Local Eats: Dish N Dash

25 Jul Local Eats: Dish N Dash

Recently, I dined at Dish N Dash in Cupertino, a local Middle Eastern restaurant. Dish N Dash never disappoints when it comes to curbing hunger while staying healthy. Their menu is filled with fresh, delicious, and nutritionally dense food choices that allow you to stay on track. All their food is made-to-order, rather than being cooked before. This means you can customize your order by protein, flavor style, and sides. 

They take great care to source their ingredients, using all natural chicken, fresh domestic lamb, sustainably harvested salmon and fresh produce. Local and domestic ingredients help ensure that you are getting food that is of the highest nutrition value and freshness. 

You can skip the afternoon coffee and go for a  Fresh Juice or Antioxidant Smoothie to give you that afternoon boost you need. You can also grab a juice or smoothie to supplement another meal or snack, when you are looking for additional nutrition sources or nutrient supplementation. These are great for athletes that are looking for anti-inflammatory foods with minimal preparation. 

I ordered the grilled salmon marinated in a basil tahini dressing over organic freekeh with hummus and salad.  I paired it with a Sweet Beet fresh juice.  I was contemplating the pulled Sumac Chicken and their famous Falafel but went with the salmon and freekeh, that did not disappoint! Pulled Sumac Chicken, falafel and freekeh will be on my next order (I loved, loved, loved the freekeh!)

Eating out at restaurants doesn’t always have to mean making unhealthy choices.

Most people assume that eating out means indulging, and while that can be true sometimes, it doesn’t always have to be the case! If you’re focusing and working hard on following a balanced diet, eating out can be difficult, and for some, may feel like a step backwards in achieving nutrition goals.  You may not know everything that goes into your food and may find it difficult to avoid certain ingredients (particularly saturated fats). The good news is that it’s completely possible to still eat out at restaurants and stick to your healthy eating habits—you just need to know what to look for!

Here are five tricks to help you figure out what you’re getting yourself into!

1. Pick a restaurant that serves a variety of food options. Most restaurants have their menus posted online, and some may even have their nutrition information readily available. You can avoid the temptation of falling off track of your nutrition goals by pre-planning your meal. 

2. Choose lean meat.  Meat has high amounts of protein and fiber, which can help you to feel full and satiated without having to fill up on less nutritious foods. 

3. Vegetables are usually an afterthought or a garnish at restaurants, but you can also ask to double or triple the usual serving to accompany your meal.

4. Look for words that can be clues to whether the foods are nutritionally dense or not. Fried foods are usually cooked with large amounts of oil or butter, both of which are high in saturated fats and low in nutritional value. Words like “pan-fried”, “crispy”, “breaded” or “creamy” might indicate this to you. Words like “grilled”, “broiled” or “steamed” usually indicate the food is cooked with less fat.  Ask about preparation if it isn’t specified and you aren’t sure.
5. Remember that most restaurants are accommodating, so ask them for suggestions or substitutions where necessary!