9 local eateries where heart health is on the menu

There’s a growing movement among some people to “shop local,” in an effort to help boost smaller, independently owned businesses.

The trend includes eating food produced or prepared locally, with followers adopting the catchy moniker of locavores.

It’s not too difficult to eat local while also eating healthy.

Several Greater Cincinnati restaurants offer “heart healthy” options on their menus.

To qualify as a heart healthy option , the item must meet guidelines established by the American Heart Association.

They include:

• meals that are at or below 650 total calories; 
• have no more than 20 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol; 
• and, contain between 800-850 milligrams of sodium

The association’s Heart Healthy Diet is based on consuming about 2,000 calories daily.

Local restaurants of all types, from sandwich shops to more formal dining establishments, offer choices designed to promote cardiac health.

9 local eateries with at least five heart healthy menu items

Aladdin’s Eatery in West Chester offers at least 15 items that meet the heart healthy criteria. They range from the homemade hummus with pita appetizer (200 calories) to rolled pita chicken curry (410 calories) to rolled Aladdin’s lamb (550 calories).

Andy’s Mediterranean Grille in Walnut Hills has a similar menu with Middle Eastern influences. It offers 21 options including salmon served with tabouli and rice (480 calories), baba ghannouj (150 calories) and Macedonian tzatziki salad (170 calories).

Barresi’s Italian Restaurant in Deer Park offers 10 heart healthy choices . They include the Bufala mozzarella caprese appetizer (160 calories), Carpaccio (150 calories) and Barresi's primavera with whole grain pasta and marinara sauce (570 calories).

Brown Dog Café in Blue Ash features fresh takes on traditional seafood and meat dishes. It has 12 heart healthy options . They include scallops over Brussels sprouts and pumpkin with turkey bacon (110 calories), eggplant and spinach cannelloni (300 calories), and flame-roasted red peppers stuffed with goat cheese (170 calories).

Embers in Kenwood offers 11 options . They include peppered sea scallops (331 calories), filet mignon with broccoli (367 calories) and pepper-seared yellowfin tuna prepared sashimi style (269 calories).

Mac’s Pizza Pub in Clifton offers nine choices . Some of them are the vegan gluten-free pizza (260 calories), the pesto primavera pizza (230 calories) and the vegan burger (350 calories).

Tag’s Café in Colerain Township offers five items including one dessert . They include the slender salad (230 calories), tomato dill soup (100 calories) and special brownies (130 calories).

Take 5 Bar & Grill, which has locations in Taylor Creek and Fairfield, has eight heart healthy options . They include the turkey and veggie breakfast skillet (350 calories), spinach salad (220 calories) and the grilled chicken whole wheat wrap (380 calories).

Veg Head in Loveland has nine options . They include the Veg Head sampler plate (520 calories), tofu spread veggie sandwich with cabbage side (410 calories) and lemon ginger chicken salad sandwich (430 calories).

BONUS: These eateries have at least two heart healthy menu options

Giminetti Baking Co. in Walnut Hills  has three healthy sandwiches . They are the sauteed veggie sub (390 calories), the modified turkey sandwich (300 calories) and the ciabatta avocado panini (400 calories).

Café Bella in Mason  has two delicious dishes  for people focused on cardio health. They are pollo agro dulce with green beans, along with pollo agro dulce with asparagus. Both have 520 calories.

Washington Platform Saloon & Restaurant in downtown Cincinnati  offers two items . They are penne Provencal (440 calories) and Cajun grilled snapper (300 calories).

Please share your recommendations for heart-healthy dining in the Tri-State in the comments section!