Leggero e Gustoso (or, can I really eat at an Italian restaurant and lose weight???)

Most of you already know that I’m kind of obsessed with the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I like the cooking shows, and love the competition shows like Chopped and Iron Chef. It fascinates me how the chefs make completely different dishes with the exact same ingredients. But most of all, I love the shows that highlight favorite foods in restaurants, hotels, and food trucks, like Unique Eats and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Of course, cooking at home is the best way to control the calories and nutrients that you eat. And though I still like to eat nutritiously when I go to a restaurant, I’ve found plenty of great places where you can enjoy amazing food and not have to sacrifice healthy eating in the process.

This week I’m focusing on Brio Tuscan Grille, a chain restaurant that feels like an independent, local eatery. Anyone who has been there knows what I mean. The Italian word “brio” translates to “lively” or “vivacious” in English. Great words to describe Brio’s menu, which breaks preconceived notions, setting itself apart from the typical Italian chain restaurants.

The bread basket is deliciously tempting, so we always tell them NOT to bring it to the table. However, if you must have a little nibble, try the seeded cracker bread in the basket sans butter. It’s light and crispy, and the seasoned seeds make it tasty on its own.

A filling, high protein signature starter is Beef Carpaccio, thin slices of raw beef, served with field greens, capers, mustard aioli and Parmigiano-Reggiano The mustard aioli is light, but still flavorful, pairing well with the light beef and fresh, lightly dressed greens. The plate is HUGE, so plan to share it with your whole table.

All of their salads are generous and flavorful, but the Chopped Salad is a particular favorite of mine. Combining fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese, the salad whets your appetite without filling you with fat and calories. I always order my dressing on the side, but the Italian vinaigrette they serve just lightly coats the greens without soaking them in fat-laden dressing.

The Grilled Shrimp with Orzo is one of my husband’s favorites and it’s cooked in very little sauce or fat. About 5 large shrimp with a bit of spice to the grill rub, sit atop crisp, seasoned grilled asparagus, zucchini, and tomatoes in a lemon vinaigrette. The vegetables are mixed into the orzo, which is enough to be satisfying, but doesn’t leave you stuffed .

The salmon at Brio is probably the best I’ve had anywhere (and I order salmon a lot). It comes with Romano crusted tomatoes, citrus pesto, asparagus and crispy shoestring potatoes. I usually substitute grilled veggies for the crusted tomatoes and shoestring potatoes, and get the citrus pesto on the side. But honestly, the fish is so good by itself and always grilled to the right texture and consistency, that I usually don’t use very much of the light, lemony sauce.

Another favorite that’s a healthy combination of flavors is the Brio Mixed Grille. It’s a very full plate (definitely large enough to share or take home part for a second meal) of lemon rosemary chicken, beef tenderloin and seasoned shrimp skewers, served with roasted vegetable wild rice orzo and citrus tomato pesto. Again, I usually get the tomato pesto on the side. But, since the proteins are all well-seasoned and grilled, they taste great on their own too.

Desserts? I don’t go there. But if you’re the type who needs a little something sweet at the end of your meal, at least Brio offers a variety of petite shot glass desserts.

Brio is one of the best places I know to keep your promise to eat healthfully, but still have the fun of an incredible meal out. So, if you want to treat yourself to a dinner out without feeling guilty about overindulging, give Brio a try!

Keep checking back for more posts about dining out at great restaurants while still sticking to your healthy eating habits!