By Samantha Taylor
One of the great things about places like the Village Inn is that they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the day and can serve you whatever you are in the mood for. Let me share with you a particular healthy dish from each category I got during a visit to the location at SR 54 near Collier Parkway.
One of their healthy breakfasts is a delicious Greek Omelet, a mixture of artichokes, fresh tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese tucked inside egg whites, topped with avocado. It is served with yogurt and multigrain pancakes. Now hold your horses, I wouldn’t eat all that goodness in one sitting! Remember the big key — portion control, so take the yogurt to go, eat only half of the omelet and stop after one multigrain pancake.
If you’re in the mood for a salad, enjoy their offering of Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry Salad with stir-fried veggies over a bed of mixed greens. It is a fun twist to just the salad mainstays. But, be sure to ask for grilled chicken instead of the standard fried chicken that comes with it. The dish also has wonton noodles, which I asked to be served on the side so I could control how much goes into the meal.
Also request romaine lettuce instead of iceberg for some extra nutrients. I like this dish, not only because it tastes great, but also because it has more veggies then the average salad. I also didn’t even need a dressing for it because of the tasty Teriyaki sauce.
Village Inn offers a lot of fantastic options. Sandwich lovers may want to try the Avocado Swiss Chicken, with grilled chicken, sautéed onions and green peppers, mushrooms, sliced avocado, tomato and Swiss cheese on a white bun, which you could substitute with the healthier wheat or rye bread. It comes with fries, which you may want to replace with salad or veggies. Again, portion control — eat the salad or veggies, half the sandwich and the other half for takeaway. Practice discipline, my friend.
Village Inn has a “Pick 3” special, which is awesome and budget friendly. You get a cup of soup or salad, half a sandwich of many options (again, ask for the whole wheat bread) and a piece of the fantastic pie that Village Inn is famous for. If you don’t have a sugar addiction and are letting yourself have an occasional treat, take the piece of pie home and save it for another time.
My goal is to teach you balance, instead of putting you on some rigid diet plan. Achieving balance gives you a little room to enjoy — a great motivation in making eating healthier a lifestyle. This way, you can manage your weight, maintain your ideal weight for the rest of your life and still enjoy how you eat.
