We’re all doing the best we can.  We’re trying to eat right, exercise, drink all the water, but at what cost?  JLo looks great and all, but imagine keeping up her diet and workout routine while working a forty hour work week, seeing friends, and keeping up with various Real Housewife franchises?  Can it even be done?  I don’t know, and I don’t care to find out.

Living a full, balanced life is much for fulfilling than being a slave to your quest for abs.  And guys, I know from experience because for a couple years I had one ab and it was really overrated.  Having a social life is important, laughing with friends is self-care, and no one wants to be friends with someone who brings a baggie of cold cod out to dinner.  So what do you do?  You go out to dinner and order something reasonably healthy-ish.  In the interest of social life and BMI harmony, I’m sharing some of my favorite healthy-ish dishes from our favorite Southie restaurants, and there’s not one dumb salad in the bunch.

The Playwright

The Playwright will always hold a special place in my heart because I spent many years there waiting tables and bartending.  Back then I was a young and nubile walking metabolism, so I never had to worry about what I was eating, ah the good old days!  Nowadays I wakeup with a FUPA and heartburn if I add cheese to a salad, so I have to pay a little closer attention.  Two of my PW faves are the Beef Skewers (I could eat the Asian Slaw it’s served with by the pound) and Buddha Bowl (no sprouts, add grilled chicken).

Loco

It’s well documented I love tacos, and they’re really not the diet bombs you may think they are, as long as you stick to healthy ingredients and don’t go over board with the lardaceous accouterments, which is why Loco is a great pick!  Their Steak Skewer appetizer is a personal fave, and you can’t go wrong with their Mushroom Taco and Baha Fish Taco (blackened, not fried).  As an added bonus, Loco if you’re REALLY nice you may be able to get an off-menu skinny coconut margarita, and you better leave a generous tip if you do.

Coppersmith

Who else is excited Coppersmith is sticking around for a while?!  While it’s very easy to go overboard with their menu, my healthy-ish picks of Honey Garlic Salmon, Sweet Chili Shrimp, or Classic 8oz Sirloin won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out!

Capo

You’re probably thinking there’s nothing but giant pasta dishes, aka an automatic five pound weight gain, at Capo, but you’re wrong.  If you can handle fish eyeballs looking at you (I can’t), try the Whole Grilled Branzino.  If you’re like me and prefer the face removed from your food before it gets to your table, there’s Ora King Salmon (with baby cauliflower, how cute) or a Half Roast Chicken.  And if you’re dying for pasta you can always get a half portion, or just get a whole portion because life is short and we’re all on a march towards death.

The Seapoint

Ok, I’m the first to admit I love The Seaport for a not so healthy-ish appetizer, Potato Skins (side note, why is it so hard to find potato skins in this day and age), it’s also a great spot when you’re trying to be “good”.  Steak Tips, Turkey Tips, Pork Tips, Chicken Teriyaki, they have a ton of grilled options!  And maybe if you’re sharing an order of potato skins with your friends they’re not that bad?

Roza Lyons

Roza Lyons might not be the biggest restaurant and kitchen on our list, but they pack a healthy punch!  Baked Eggplant Marina, Lettuce Wraps, Lobster Avocado, Glazed Pork Shank, and Turkey Tips (their Cajun seasoning seriously makes you forget you’re eating to live, not living to eat) are just some of their healthy-ish options.  I know Maureen and I joke about RL being a black hole of booze but they also have great food!

The Broadway

Ok you probably don’t think “healthy eats” when you think The Broadway, but their giant menu has a surprising amount of healthy, not even just healthy-ish, options.  Starters like Hummus, Buffalo Cauliflower, and Bang Bang Broccoli, a whole section of bowls (my pick is the Goddess Bowl add shrimp), and mains like Pan Roasted Haddock and Herb Roast Chicken, there’s seriously something for everyone.