Calorie killers

Young health-conscious entrepreneurs have set up restaurants in Kolkata that serve healthy food to those who count their calories.
Calorie killers

Eating out is almost a ritual for working professionals. Most of them prefer eating at fancy restaurants with family and friends to de-stress over weekends. But lifestyle diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, have made the sedentary young population sit up and take stock of their health. They are exercising to keep fit and counting each calorie they consume.


To cash in on this growing demand for healthy eating, some young health-conscious entrepreneurs have set up restaurants in Kolkata that don’t compromise on health.


The dilemma of her clients when it comes to eating out led dietician Hena Nafis open Eat Good Food. “We realised there are more people who go for health food options and not compromise on calories when eating out,” says Nafis.


The menu at Eat Good Food has three categories—high protein, sugar balance and low calorie. “Our prices aren’t very high. We are not looking at high profit margins initially. I aim at keeping healthy eating affordable. One should be able to enjoy a guilt-free treat,” she explains. 


The USP is small portions with high nutrition value. From pasta to pizza, everything is made of whole wheat grain, and refined flour is a complete no-no. A cheese cake’s upper crust is made of nuts, a thin crust pizza is made of wheat with less cheese and butter, and more olive oil. “We serve healthy Italian pizzas, not the American version,” Nafis adds. The bread in burgers is replaced with lettuce. The low-calorie section has soups, pasta or rice noodle salads. Every item on the menu states its calorie count.


Protein Bistro, off Triangular Park in south Kolkata, offers protein-rich options for fitness freaks. Co-owner Swati Poddar, a mother of two and a marathon runner who trains with weights, says, “From breakfast to dinner, we have hordes of options rich in protein to replenish and build muscles after a workout. We use honey in tea and coffee and all our wraps are made of wheat.” 


Chef Rahul Arora, who was with the ITC Hotels before opening Cafe Pranah, is a yoga addict. His battle with weight loss inspired him to promote healthy, tasty eating. He doesn’t fry anything, or serve cheese. All their dressings are homemade and include a dozen options from sweet mango chilli to onion jalapeno to yoghurt pepper ginger. 


Their chaat menu and papri are made of oats and atta. Nachos and burgers are made with multigrain wheat. Smoothies have no artificial colour or essence. “Our Swiggy orders have shot up as the foods we serve are not boring,” says Arora.


Mystic Yoga Cafe is another healthy eating outlet. “I love eating out, but struggled to find something without worrying about the harmful effects. So we decided to open a space where people will eat wholesome, tasty foods that are completely safe and hygienic,” says Sudhir Maheshwari, co-founder of Mystic Yoga Cafe, at Triangular Park in South Kolkata, which also has big space for practising yoga. 


All the ingredients used here are organic. They are planning to open another branch at Salt Lake. The menu has pure desi options like poha, idli and roti made of bajra, ragi and jowar and lassi with rabri. Cow milk, organic ghee and jaggery are used for cooking.

There is also a mix of continental offerings like oats porridge, whole wheat pancakes, pastas and salads. The breakfast consists of homemade granola, green smoothie, scrambled cottage cheese, fruits and green tea.

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