Just because you made a New Year’s resolution to eat more sensibly, you don’t have to miss out on fine dining. Melissa Blease won’t be ordering the deep-friend salami and chips.

It’s January – and, inevitably, the nation is attempting to whittle its waistline. But eating out doesn’t have to represent the dieter’s downfall. The key thing to remember is that you’re in charge of how much (or rather, how little) you eat; you’re not obliged to scoff a supersized meal just because it’s been put in front of you, and those who love food but hate waste (and bulging waists!) have no qualms about requesting the now de rigueur doggie bag for uneaten extra portions. Enjoy what you can eat instead of obsessing over what you can’t, and use your common sense (remember that?). Have a healthy snack before you leave the house so you don’t arrive at the restaurant starving (oatcakes with cottage cheese or low-fat hummus are satisfyingly effective). When ordering, choose a baked potato instead of mash or chips, clear soups instead of creamy ones, or consider skipping the main course altogether and opting for two starters instead. Salads may seem like an obvious choice, but beware: mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw, pasta, croutons, cheese, salami and creamy dressings are off the healthy eating menu; combinations based around oven-roasted vegetables, mixed leaves and grilled fish or meat, however, make for a filling, low fat, nutrient-packed treat (especially if you choose a light dressing and ask for it to be served on the side). And remember the golden rule: sip water throughout the meal even if you’re allowing yourself a couple of glasses of wine – it’ll fill you up and slow you down. Ready? Let’s take our healthy eating regime out on the streets.

Japanese joy

Japanese food offers a veritable banquet to health-conscious folk, high in flavour but low in animal fats, dairy and sugar, with many dishes based around fresh (often raw) fish, seafood and vegetables. Noa is the newest stylish kid on the Clifton block, offering an elegant backdrop against which to enjoy a stunning selection of fresh, vibrant fare. Obento, meanwhile, flaunts a vast selection of delights including teppenaki and kare (Japanese curry dishes) alongside the standard sushi and sashimi offerings, all to eat in or take away. In Bath, Yen Sushi was the first restaurant to bring kaiten (conveyor belt selection dining) to the Heritage City, and today this cheerful Far Eastern diner straddles the whole Japanese gamut from sushi and sashimi to cheerful ramen (noodles in soup) via bento (rice) boxes and fascinating side dishes.

NOA JAPANESE 12-13 WATERLOO ST, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 4BT, TEL: 0117 973 2881, WEB: WWW.NOAJAPANESE.CO.UK

OBENTO 69 BALDWIN ST, BRISTOL, BS1 1QZ, TEL: 0117 929 7392, WEB: WWW.OBENTO-BRISTOL.CO.UK

YEN SUSHI 11-12 BARTLETT ST, BATH, BA1 2QZ, TEL: 01225 333313, WEB: WWW.YENSUSHI.CO.UK

Meat-free treats

It is a fact universally acknowledged that cutting down on animal fats can have a beneficial effect on our health, wealth and wellbeing in general. Splurge on imaginative, largely organic meat-free treats at the venerable vegetarian haven that is Bath’s demuths and discover tasty, innovative dishes guaranteed to liven up jaded tastebuds while putting a spring in your step. Similarly, Bristol’s Cafe Maitreya offers imaginative, award-winning organic veggie (and vegan) flavour-laden food in chic but friendly surroundings, while the vegetarian pub grub served up at the Porter in Bath offers fresh, face-free comfort food in abundance. Meat? You simply won’t notice it isn’t there.

DEMUTHS 2 NORTH PARADE PASSAGE, BATH, BA1 1NX, TEL: 01225 446059, WEB: http://www.demuths.co.uk/

CAFÉ MAITREYA 89 ST MARK'S RD, EASTON, BRISTOL, BS5 6HY, TEL: 0117 951 0100, WEB: http://www.cafemaitreya.co.uk/

THE PORTER 2 MILES BUILDINGS, GEORGE ST, BATH, BA1 2QS, TEL: 01225 424104, WEB: WWW.THEPORTER.CO.UK

Mezze merriment

Traditional Lebanese food is based around fresh, healthy ingredients, including lots of vegetables and plenty of grilled fish and meat: an excursion to the longstanding, cosy haven of exotica that is Bristol’s Sands doesn’t mean you have to take a holiday from the diet... but leave those baklawas alone!

SANDS 95 QUEENS RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 1LW, TEL: 0117 973 9734, WEB: http://www.sandsrestaurant.co.uk/

Buffet ballet

Serve yourself from the vibrant buffet at Jimmy Spices – the most recent addition to Bath’s SouthGate shopping complex – and discover a sparklingly fresh selection that belies the standard buffet fare, bringing the authentic flavours of Thailand, China, India, Mexico and Italy together on an array of hotplates and woks, supplemented by bespoke stir-fried dishes cooked to order before your very eyes. Step away from the deep-fried starters (pappadoms, bhajis, pakoras, spring rolls etc), creamy curries, cheese-laden pizzas and, of course, the dessert bar, and head instead for steamed dim sum, chargrilled kebabs, vegetarian curries, baked fish (find it amongst the Italian selection) and fabulous fresh vegetable and fruit combinations at the salad bar.

JIMMY SPICES SOUTHGATE, BATH, BA1 1SS, TEL: 01225 426802, WEB: WWW.JIMMYSPICES.CO.UK 

Steak out

The classic grilled meat/salad combo can be a dieter’s best friend – especially if you let an expert rustle it up for you. Find impeccably sourced, well-hung steaks, chargrilled happy chicken and fabulously fresh fish and seafood combinations at Bath’s Hudson Steakhouse and/or the Bristol and Bath incarnations of the paean to California dining that is the Firehouse Rotisserie. Say no to fries (or share a portion if you really can’t resist) and opt for a sumptuous salad instead, asking the kitchen to hold back on creamy dressings.

HUDSON STEAKHOUSE BAR AND GRILL 14 LONDON ST, BATH, BA1 5BU, TEL: 01225 332323, WEB: WWW.HUDSONBARS.CO.UK

FIREHOUSE ROTISSERIE ANCHOR SQ, BRISTOL, BS1 5DB, TEL: 0117 915 7323; 2 JOHN ST, BATH, BA1 2JL, TEL: 01225 482070, WEB: WWW.FIREHOUSEROTISSERIE.CO.UK
 

Copyright Melissa Blease 2011

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