Taste Of Buffalo 2013: Healthy Option Preview

Don't call me a kill joy. I love the Taste of Buffalo. A lot. It's the first event I put into my calendar when the new year hits and I countdown to all the deliciousness in one place. Besides sampling a bunch of new items each year, I always have a sample of Fat Bob's mac & cheese, used to love getting a Polish Villa pierogi (they are no longer a part of the event) and finding some ice cream from Nick Charlaps (Side note - This is my personal attempt to request the guys at Lake Effect Ice Cream join the fun next year. I'll work your booth, for free if you do!). 

This year though, for the first time, I'm going to attempt to do the Taste of Buffalo a little healthier. I have been doing a great job losing weight over the past month and a half (15 lbs. down and still going), and summer is always tough in Buffalo (or anywhere for that matter) because of festivals, summer picnics, and ice cream. 

It's not going to be easy. I'm not even entirely sure it's doable, but I'm going to try my best. Thanks to Independent Health and their mandatory, "healthy option" for each restaurant, I spent a lot of time investigating the choices and narrowing down some options for the health conscious Buffalonian who wants to enjoy all the fun without feeling left out. Fun fact: Special props to The Taste of Buffalo, as they are the ONLY food festival in the country that has the healthy option requirement! 

PLEASE NOTE: I don't know the fat or calorie content for most of these items. The Taste of Buffalo lists that to qualify as a "healthy option" it needs to have a lower fat, sodium and cholesterol count. I'm not sure how liberal they are with this, or the specific requirements. You can find out more information on the Healthy Options Buffalo website. 

Krystal's Top Five Healthy Finds:

Alex's Place Restaurant: Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers (7 tickets). 

*If you are a seafood lover, the shrimp skewers sound like a great pick for a low calorie option with a lot of flavor. 

Anderson's Frozen Custard: Loganberry Ice (3 tickets)

*According to the Anderson's website, 4.5 ounces of flavored ice is only 92 calories with no fat. Skip the ice cream and try a local flavor instead!

Go Veggies Cafe: Spinach Burger (8 or 4 tickets)

*I haven't checked out this cafe yet, but I'm excited there is another vegetarian option in Buffalo. The spinach burger sounds intriguing, and I'm looking forward to checking it out at the slider size (with only half the bun!)

Lloyd's Taco Truck: Krazy Korn (6 or 4 tickets)

*Vegetable topped with all sorts of yummy deliciousness = yes! (Even if what it's topped in isn't really "healthy", it will be among your favorite items of the day - I guarantee it!)

Manhattans: Purple Popeye Sandwich (7 tickets)

*Their website lists the item as a "crispy breaded eggplant topped with spinach, roasted red peppers, provolone and asiago cheese drizzed with honey dijon mustard." Everything about that sounds delicious, and while probably not the healthiest of the "healthy" items on the list, it's worth a shot! 

Each restaurant has a healthy option and has a heart next to its description. You can find the full restaurant menu list, HERE. 

Remember - you can get "taste" portions of most menu items for 2 tickets - so you can always go a little healthier by getting the smaller sample size of items you really want to try. 

As they say, "everything in moderation". I'm going to do my best and will report back and update this post after the Taste with my reviews on these and other items. 

If weight loss or eating healthy isn't an issue for you this weekend, you need to try the bacon wrapped ribs from R & R Barbecue. They sound, look and smell incredible. 

Cheers, Buffalo! To great food and 30 years strong as one of the nation's largest food festivals!!

Lloyd's Taco Truck - Krazy Korn