The Technician’s last nutrition guide featured healthy and delicious foods to try on campus, but sometimes it’s nice to take a stroll on Hillsborough Street for a bite to eat, too.

The items below provide a rough outline for how to eat healthy off campus, but always consult a nutritionist for specific dietary recommendations. 

Mitch’s Tavern

• Vegetarian chili 

According to a food review by The News & Observer, the chili contains almost zero fat because the chefs cook onion and cabbage with the beans to make the base for the chili instead of cooking them all separately with a light sauté as the base.

Bruegger’s Bagels

The unflavored bagels contain only five ingredients with no preservatives (flour, water, malt, yeast and salt). 

• Whole-wheat or sesame-multigrain bagel with lean meats and vegetables on top
• Leonardo da Veggie bagel with fruits on the side.
• Try grabbing a skinny bagel, a healthier option in regard to portion size.

 Jasmin Mediterranean Bistro

Mediterranean food provides a “fresh and healthy” option for your taste buds, according to the restaurant’s website. Oldways, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about healthy dietary habits, also states the Mediterranean diet will help “lengthen your life, improve brain function and aid your weight loss and management efforts.”

• Chicken platter with lentil rice and either the fruit or Greek salad. (If you get the Greek salad, ask for half the dressing and half the feta cheese to reduce fat intake.)
• Veggie Bowl (Go easy on the yogurt-cucumber sauce because most restaurants use a full-fat yogurt versus a lower fat option.)

Chipotle Mexican Grill 

For choosy eaters, Chipotle allows you to select exactly what ingredients you want to put in your burrito, taco, bowl or salad giving you the power to create a variety of combinations suitable to your dietary needs.

• Burrito bowl with chicken, brown rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa and romaine lettuce

Golden Dragon

Golden Dragon lists a number of items on its diet menu, which are all steamed without oil and come with white rice as a side. The meals feature a variety of chicken-, shrimp- and vegetable-based plates to choose from.

Gumby’s Pizza and Wings

If you must eat pizza, try the barbecue pizza or veggie pizza, but remain cautious with the amount of pizza you get. According to Dining and Catering Operations Nutritionist Lisa Eberhart, students should try to avoid “high-fat pizza meats,” such as pepperoni, sausage or chicken tenders. Pokey sticks should also be avoided.

Jersey Mike’s Subs

• Veggie Sub
• Baja Chicken wrap
• Tuna fish sub
• Turkey breast and provolone sub (uses 99 percent fat-free turkey)

Make the sub into a salad to reduce carbs or try the wheat mini version if available.

Cook  Out

Though popular and convenient, Cook Out may not provide the greatest go-to eating locale for students health-wise. When you do eat there, opt for the smallest burger available and add lettuce and tomato instead of mayonnaise and cheese. 

Bojangles’ 

• Garden or Grilled Chicken Salad
• Green beans
• Cajun pinto beans
• Grilled chicken sandwich (Ask for no  mayonnaise)

When grabbing fried chicken, remove the skin to decrease fat and caloric intake, and skip the biscuit because it will only give you empty calories.

“Overall, when eating at fast-food places, especially those without nutrition info, I would opt for damage control,” Eberhart said. 

When available, order grilled meats, whole-wheat breads and unsweetened beverages, and try sharing fries with a friend. 

In general, salads provide great nutritional benefits so long as you don’t add too much dressing, according to Michelle Borges, University Dining nutrition department coordinator. Borges said she recommends balsamic dressing (a combination of balsamic vinegar and olive oil) versus “fattier” dressings that use ingredients such as mayonnaise.

Use caution when ordering soup at restaurants, as they tend to contain high amounts of sodium, Borges said.

Go for less processed sandwiches containing little to no mayonnaise or other fatty sauces, Borges said.

For drinks, have a glass of water with your meal instead of soda. Not only will you save money, but you will also reach the recommended six to eight glasses of water most adults need each day, according to WebMD. Although keep in mind the recommendation for daily amount of water differs from person to person and depends on many factors.