Best Ways to Find Healthy Restaurant and Dining Options

Most of today’s restaurant chains and independent restaurants span the globe for fresh, unique, and sometimes eclectic fare. With thousands of convenience and fast food venues, nutrition and healthy-eating choices are often overruled for the priorities of taste and hunger. Still, there are plenty of options for both the carb-conscious and ‘no-restraint’ eaters. As Americans continue their patronage to their favorite eating places, the increasing need to trim waistlines and maintain a healthy balance can be difficult. Many establishments do offer nutritional information, often as part of their marketing campaign, but there are still many details and ingredient lists that have been overlooked. This is where some pre-planning may be required, and today’s online resources offer more than ever before.

HealthyDiningFinder.com recently launched an online concept that can help the weight-sensitive and health-conscious restaurant consumer in many ways. Prior to its introduction, many calorie counters and Weight Watchers enthusiasts had to rely on their subscription’s program data, downloading information onto a PDA, or using an assortment of nutrition calculators. HealthyDiningFinder.com offers a new outlet to find nutrition and food analysis information. The comprehensive site boasts over 10,000 menu items with a complete nutritional analysis. The site’s information has been compiled in part by the National Restaurant Association. Restaurants who contact the organizations directly can submit the most popular items for a complete analysis. The site itself is very user-friendly; simply enter your city, state, or zip code and indicate cuisine of choice and other options to identify your best picks. HealthyDiningFinder.com is a work in progress, but will provide a cohesive and user-friendly arrangement of facts and figures.

Dietpower.com is a powerful tool to locate familiar chains and link directly to the nutrition calculators on each brand’s website. The site also sells a complete software package for serious dieters to take control and monitor and log food intake. The CD is offered for sale, and users can join diet forums, access articles, and subscribe to newsletters.

Chowbaby.com offers a complete directory of restaurants, but also lists links to hundreds of fast food chains for nutritional information. From Cold Stone Creamery to Starbucks, the site gives current and complete information for entire menus. If you’re on the road more often than not, a physical edition of the information can be purchased for $8.95 as a handy reference guide.

No matter what diet goals there are, the Internet offers plenty of options online to find information to stay on track, or even begin to take account of eating habits! Americans spend a significant amount of money (and calories!) in the world of fast food and restaurants. Tools and calculators that offer complete nutrition information can provide perspective and options for both active and potential health-conscious eaters.