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Business & Tech

Eat Out, Eat Healthy

Borough restaurants report plenty of interest in the good-for-you items they are offering as part of the Mayor's Healthy Eating Contest.

 Chatham residents are finding it easier to slim down in style this month.

Borough restaurants have embraced the Mayor's Healthy Eating Contest, which has enlisted participating restaurants to provide menu items that make it easier to stick to a diet while eating out.

Twenty three restaurants are participating in the contest, which is sponsored by the Mayor's Wellness Advisory Board. It began on Jan. 1 and will run through March 31.

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Some restaurants are reporting a good deal of interest in the healthy choices. Others have yet to introduce new menu options, but these eateries point out that they already have items geared toward healthy lifestyles.

Generating awareness for existing healthy options is, in fact, part of the point of the contest, according to Mayor Nelson Vaughan.

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"Most restaurants already have good things on their menu, but you wouldn't necessarily know they are there," he said. "The idea is not to force restaurants to put healthy items on the menu, but rather, to identify those they have."

One of the restaurants' success stories, however, is a new menu entry: a whole wheat crust pizza from Arminio's. The pie has vegetables—including peppers, onions, tomatoes, and broccoli—but has no cheese, and can be made with either pizza sauce or marinara sauce.

Arminio's manager Galal Galal said the restaurant had offered a whole wheat crust pizza before, but with cheese. He said the cheeseless version has proven to be very popular.

"We're getting a lot of requests for this, especially since we've always had people who request a pizza without cheese or without this or that," Galal Galal said.

Arminio's owner Tony Arminio agreed the whole wheat pizza has been a hit, especially, he added, among older customers.

"It's been very positive," he said. "We're bringing in a few people we never saw before because of it."

Arminio noted that the restaurant also offers a whole wheat penne pasta primavera dish—another fine, healthy choice—and salads.

At the Chatham Bakery and Bread Shoppe, owner Lewis Demeter has introduced new gluten free truffles and gluten free and sugar free cheesecake for the contest. The shop also offers gluten free pastries and sugar free pies and turnovers.

"There's been a lot of interest too in peanut free items," Demeter said. "We've found a lot of people are allergic to peanuts. We already do not use peanut oil or paste in any of our products." Demeter noted that sugar free foods are often ideal for those with health issues like diabetes.

Supper is one restaurant that is just now planning its involvement with the contest.

"We haven't done much yet, but we plan this week to kick off promoting it," owner Karen Hayes said. She said Supper will be handing diners a sheet of paper highlighting its healthy offerings.

These now include a grilled chicken topped with bruschetta and served with sautéed spinach and a grilled cilantro lime shrimp on a bed of lettuce. Supper will also include a new healthy special.

"With the new year, this is excellent timing for this kind of thing," Hayes said. "I don't know that it will increase business, but it's nice being a part of healthy eating; there's no negative to it."

At Gregorio's, chef/owner Gregory Farruggio said he will add a new section of lighter, Mediterranean fare to his menu in February. He is planning to have a chicken, seafood, and vegetarian dish and possibly a light pasta with vegetables. Farruggio said Gregorio's currently has a lot of healthy salads on the menu, including a portobello mushroom with baby spinach, red onions, tomatoes, and parmesan shavings in a balsamic vinegarette dressing.

"We also run specials now that fit the bill, like a pan roasted mahi mahi cooked in olive oil," he said. "The specials, though, are dependent on the season. In the spring, for instance, there is a greater selection of vegetables.

"I like this program because a lot of my customers are older and they're watching their health," Farruggio added. "This is a strong clientele for us, and I'd like to keep them healthy."

Customers can take part in the contest by visiting the restaurants and then voting for their favorite healthy food. Voting is by email to mayor@chathamborough.org, and voters can alternatively submit a paper ballot to the Borough Hall mailbox near the building's police entrance. Ballots are available at the restaurants.

Participating restaurants have posted an orange and green "Mayor's Healthy Eating Contest" sign in their windows.

"We realize that these are different restaurants with different dishes, so this is a very informal contest," Mayor Vaughan said. "We'll see what people like; what's the most popular, the most tasty. The point is, everyone will be a winner."

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