on how they source their ingredients or whether preservatives, etc. are used.

 

 

Can anyone else add to this list? I know that the choices are going to vary significantly based on geographical regions, so maybe we can all list what state we are located in as well. My list is for Southern California. I thought it would be nice to have a nice list of alternatives to McDonald's and the other major fast food chains to reference for both everyday meals or if we are trying to find a place to stop on a cross country trip.

Edited March 19, 2010 by lovelearnandlive

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

If I'm doing fast food, I try to go to Burgerville. Only in Oregon and Washington, though.

 

They use local, vegetarian-fed and antibiotic-free beef in their burgers, cage-free eggs in their breakfast items and their salads feature mixed greens with sustainable, local ingredients such as smoked salmon and Oregon hazelnuts. They always have featured menu items with local in-season ingredients. I think their coffee is organic/fair trade. Etc.

 

Their 'plastic' cups and straws are compostable. They have an employee-led recycling/composting program at their restaurants. They purchase wind power. The 'toys' in the kids' meals are educational and/or earth-friendly. For a while, they were giving crayons molded in various shapes ~ made locally with recycled crayons and a coloring page. The last thing the boys received was an activity booklet from Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. I love collecting the bowls/plates/cups made in the US with recycled materials. We have a whole set featuring various local foods from farm to restaurant.

 

I'm positive my Mr. Pib is much healthier when I purchase it there. :lol:

[4kiddies]

I think this is a great idea! Is there a website somewhere that ranks the best and worst...

[abbeyej]

Jason's Deli has a growing range of organic ingredients, and a salad bar that is usually extremely well-stocked (in addition to soups, salads, etc). When I'm looking for "healthy fast food", Jason's Deli and Chipotle are usually the top of my list.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I don't know how healthy the food is at Baja Fresh, but it sure is tasty, and they don't use frozen, canned, or microwaved food. Ooooh, now I wish we had one in town...my mouth is watering!!

[Parrothead]

We have nothing here. The more I'm reading the more I'm not going out.

[Jennifer in MI]

We have a new independent middle eastern restaurant here. Yum!! And, d.s. can eat there because they don't use peanuts/tree nuts. Love it.

 

Other than that, we don't eat out. On vacation, we throw caution to the wind and eat whatever. I even drink Coke at dinner on vacation!!!

[sarahf.]

Panera bread Company...Their chicken is all natural, they use organic yogurt in their dishes and all natural sausage in their breakfast sandwiches. Although the still have nitrates in their deli meat and their produce isn't organic:glare:

[LauraGB]

We have two small sandwich shops in our whole area that I can think of - local, organic, one is vegetarian. But they are definitely not chain stores, and one is terribly over priced.

 

Wouldn't it be great if someone could come up with a chain that wouldn't compromise quaility and health and it would taste good enough to spread all over?

[MyLittleWonders]

The only safe one we have found is Chipotle Grill. (We are Feingold, so absolutely nothing artificial, and also GF.)

 

FYI, when we called In 'n' Out, we found out that their cheese has yellow #5, their spread has aritificial coloring (and I think flavoring, but I don't remember for sure - once we hear of one artificial ingredient, the rest do not matter), and their shakes are artificially flavored (vanillin) and colored. So, at least for us, the only "safe" foods there are the hamburger patties, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Oh, and according to Feingold, the oil for their fries are preservative free (though I need to call the company to confirm because Feingold lists their cheese as okay as well).

[4kiddies]

Panera bread Company...Their chicken is all natural, they use organic yogurt in their dishes and all natural sausage in their breakfast sandwiches. Although the still have nitrates in their deli meat and their produce isn't organic:glare:

 

This has been my choice lately with the kids. I figure even if its not perfect its gotta be better than McD's or Burger King...right:001_huh:

[lionfamily1999]

We have a new independent middle eastern restaurant here. Yum!! And, d.s. can eat there because they don't use peanuts/tree nuts. Love it.

 

Other than that, we don't eat out. On vacation, we throw caution to the wind and eat whatever. I even drink Coke at dinner on vacation!!!

We have some great independant restaurants here, but they're so pricey! The food is worth the money, but it doesn't work if you're in a rush ;)

 

Anyone know about Chik-fil-a? I've never heard anything bad about them...:bigear:

[Satori]

We love Jason's Deli and Chipotle.

 

If you live in Colorado, there is Mad Greens.

[Jennifer in MI]

We have some great independant restaurants here, but they're so pricey! The food is worth the money, but it doesn't work if you're in a rush ;)

 

Anyone know about Chik-fil-a? I've never heard anything bad about them...:bigear:

 

Another reason we were so excited to find this place is the cost! We spent $67 on dinner for 6. But, it lasted for another dinner plus TWO lunches!!! By the second lunch, I had to add some of my own pita and rice. But, still. We can afford to do that often!!!

