This is a guest post by Robin DeCicco, a holistic nutritionist who runs the Tenafly and Ramsey based The Power of Food Education. She counsels people on making healthier choices and specializes in changing behaviors to achieve life-long success. Her column “A Holistic Nutritionist’s Take On Local Eateries” features her healthy perspective on local dining options.

[photo source: Fresh U]

I don’t know about you, but when I’m shopping at Garden State Plaza in Paramus and my stomach starts to rumble, I try to ignore my hunger for as long as I can because there is nowhere in the mall to eat that is semi-healthy….. until recently.

Fresh U opened up, which is a quick food joint that offers a healthy selection of snacks, soups, salads, sandwiches and platters. Unlike the other food spots in the mall, when you eat at Fresh U, you won’t have to worry about your blood pressure skyrocketing or your arteries clogging.

Think about all the eateries in the mall that you have stopped in at some point to grab a snack – – most of them aren’t just unhealthy, they’re actually cooking up some of the fattiest and most sugary foods you can imagine.

Has a Cinnabon ever called your name? If so, that’s 880 calories and 59 grams of sugar, which is almost half the amount of calories you should be eating in an entire day!

Grabbing a slice of pizza seems convenient when browsing, but a slice of Sbarro Broccoli and Spinach Pizza holds 720 calories and 28 grams of fat.
The Original Burger at Johnny Rockets contains an insanely high amount of sodium – 1410 milligrams to be exact. Your daily intake should be lower than 2,300 milligrams.

Munching on a Cinnamon Sugar Auntie Anne’s Pretzel will cost you 84 grams of carbohydrates and 29 grams of sugar and this is not exactly a large pretzel.

Dining options in malls are purposefully unhealthy because once you’re inside shopping, you’re not going to leave the mall to eat – and restaurants take advantage of that.

Fresh U serves egg white dishes, lean chicken and turkey sandwiches, vegetarian options and wraps. What makes this place healthier is the quality of ingredients like whole-wheat buns and wraps opposed to white bread, which is higher in sugar and provides no nutritional value.

They also use brown rice instead of white, low-fat cheese when needed and baked sweet potato fries and steamed veggies as sides.

The Chicken Avocado Salad – grilled chicken, guacamole, chickpeas over a bed of veggies – is a popular item, as is the Breakfast Burrito – egg whites, turkey bacon, low-fat cheese and brown rice in a whole-grain wrap.

For a hearty and high-protein meal, they make platters that contain lean protein to give you the long-lasting energy you need to plow through your shopping. The Super Salmon Power Plate – wild salmon, guacamole and spinach – is tasty and the Veggie Burger is perfect for plant-lovers.

Check out the full menu at www.freshu.com and stop in next time you’re in the mall. I promise you will feel healthier after you eat- and you might be able to look for a size smaller when you hit up the next store on your list!

Fresh U Grill + Juice Bar Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ Website