Katie scours the Philly lunch-hour scene to find the best salads, sandwiches, soups and more to grab when you're in a hurry.
 The ingredient options at Sweetgreen are endless. // Photo via Facebook Imagine this: You’re crazed at work, famished at 2 p.m. (which is the first time you’ve had a chance to even think about eating since breakfast) and although a sausage sandwich from the food cart on the corner is easy, you know you’ll pay for that later. Sound familiar?
Yeah, we’ve all been there. Luck for you, Philly’s practically bursting with healthy grab-and-go options that offer satisfying meals to give you the energy you need to tackle the rest of the day. Here are my picks for quick lunches around town because let’s face it—a salad with balsamic dressing everyday isn’t going to cut it.
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How the chef of a French restaurant stays lean. Hint: it's all about moderation.
 Chef Peter Woolsey in the kitchen // Photo via Facebook When you think about French cuisine, what immediately comes to mind? Butter? Cream? Cheese? Those decadent ingredients are ones that most health-conscious people try to avoid. So then why are the French healthier than most Americans? One word: moderation.
Chef Peter Woolsey of Bistrot La Minette agrees. He and his wife (a vegetarian) are very health conscious, so I was eager to learn about what a healthy lifestyle means for them and how he stays healthy in the kitchen. Read on for his answers.
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We chat with a (very busy!) chef about how she stays healthy and active, and what she most likes to eat from her restaurant kitchens.
 Marcie Turney // Photograph via Barbuzzo Have you visited 13th and Sansom lately—the block chef Marcie Turney calls home? She and her partner Valerie Safran practically own the neighborhood, with shops and restaurants up and down the block. Examples: Lolita, Barbuzzo (previous Cheat Sheet here), Grocery, Verde, and their newest gem, Jamonera. With so much going on (how does she do it?), we wanted to know how Marcie finds time for herself and what healthy means in her crazy-busy world. Lucky us, she threw a few recipes our way , too! Read on for more.
Complete this sentence: “When I was 16 healthy meant … “
You did the latest gimmicks or diet. Well, that was 1986, so for me it was probably more about excelling at sports. I was on the field hockey, basketball and softball teams at my high school. But my mother, who always struggled with her weight, was eating Lean Cuisine, drinking TAB cola and working out with Richard Simmons.
“To stay in shape I … “
Just got a personal trainer at 12th Street Gym. Like many other people, it’s easy for me to let work rule my daily routine; I don’t work out unless I treat it like an appointment.
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Our writer let go of her inhibitions to try a (very intimate) pool massage.
My first experience with Watsu was a few years ago at a spa in Sedona, Arizona. While planning my spa vacation I asked a staff member to recommend a “must-try” service; her pick was a Watsu treatment.
A what?
She explained that Watsu is a water massage performed in a non-chlorinated pool warmed to body temperature. The fairly vague description left me curious and anxious, but I figured, why not? I’m always up for trying new things and thought perhaps the treatment could be something life-changing—or, at least, funny story to share with my friends at home.
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You don't have to stick to the salad menu if you're watching your weight. Here, eight dietician-approved dishes from Philly's top restaurants show you can have your cake (well, scallops and burgers) and eat it, too.
Photography by Jason Varney. Use the tools in the bottom right corner to enlarge the image.
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Eating vegan doesn't mean downing tasteless tofu and carrot sticks every single day. Chef Rich Landau of Philly's best vegan restaurant, Vedge, is out to prove it.
 Rich Landau with wife/co-owner Kate Jacoby It’s rare to find someone who truly practices what they preach, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Vedge’s Rich Landau is one of those people. If you’re not familiar with Vedge, it’s an amazing vegan restaurant (we’re talking not a single animal product, people) that has caused a significant amount on buzz here in the city. The food is nothing short of amazing and people are loving it, whether they are strict vegans or die-hard carnivores. I recently dined at Vedge, and my friend and I agreed that we didn’t miss the meat, cheese, cream sauces, etc., and left feeling more than satisfied. If Rich and his team cooked for me everyday, I could happily be vegan!