 

I hope you find something that's reasonable!! Our local independent Italian restaurant is ridiculously priced.

[MyLittleWonders]

We have some great independant restaurants here, but they're so pricey! The food is worth the money, but it doesn't work if you're in a rush ;)

 

Anyone know about Chik-fil-a? I've never heard anything bad about them...:bigear:

 

It depends on what you consider "healthy" - if you are looking to avoid artificial ingredients, then they are out (just read through their website looking at ingredient labels). They use coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.

[lionfamily1999]

Another reason we were so excited to find this place is the cost! We spent $67 on dinner for 6. But, it lasted for another dinner plus TWO lunches!!! By the second lunch, I had to add some of my own pita and rice. But, still. We can afford to do that often!!!

 

I hope you find something that's reasonable!! Our local independent Italian restaurant is ridiculously priced.

That's the bad part, the food is reasonably priced, it's great food (seafood, chinese, and thai), it's just something we cannot afford to do too often, especially with the kids. The Thai restaurant charges about ten dollars a plate, but the food is delicious! We know the owner of the Chinese restaurant and he's always packing extra bits for the kids (great guy). It just seems like everyone's feeling the pinch and as their prices go up, our income's going down.

It depends on what you consider "healthy" - if you are looking to avoid artificial ingredients, then they are out (just read through their website looking at ingredient labels). They use coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.

Faux food is driving me nuts.

[BikeBookBread]

Our best luck is finding independent, local restaurants. There is a GREAT Chinese restaurant here that uses organic veggies and meat, authentic recipes, and has an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu.

[tabrizia]

We really like Noodles and Company, though they aren't organic.

[Spy Car]

Here is my (very short) list:

 

In n' Out (no preservatives, fresh, real cheese)

 

 

I hate to tell you, but when I've quizzed the folks at In n' Out (twice, at different locations) I've been told the cheese was processed American "cheese-food".

 

Bill

[The Governess]

I hate to tell you, but when I've quizzed the folks at In n' Out (twice, at different locations) I've been told the cheese was processed American "cheese-food".

 

Bill

 

Well, shoot. :glare: That's not cool!!! Although I will say that some American cheese is better than others, and in-n-out's seems closer to regular cheddar than velveeta..... (can you tell I'm having a hard time giving up my cheeseburger? :D)

 

Good to know about Panera though. I like that place.

[MyLittleWonders]

FYI, when we called In 'n' Out, we found out that their cheese has yellow #5, their spread has aritificial coloring (and I think flavoring, but I don't remember for sure - once we hear of one artificial ingredient, the rest do not matter), and their shakes are artificially flavored (vanillin) and colored. So, at least for us, the only "safe" foods there are the hamburger patties, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Oh, and according to Feingold, the oil for their fries are preservative free (though I need to call the company to confirm because Feingold lists their cheese as okay as well).

 

I hate to tell you, but when I've quizzed the folks at In n' Out (twice, at different locations) I've been told the cheese was processed American "cheese-food".

 

Bill

 

Well, shoot. :glare: That's not cool!!! Although I will say that some American cheese is better than others, and in-n-out's seems closer to regular cheddar than velveeta..... (can you tell I'm having a hard time giving up my cheeseburger? :D)

 

Just quoting myself :lol: incase you missed it ... unfortunately there isn't a lot of "safe" selections as In 'n' Out if you are looking for natural.

[Angie in VA]

We're big on Chipotle here. :)

[CalicoKat]

Jason's Deli has a growing range of organic ingredients, and a salad bar that is usually extremely well-stocked (in addition to soups, salads, etc). When I'm looking for "healthy fast food", Jason's Deli and Chipotle are usually the top of my list.

:iagree: Jason's Deli http://www.jasonsdeli.com/

[LibraryLover]

We are not invested in chains at all. We will if we must, but it's not something we support without concern. I find some local places are more invested in fresher foods and often tend to buy locally. We have found local Lebanese, Thai, and Mexican places who can accommodate the vegetarian/non commercial meat a couple of my children prefer. My youngest is having a heck of time finding food here in Orlando she feels good about.

 

I am shocked that the local Whole Foods here had *no* organic fresh produce, not even lettuce, from FL! DD won't eat any factory-farmed meat. This vacation, I've taken her to the Whole Foods cafe so she could have flavor without questionable meat. She had some seitan stir fry tonight, and a fruit smoothie. Yesterday, I bought some grass fed Appleton hot dogs and cooked them up in the condo, Earlier, she some black bean/corn salsa in a tortilla and another another day I made some pasta with olive oil salt & pepper that was good. We are looking forward to the Farmer's Marget Sunday. She is eating a lot of yogurt. We did find some local organic strawberries at Publix the other day. I made a great salad tonight, but everything was from CA, which is a pity because it is salad season in FL right now. It made me sad.

