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by Carly Milne
Healthy Fast Food
It’s a trap we all find ourselves in: Overworked and underfed,
rather than taking a full lunch hour, we rush out to grab
the quickest thing to raise our blood sugar—and often, it
arrives in greasy paper with questionable caloric content.
But thanks to four L.A.-area eateries, not only can we have
our health, we can eat it, too—fast and fresh.
With its debut
location in Culver City, Tender Greens has since branched
out, bringing its dedication to healthy fast food to West
Hollywood. Tender Greens gets all its fruits and vegetables
from local growers and looks for naturally raised meats and
line-caught fish to complement them. Spending your lunchtime
at Tender Greens—no matter how short—means lining up cafeteria-style
to order an incredible salad, sandwich or hot plate, then
watching it get assembled right in front of your eyes.
Meanwhile,
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Beverly Hills takes salad and
turns it on its ear. Categorizing its menu items under the
headings of “The Obvious” and “The Not So Obvious,” Greenleaf
manages to create lunchtime offerings that are both tasty
and unique, using local, organic and seasonal ingredients,
as well as free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free poultry
and beef. But salads aren’t the only game they play. Greenleaf
also has a fabulous selection of panini for those looking
for heartier fare, or you have a build-your-own option.
Chipotle
has numerous locations around the nation, but one of its
most popular is spitting distance from the Grove and the
Farmers Market. And while you wouldn’t expect a burrito place
to dedicate itself to healthy eats, Chipotle isn’t like all
the others. In fact, the company has mandated its healthy
vision as Food With Integrity, serving only the best fresh,
sustainable ingredients. In 2002, Chipotle became the first
national restaurant chain to serve naturally raised pork,
and swiftly followed with chicken and beef, then expanded
their vision to serve cheese and sour cream from cows that
are free of synthetic hormones. So next time you belly up
for a burrito, taco or burrito bowl with a side of salsa,
know that you’re actually eating the best of the best.
And
last but certainly not least, Panera Bread has the distinction
of being named the healthiest restaurant chain by Health
magazine, courtesy of a survey it did of 100 of the largest
fast-food chains. Panera offers customers the chance to pick
from two different kinds of whole-grain breads for sandwiches,
and opt for an apple instead of chips as a side (although
one can get baked chips as a healthier alternative to fried).
Panera also has half-size soups, salads and sandwiches for
those looking to control their portions. For those who prefer
childhood classics, the PB & J has all-natural peanut
butter, and the grilled cheese features organic cheese.
No
matter what your schedule is like, you can always make time
for healthy fast food. Besides, it does a body much better
than the usual drive-through fare.
The Details
Tender Greens
8759 Santa Monica Blvd.
tendergreensfood.com
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop
9671 Wilshire Blvd.
greenleafchopshop.com
Chipotle
(numerous locations around L.A.)
110 S. Fairfax Ave.
chipotle.com
Panera Bread
(numerous locations around L.A.)
501 Wilshire Blvd.
panerabread.com
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