Heart-Healthy Dining

[Al the Pal]

My husband had a mild heart attack earlier this week. he is doing fine and is already talking about going out to eat etc. (I don't plan on going out right away no matter what he says...) Does anyone have any suggestions for restaurants in Northern Virginia or DC that offer a number of heart healthy options. (I have to admit I am only now learning what that means!) I guess you can order healthy almost everywhere if you try, but I was interested in places with more than one healthy item. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[goodeats]

I'm sorry to hear that and glad to hear he is on the mend already.

A few places come to mind (links to DR threads) in Virginia:

Food Matters (Alexandria, selected items);

Nourish Market (FC, which you already know about);

Sunflower Vegetarian (Vienna & FC/Seven Corners).

In DC, right now, the only that comes to mind is the Wellness Cafe in Capitol Hill. Maybe Java Green?

Unless I'm wrong and getting confused on what exactly are considered heart healthy items.

[ktmoomau]

I really like both Passionfish in Reston and Blacksalt for the ability to order really healthy fish that tastes great and is healthy. for those especially careful you can get most of their fish selections simply grilled. Blacksalt looks like it has a lot of options, actually.

I have also been able to eat pretty healthy at Zaytinya.

Oh and Overwood might be a good pick too.

[leleboo]

This isn't at all what you asked, but if you want any advice or help in *cooking* heart-healthy, drop me a PM. (Disclosure: not a chef, but in the cardiology field and working on a 20-year track-record of adapting recipes for cardiovascular disease patients.)

[lekkerwijn]

Heart Healthy- focus on an overall healthier diet based on common sense. Generally avoid fried foods or fatty foods. Increase fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes. Focus on leaner cuts of meat and poultry as well as fattier fish species from cold water. Herbs and spices and olive are good ways to add flavor without adding saturated fat or lots of salt. Smaller portion sizes and less frequent consumption allow indulgent choices to fit into this type of diet. You should focus on what is called a DASH or Mediterranean-style diet and "Therapeutic LIfestyle Change" (TLC). Basically this refers to the type of diet described above, increased physical activity, weight loss, stress management and smoking cessation. When I was a practicing RD I used to refer people to the American Heart Association website which has great resources on this topic.

Any restaurant that can make you a nice grilled/broiled piece of fish with vegetable based side dishes would be a good choice. Watch out for sauces that are often "hidden" sources of saturated fat and sodium. Heart healthy diets don't mean a restaurant free life. Ask questions about the menu and how things are prepared. Just be judicious and reasonable in your choices.

[Al the Pal]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and the information. At the hospital they served him some beef dish for lunch (and his doctor was not thrilled about.it ) My husband pointed to the beef and said "see, we can go to Rays the Steaks later this week!" I'm not sure a sherry crab bisque and nice steak is what he needs right now (although I'm sure its what he is dreaming of!!!!)

thanks again for the help!!!!!

[ktmoomau]

Al the Pal-

Definitely remember to allow him a small splurge now and then. Not Ray's this week or anything, but my Father had heart problems for a long time, but absolutely loved steak and sausage. He grew up eating country food so it was a hard change for him. So he got some of those things every now and then so he didn't go nuts- normally he saved it for dinners out with friends so he didn't have to worry or be too picky when invited out by others- but he would choose leaner cuts and make sure it wasn't cooked with/in butter (well my stepmother would) and really watched portion sizes (which luckily was easy for him as he never ate huge portions and always gave his kids lots of bites from his plate). But overall he ate much more healthy than before. He loved chocolate, but lowered his consumption and switched to dark chocolates. He loved ice cream, but found fruit smoothies made with yogurt a nice alternative. My stepmother got really creative with her cooking so he didn't feel so upset by it all. He was so willful that if you didn't let him have something now and then he would have snuck it, so it was best to incorporate it into his diet in a more acceptable way. He also got more daily exercise by taking long evening walks.

I remember taking him to Wegmans on a Saturday (he had never been to one before- it took us 4 hours to get through it) and he just loved the free samples of cheese and chocolate. He was in hog heaven that day even though they were only small bites.

[sandynva]

what about rock creek restaurant? they say they're aiming to provide a healthy dining experience and you can view the nutritional stats of their offerings online

http://www.rockcreekrestaurant.com/index2.html

a colleague also raves about the simple grilled fish she gets at zaytinya--apparently its not on the menu (but it used to be) but if you ask they'll grill a whole fish for you and she loves it. South indian food may also be a good bet, if you stay away from the coconutty or fried stuff.

[Al the Pal]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. We will definitely try some. Tonight we went with a friend to Pizzeria Orso. Yes, I know pizza does not sound like the perfect post heart attack food and no I am not trying to do him in!!! He had a marinara pizza without cheese but with mushrooms on top. I tasted it, and It was great! IMO, the crust tastes even better without the mozzarella (the crust is crispier.) This isn't something he would eat all the time but he seemed really happy to get out of the house and to have something tasty for dinner.