NUTRITION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY-MENUS.COM

All menu items featured on healthy-menus.com are first reviewed by our team of nutritionists to assure that meals fit the criteria outlined below.

    All dishes must include one or more of the following:
        •  Lean protein, i.e., fish/seafood, tofu, egg whites, skinless white meat poultry, etc.
        •  Whole grain products
        •  Fruits and/our vegetables
        •  700 calories or less per meal
        •  25 grams of fat or less per meal
        •  8 grams of saturated fat or less per meal

CALORIES
A 2000 calorie diet is what the FDA uses as a reference for nutrition labeling. Our 700 calorie cut off per meal, represents 35% of total calories per day, which still leaves room for two lighter meals and 2 healthy snacks.

FAT
According to the recommendations of the USDA's 20005 Dietary Guidelines, individuals should limit their fat intake to 20 to 35% of total calories per day, assuming a 2000 calorie diet. That means that fat intake for a full meal should between 44 -78g . Healthy-menus fat criteria of 25g or less makes it easy for individuals to stay within the recommended guidelines.

SATURATED FAT
The recommendation for saturated fat, based on a 2000 calorie diet, should be no more than 10% of total calories, according to the USDA's 2005 Dietary Guideline. That would equal a recommended 22g of saturated fat per day. Our menus feature meals with no more than 8 g of saturated fat.

*NOTE*
Most meals featured on healthy menus contain significantly fewer calories and fat grams than the criteria set. It is important to note that the dishes featured on our site are only suggestions of healthier choices available at the participating restaurants. Daily nutrition needs vary from person to person and it is important for each individual to choose those meals that meet their specific needs. Always refer to your physician or dietitian for special instructions.

It is also important to note that the menus featured on healthy-menus DO NOT meet the FDA's criteria for “healthy”, and neither the participating restaurants or healthy-menus.com claim that or meals meet the FDA's criteria. The FDA criteria for considering foods “healthy” includes cholesterol and sodium along with calories, fat and saturated fat, whereas our site only focuses on calories, fat and saturated fat so that our community would have more menu options. If you are interested in cholesterol and sodium content please consult your restaurant or call us directly at 713-534-1400.

Individuals who are monitoring their sodium should note that most of the dishes featured on healthy-menus are higher in sodium.

If you are following certain dietary restrictions it is important to note that some of the dishes featured on our site are higher some nutrients-such as protein, sugar, carbohydrates and some fiber.