I wanted to find out more about this meat-free chef to see what he eats at home, how he stays fit, and what ingredients he likes to cook with most. Here’s what he had to say.
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You'll never guess what herb Aimee Olexy thinks she's most like. (Hint: It ain't basil.)
 Aimee Olexy // Photograph courtesy of Starr Restaurants I’ve always been a fan of Aimee Olexy’s take on fresh, farm-to-table fare. I recently enjoyed an intimate evening and fabulous meal outside of her newest venture, Talula’s Garden (the garden is nothing short of magical, by the way), and had the chance to hear more about her take on healthy eating, moderation and, of course, cheese! Yes, cheese can be included in a healthy diet; most foods can. The key? Use fresh, local ingredients that speak for themselves and need very little else to please your palate. That’s what Amy is all about.
Finish this sentence: “When I was 16, healthy meant …”
Running and enjoying the sun!
Are you more “sweet” or “savory,” and what’s your go-to guilty pleasure?
I am a savory, leaning towards a salty. I love my cheese and protein! I crave scrambled eggs with gooey cheese and a glass of champagne.
Another one: “To stay in shape I …”
Drink tons of green tea and water, and get off my ass as much as I can.
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And what you can learn from their eating habits.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been glued to the TV night after night cheering on team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics. As a gymnast for over 18 years, I have always lived an athletic life, which gives me a lot of perspective on the amount of dedication, determination and hard work these athletes put into their sports. As a dietitian, I can also speak to the importance of nutrition for optimizing performance.
Sure, most athletes—even Olympians—indulge from time to time, but you may be surprised to know that some really simple foods provide pretty amazing performance benefits. Here’s a peek at some of the foods our Olympic athletes nosh on day after day. As you’ll see, most provide more than just calories, fat and protein.
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We get the lowdown on chef Mitch Prensky's favorite cookbooks, kitchen tools, and more.
 Supper chef Mitch Prensky // Photograph by Jason Varney Chef Mitch Prensky is well known for his farm-to-table fare and unique use of ingredients at his South Street restaurant, Supper, so we stopped by to ask him a few questions about his day to day life and how healthy eating fits into the mix.
What is your typical breakfast?
I go for a healthy option every morning. I prefer black coffee, a toasted English muffin with jelly, and then I make a bowl of low-fat vanilla yogurt with blueberries and granola.
How many cookbooks do you own? What’s your favorite healthy cookbook?
I own over 300, but I have two favorite healthy cookbooks. One is the classic Moosewood Cookbook. It was impossible to escape this book when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. I also really like the French Culinary Institute’s Salute to Healthy Cooking featuring all of my former chef-bosses cooking lighter versions of their French classics.
What’s the best healthy recipe you have ever created?
At our catering company, The Global Dish, we pride ourselves on creating custom menus for each client’s event. As a result, I’ve been tasked with creating many low-fat/spa/vegan/all-vegetable menus. One of my favorites was an all-vegetable tasting that featured an awesome corn dish with radish, cilantro, tofu and lime. Great flavors!
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We're mixing up the Cheat Sheet format to find out how Philly chefs stay healthy in the kitchen.
 We asked chef Jeff Michaud, an owner of Alla Spina, Amis and Osteria—he’s also the executive chef at the latter—to fill us in on his healthy habits. Fun fact: He boxes to stay fit. And his food choices? They aren’t so bad, either.
What’s your typical dinner?
My wife, Claudia, makes a great chicken Milanese.
Favorite healthy option?
If I was eating healthy it would have to be a nice piece of grilled fish—I love striped bass on the grill—with a salad.
If you had to cook with one whole grain what would you choose and why?
Farro (the Italian word for emmer wheat, an ancient type of wheat) because it is so versatile. You can make risotto with it, soups or even cold salads.
- Cooking tip: To cook farro, combine 1 part farro with 2 parts liquid. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until grain is tender.
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