Following a healthy diet is hard enough in a controlled environment, like your own kitchen, but it becomes a bit more challenging when you have to take it "outside." Holding her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters in Nutrition, we knew that Lauren Cassandra, a Certified Health and Fitness Specialist at PTP of Ridgefield, would be up for the challenge of navigating us down a healthy path.
With HamletHub's own Anmarie Galowski at her side, this nutrition conscious and always hungry duo have begun co-writing their new column, "PTP of Ridgefield and HamletHub's Healthy Dining Series." The Challenge is simple: eat at local restaurants, order off the menu, and keep it healthy. Their latest adventure? Bareburger!
BAREBURGER is located at 38 Danbury Rd. (corner of Grove Street) in Ridgefield Ct 203.438.2273
http://38-danbury-road-ridgefield.bareburger.com
There is nothing bare about this restaurant! Bareburger has an extremely large variety of healthy salads, burgers and sandwiches to choose from. The food is organic, GMO free (genetically modified organism) and all meats are grass fed and free range. Bareburger restaurants are built with sustainable and reclaimed material that only makes this eco-friendly dining experience even that much better!!
Style: Hip burger joint that is always hopping.
APPETIZERS
- Assorted Pickles
- Harvest Sweet Potato Fries
Bareburger offers a variety of cold Assorted Pickles as a starter that includes garlic, spicy and butter flavors. Pickles are a great pre-meal snack because they are low in calories and the intense flavors give you a feeling of fullness. There is also a Homemade Red Slaw that accompanies the pickle trio. Red cabbage gets its color from anthocyanin's, which are powerful antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals in the body. Cabbage is also extremely high in vitamin K and vitamin C, and is known to lower cholesterol, and the slaw was light, tangy and mayonnaise free. The Assorted Pickles was a fun first choice as we settled in, compared tastes and found our favorites.
The Harvest Sweet Potato Fries are complex carbohydrates, gluten free, cut on the premises (fresh each day) and fried in peanola oil (a combination of canola and peanut oils). Although peanola oil is considered "safe" for individuals with a peanut allergy, Bareburger also has a separate peanut free fryer – all you have to do is alert them to your allergy!!! Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A (beta-carotene), which is commonly known as a necessary vitamin for proper eye health, and has also been linked to preventing cancer as well as measles. Vitamin A is fat-soluble which means that when it is consumed alongside a healthy fat, the body is able to absorb more of the vitamin and this knowledge might help make an otherwise guilty "fries" decision easier to consume. We each grabbed 5 fries to savor (before putting the remainder out of reach) opting to dip them into the ranch dressing which is primarily made with mustard and fresh herbs. (Curry ketchup and a "special sauce" were also served). This is our way of feeling like we aren't "missing out" and without losing count of how many fries we are actually eating. Believe us, you want to save room for what is to come!!
SALADS
- Toasted Asian
- Poached Poppy Pear
There are eleven delicious salads to choose from but, for the sake of space, we've decided to only highlight two that stood out for their healthy components.
The vegan Toasted Asian Salad is made with bibb head lettuce, broccoli slaw, baby carrots, dried edamame, crushed peanuts, toasted black sesame seeds and served with a sesame ginger vinaigrette (don't forget to ask for it on the side). Bibb lettuce is mild in flavor and a great alternative for those who like romaine. The broccoli slaw is packed with fiber and vitamins K and C, and can help increase our levels of vitamin D. Most people in this geographical area are deficient in vitamin D and are on supplements to increase their levels. It's good to know that when combined with vitamin K and C, vitamin D is absorbed more efficiently! Edamame, a fermented soybean, helps reduce cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, and reduce menopausal symptoms in women. Sesame seeds are packed with copper, which helps reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but is also high in sesamin and sesamolin. These two substances are ligans (a type of fiber), which help lower cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure and increase vitamin E. Sesamin, is also a liver protectant and helps reduce oxidative damage to this important organ! This salad is good alone, but even better when you add a protein on top, and we suggest the quinoa or black bean patty to keep it 100% vegan!
The Poached Poppy Pear Salad is a happy combination of bare greens, goat cheese crumbles, port wine poached pears, toasted almonds and a lemon poppy seed vinaigrette. Bare greens are a combination of seasonal baby greens, so they are always fresh and always changing with what is in season. For healthy eaters who want to keep cheese in their diet, goat cheese is your best bet. Goat cheese is naturally low in fat, which means it does not have to be "processed" into something that it is not. Goat cheese is also lower in lactose than most other cheeses, which makes it easier to digest. Pears are one of Lauren's most recommended favorite fruits, as they are high in fiber and their skin is high in vitamins and nutrients. Studies have consistently proven that pears can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity. Since these pears are soaked in red wine, they also contain resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that aids in heart health! Fiber packed almonds are known for lowering cholesterol and are high in biotin, a vitamin that aids in healthy hair and nails – and who can't use a little help in this department!? A nice piece of grilled chicken on top goes great with this salad!
