We all know a piece of grilled chicken or salmon on a salad with drizzled-on-dressing is healthy, but what about a regular meal? Here are some of my personal picks at some local restaurants in the Florence area:

Red Bone Alley: Bronzed chicken with sautéed veggies.

Starfire Grill: Mediterranean grilled Shrimp with green beans and village salad.

Clay Pot: The menu changes daily and focuses on healthy local foods. Veggie lasagna, fresh fish and chicken tacos are some of my favorites.

Victor’s Bistro: Sesame-seared ahi tuna or filet mignon.

Da Massimo’s: Salmone a la Massimo.

Happy Heart Grill: Veggie burger with a side of veggies or fresh fruit.

The Peddler Steakhouse: Mahi-mahi or filet mignon. Peddler also rates the best salad bar in town, in my opinion.

301 Drive In: Chicken or pork gyros (made with pork tenderloin), with the tzatziki sauce on the side and green beans instead of fries.

Stefano’s: Chicken marinata.

1720 Burger Bar: The turkey burger with lettuce, tomato, mustard and pickle with a side salad.

Bon appetit!!

[fancyheading textcolor=”#50cc31″ heading=”h4″ align=”textleft”]Bonus Tips![/fancyheading]

• Eat something within two hours of getting up in the morning to get your metabolism rate going.
• Eat something every three to five hours throughout the day.
• Stop eating three hours before bedtime.
• Eat between 25-35 grams of fiber per day (most Americans only get 10-15 grams).
• If you have a sweet snack, eat it after a meal instead of before and your cravings for more sweets will be reduced.
• Do not go below 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men.
• Let your base calorie count be your guide when trying to lose weight, not net calories. Many smart phone apps that help count calories will give an amount for net calories that take into account your exercise. Don’t think because you burned off 350 calories with exercise that you can eat an additional 350 calories.