 

It's an absolute pity that Whole Foods in Orlando FL has no local produce. A travesty, really. We've spent some money there lately, and I am disgusted.

Edited March 20, 2010 by LibraryLover

[sweetfeet]

We have some great independant restaurants here, but they're so pricey! The food is worth the money, but it doesn't work if you're in a rush ;)

 

Anyone know about Chik-fil-a? I've never heard anything bad about them...:bigear:

 

My in-laws adore CFA. They purchase their nugget trays for birthday parties and MSG is high up on the ingredients list for their nuggets and strips.

[SonshineLearner]

I'm glad to hear that Chipotle is good. Here, it's across from Baja Fresh.. which I love!! So, I've always looked... but never ventured over to it..

 

:)

[LibraryLover]

Panera bread Company...Their chicken is all natural, they use organic yogurt in their dishes and all natural sausage in their breakfast sandwiches. Although the still have nitrates in their deli meat and their produce isn't organic:glare:

 

Tell me why I should trust Panera at all, because I really want to, but nothing has ever won me over.

Edited March 19, 2010 by LibraryLover

[The Governess]

Just quoting myself :lol: incase you missed it ... unfortunately there isn't a lot of "safe" selections as In 'n' Out if you are looking for natural.

 

Do you think they will agree to melt my own cheese on the patty if I bring it with me? :tongue_smilie:

 

What if I asked for ketchup and pickles instead of spread? Are there artificial colors/flavors in their ketchup?

 

(There *has* to be a way to keep In n Out on the list.) :D

[jonesloonybin]

If you go to the Jason's Deli website, they have a poll going about getting rid of soda that has HFCS and replacing them with soda that has cane sugar in it. Even if you don't have a Jason's near you, this is a good way to get the word out that we don't want HFCS in our foods!!

 

PS. I do not even drink soda, but I still voted.

[LibraryLover]

My in-laws adore CFA. They purchase their nugget trays for birthday parties and MSG is high up on the ingredients list for their nuggets and strips.

 

 

There is nothing healthy about factory farmed chicken.

[The Governess]

Faux food is driving me nuts.

 

:iagree:

[Matryoshka]

We used to have a great restaurant here that was started by the guys who own Stonyfield Farm yogurt, called O'Naturals. Everything local and/or organic, organic milk, natural sodas, even had buffalo on the menu. The whole restaurant itself was actually made from recycled stuff. Sadly, our local one went away because they couldn't afford the rent. :crying: It was a great community place - easy to bump into like-minded people. They ran fund-raisers for nonprofits every Tuesday night. I mourn that place every time I drive by.

 

They're not nationwide, obviously, but I wish they were - actually, just looked at their website to see where they still have restaurants; they are kind of nationwide, just scarce. One in downtown Boston, one in Maine, one in Arizona, and one in... Kansas!

[MyLittleWonders]

Do you think they will agree to melt my own cheese on the patty if I bring it with me? :tongue_smilie:

 

What if I asked for ketchup and pickles instead of spread? Are there artificial colors/flavors in their ketchup?

 

(There *has* to be a way to keep In n Out on the list.) :D

 

That I don't know! We didn't ask about pickles (I've seen some bottles that use artificial coloring to make them more green :glare: ). I think if the ketchup is Heinz, then it should be okay, but it's been a while since I've looked at ketchup ingredients - we get the organic stuff from TJ's.

[LibraryLover]

We had a little cafe here like that and we adored it, but it didn't make it. The food was so fresh & lovely. I tend to pack lunches and refrain from spending the money to buy prepared food when I am home. But this place was a delight. I find it sad that people who can often won't pay the little extra to support good food.

 

It's hard for many to not drive through for a $1 cheeseburger, $1 fries & $1 soda, no matter how quickly it is killing them. For *maybe* $2 more, a working person on their lunch break could have a real lunch. It's sad.

 

 

 

We used to have a great restaurant here that was started by the guys who own Stonyfield Farm yogurt, called O'Naturals. Everything local and/or organic, organic milk, natural sodas, even had buffalo on the menu. The whole restaurant itself was actually made from recycled stuff. Sadly, our local one went away because they couldn't afford the rent. :crying: It was a great community place - easy to bump into like-minded people. They ran fund-raisers for nonprofits every Tuesday night. I mourn that place every time I drive by.

 

They're not nationwide, obviously, but I wish they were - actually, just looked at their website to see where they still have restaurants; they are kind of nationwide, just scarce. One in downtown Boston, one in Maine, one in Arizona, and one in... Kansas!

