Don’t take eating out out of your life just because you’re trying to eat healthier! While Enrico's always prepares their food from scratch with the highest quality, fresh ingredients, we know that a heaping plate of Fettuccini Alfredo is not for every diner.

That’s why Enrico recommends that guests looking to make healthier choices consider these tips:

• Order items that are broiled, grilled, steamed or sautéed in olive oil.
• Plan to take half your meal home.
• Choose the vegetable of the day as your side.
• Take a pass on the bread and cream-based sauces.
• Depending on your personal nutritional needs, order entrees that have higher lean protein (fish, chicken, pork), lower fat (lean proteins and veggies) or more complex carbohydrate components (veggies, whole grain pastas).

And that’s easy to do at Enrico’s. Chef Frank and our kitchen staff regularly prepare a wide variety of dishes that are not only delicious but heart healthy. Plus, we’re putting whole wheat angel hair pasta back on the menu for the remainder of March. If the response is positive like we expect, it will stay on the menu permanently. Made with whole grains, the fiber and nutritional content is higher than regular white pasta.

Fit Food options at Enrico’s includes such entrees as:

• Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta with Grilled Chicken…a grilled chicken breast topped with fresh basil comes with a half order of whole wheat angel hair pasta served in an all vegetable-based, lower fat herb marinara sauce. Served with soup or salad and bread for $13.95.

• Chicken Florence…high protein, low fat chicken breast pairs with mushrooms (a new “super food” and mozzarella cheese, served over spinach (another “super food”). Concerned about cholesterol? Ask for no cheese or just a light sprinkling. Still delicious!

• Spaghetti in Olive Oil with Grilled Chicken…high protein, low fat chicken strips sautéed with spaghetti, tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh basil in olive oil. Substitute whole wheat pasta for white and you’ve got one power-packed entrée.

• Shrimp Toscana…the seafood version of the above entrée made with tender Gulf shrimp. Choose whole wheat pasta instead of white. Incredible!

• Tilapia Salad…this visually appealing dish made its debut on our menu as a heart healthy special in January. It’s been appearing as a Seafood Friday special and will soon become a regular addition to the menu. Herb-seasoned, pan-seared tilapia served over mixed field greens and cannellini beans, tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Great combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and vitamin-packed greens!

Bon appetito

~Enrico