- Elk Burger
- Turkey Burger
- Quinoa Burger
- Italian Red Pesto Bare Wich
A lot of the fun of a Bareburger experience is the chance at building your own meal from the extensive 6 oz. Patty, Bun, Veggie, Cheese, Bacon and Sauces options.
If you are in the mood for red meat, we highly suggest trying an Elk Burger. Compared to the same size serving of beef, Elk has over 5 extra grams of protein, 8 less grams of fat and half the amount of cholesterol per serving!! With a nutritional profile like this, it deserves to be tasted and given a chance. Elk has a mild smoky taste that adds an exciting layer of flavor to the meat and Lauren suggests topping it with turkey bacon, avocado and having it on a lettuce bun. Whole grain mustard in a great alternative sauce choice to the typical ketchup option, and an excellent way of keeping hidden sugars from your meal.
Lauren often hears her clients bemoan, "I'm tired of chicken every night and I don't eat read meat, so what can I eat?" Turkey!! Turkey makes for a great low fat meal. Turkey is a 90% lean meat, and when compared to chicken it's lower in cholesterol, calories and fat, and higher in calcium and protein! We suggest choosing a Turkey Burger and combining it with sautéed mushrooms and onions from the Veggies options for an immunity boost and as an inflammation reducer. Request it on a whole-wheat flour wrap as your Bun option, and add some stone ground honey mustard from the Sauces options. Before you know it, you've built yourself a healthy and delicious "burger."
If you are a vegetarian, or simply a meat eater looking for something "different," a Quinoa Burger is the way to go. Quinoa is the only grain with the complete amino acid profile as meat! Quinoa is also high in riboflavin (B2), which has been found to reduce the risk of migraines in clinical studies. Because quinoa is a grain, and to avoid the added carbohydrates, we do not recommend having it on a "bun." Instead we suggest putting it on one of Bareburger's many delicious salads such as the Walnut Ginger Apple Salad (sans the bacon) or simply adorned with onion, avocado and tomato in a lettuce wrap, and saving the extra "carbs" for another taste of the sweet potato fries!
Bareburger also offers 5 Bare Wich sandwich choices for those who aren't in the mood for a burger. The Italian Red Pesto Bare Wich sandwich is comprised of grilled chicken, portabella mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, baby spinach, sundried yellow tomatoes, red pepper pesto and is served on a ciabatta panini (a gluten free roll can be substituted). Between the chicken and the portobella mushrooms, this sandwich is filling, even without the bun. However, if you feel the need to have it, Lauren suggests making this an "open faced" dish and eliminating the top part of the roll, reducing about 125 calories. One cup of sundried tomatoes can have up to 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, which makes this a great way of getting in part of your daily requirements of protein and fiber in an intense flavorful way! Sundried tomatoes are also full of potassium, which is essential for healthy muscles and nerve impulses. The iron rich spinach and antioxidant packed red peppers makes this sandwich a vitamin packed meal.
CUBBY MEALS
Bareburger Cubby Meals offer fresh and fun choices for the little ones in your party. Child size (2 oz.) beef, turkey and quinoa burgers, hot dog, panko crusted chicken tenders, cheese ciabatta Panini, as well as baby carrots and apple slices. The uncured beef hot dog is both a nitrate and chemical free alternative for the "picky" eater. Nitrates have been proven to cause stomach cancer, and should be avoided whenever possible, if not always!
OUR VERDICT
Yes, yes yes! Bareburger is a healthy diners haven ... and why you might encounter a little bit of a wait at the door. But don't let that turn you away! The meats are organic, which make them healthier, the veggies are organic which make them tastier, and the ambiance is designed to reduce your carbon imprint, which makes this not just another meal, but an experience! So, come one, come all ... meat eaters, vegetarians, gluten free dieters and vegans alike will all leave feeling satisfied!
Lauren Cassandra, ND, MS, HFS
Personal Training Professionals of Ridgefield
105 Danbury Road
Mention this article and schedule your free 30-minute nutritional consultation at PTP of Ridgefield with Lauren Cassandra, ND, MS, HFS
If you'd like us to come and dine at your restaurant, or if you have a suggestion for where you'd like to see us next, please contact anmarie@hamlethub.com.