Edited March 19, 2010 by LibraryLover

[missmoe]

Heinz ketchep has corn syrup in it. We do eat In n Out, but only once in a while, so I don't worry about the stuff we're eating there.

 

I want to second Noodles and Company. We don't have one close by and really miss it.

[Joker]

I don't really know if it's all that healthy but if we're out and need to grab a bite we go to Five Guys. It tastes fresh. It's the only "fast food" place we go when we're out. We can watch them make the food and it tastes sooo good.

[The Governess]

It's an absolute pity that Whole Foods in Orlando FL has no local produce. A travesty, really. We've spent some money there lately, and I am disgusted.

 

That is a pity! What about all of those Florida oranges? Our Whole Foods has a lot of local produce, although I'm never sure how "local" it actually is. :glare:

[The Governess]

We used to have a great restaurant here that was started by the guys who own Stonyfield Farm yogurt, called O'Naturals. Everything local and/or organic, organic milk, natural sodas, even had buffalo on the menu. The whole restaurant itself was actually made from recycled stuff. Sadly, our local one went away because they couldn't afford the rent. :crying: It was a great community place - easy to bump into like-minded people. They ran fund-raisers for nonprofits every Tuesday night. I mourn that place every time I drive by.

 

They're not nationwide, obviously, but I wish they were - actually, just looked at their website to see where they still have restaurants; they are kind of nationwide, just scarce. One in downtown Boston, one in Maine, one in Arizona, and one in... Kansas!

 

That sounds awesome!! I would have been sad to see them go too. :(

[The Governess]

It's hard for many to not drive through for a $1 cheeseburger, $1 fries & $1 soda, no matter how quickly it is killing them. For *maybe* $2 more, a working person on their lunch break could have a real lunch. It's sad.

 

It is sad. And the money they save will surely be spent on health care bills later.

[Tap]

I have to repeat what a lot of poster have already said.

 

Burgerville

Chipotle

Baja Fresh

and a handful of local places.

[Slartibartfast]

Panara's soups have a ton of sodium

 

I love

Jason's Deli

Chiptole (though...the calorie count on those burritos is not good :lol:)

Some local places

[Tree House Academy]

This reminds me of that thread that dictated the proper way to be in labor.

[lionfamily1999]

My in-laws adore CFA. They purchase their nugget trays for birthday parties and MSG is high up on the ingredients list for their nuggets and strips.

My sister does, she has one right down the street from her. CFA (so much better than trying to actually spell their name) is a special treat for us, because they're so far away and we can only go once in a blue moon. I had no idea about the MSG (or that their chickens were badly treated). Now I'm bummed.

 

What about Waffle House?

 

:lol:

This reminds me of that thread that dictated the proper way to be in labor.

I need a link, I did not know there was a proper way to be in labor.

[The Governess]

This reminds me of that thread that dictated the proper way to be in labor.

 

:lol: Yeah, unfortunately this project has not been as successful as I had hoped! I think I'll update my initial list with the few extras that people have suggested - Jason's Deli, Burgerville, O'Naturals, Mad Greens, and possibly Panera.

 

For those who suggested Baja Fresh, what do you know about their ingredients? My dh has refused to eat there ever since they were bought by Wendy's (and still won't even though Wendy's sold the company a few years back).

[Stacy in NJ]

We're big on Chipotle here. :)

 

Chipotle is the best. :001_smile:

[LibraryLover]

That is a pity! What about all of those Florida oranges? Our Whole Foods has a lot of local produce, although I'm never sure how "local" it actually is. :glare:

 

The oranges were from Mexico and CA. :confused: I talked to one of the young men stocking pfresh produce and he said that try to get what they can seasonly. he was very nice and I didn't want to argue with him, but i did gently say that it's at least lettuce season in FL now. But there was not one green leafy item from FL availabe in poduce. None. Zip.

 

There was a line of prepared condiements with a 'local ' lable, which I believe were from Miami. Sauces, petso etc, but they were in jars.

[KnitWit]

We love Jason's Deli.

 

I am surprised to hear about Panera, esp that their chicken is so healthy. The chicken on the panini's reminds me of pressed meat scraps and our local store told us that the panini's are premade, frozen and *heated* at Panera.

[BeckyFL]

We love Jason's Deli.

 

I am surprised to hear about Panera, esp that their chicken is so healthy. The chicken on the panini's reminds me of pressed meat scraps and our local store told us that the panini's are premade, frozen and *heated* at Panera.

 

Well.... I've never look at a Panera sandwich the same way again. Yuck!

[Parrothead]

Anyone know anything about Subway?

[Cheri Warren]

I would say Chipolte grill also, you can see exactly what is going on and it's yummy!