Healthy Routes - A New Name for Healthy Eating and Drinking

To say that I'm a health freak would be such an understatement. I work out nearly thrice a week these days under the supervision of a personal trainer and even try to follow a strict fitness regime. But still there are days when I overindulge, consuming more food or drinks than I should, to the point of extravagance or waste. I don't intend to make a pig of myself this year, so I'll choose my food options very carefully and selectively.

Luckily a friend of mine recommended a newly opened restaurant right in the heart of the city that promotes both healthy eating and drinking. Located in a quaint corner of Connaught Place in New Delhi is a restaurant that aptly calls itself Healthy Routes.

Contrary to popular belief, healthy meals can actually be delicious too. At Healthy Routes, you can expect a wide variety of popular food options like burgers, pizzas, wraps, shakes, and desserts, with the only exception that they are low-fat and healthy.

Healthy Routes

Junk and Healthy? 

A lot of us assume that junk food is not necessarily good for health. Not if you're at Healthy Routes!

These folks are literally changing the paradigm by baking their own gluten-free, fresh wheat breads. Not only that, they use 100% extra virgin olive oil in the kitchen. The food contains no preservatives, and none of the food is fried.

Healthy Routes Menu

So What Works

To begin with, we were served various types of appetizers like the Grilled Fish. Basa fish skewers grilled and topped with lemon juice and seasonings.

[My rating: 3 out of 5]

Grilled Fish

The pizzas at Healthy Routes are quite unique and thin. I like the fact that they've used whole wheat bread for designing the crust and green mint sauce as the topping.

Non-vegetarians should go for the Chicken Tikka Pizza, which is essentially made of whole wheat flat bread topped with vegetables and chicken tikka, garnished with coriander and cheese.

[My rating: 4 out of 5]

Chicken Tikka Pizza

If you're a hardcore vegetarian, try the Garden Veg Pizza. Made of whole wheat flat bread topped with vegetables and cheese, this one is worth dying for.

[My rating: 4.5 out of 5]

Garden Veg Pizza

Among the salad options, I found the Chicken Tikka Salad to be quite spicy for my palate. This salad is a unique combination of chicken tikka, spinach, crunchy iceberg, onions, and tomatoes, topped with green mint dressings.

[My rating: 2.5 out of 5]

Chicken Tikka Salad

Vegetarians should go for the Cous Cous Salad, which is a perfect combination of lettuce, lollo roso, crunchy iceberg, and black olives, topped with cous cous and mustard vinaigrette dressing.

[My rating: 3 out of 5]

Cous Cous Salad

Soups were the real surprise element at Healthy Routes, especially the Mushroom Cappuccino Soup, which is a clear, creamy soup with two types of mushrooms - button and shiitake - topped with seasoning.

[My rating: 3 out of 5]

Mushroom Cappuccino Soup

I ordered the IsoPure Isolate Protein Shake, which frankly was a terrible letdown. The shake wasn't as thick as I'd imagined but the strawberry-banana flavor was just right.

[My rating: 2 out of 5]

IsoPure Isolate Protein Shake

The biggest revelation at Healthy Routes was the dimsum, veg dimsum in particular. Whole wheat flour sheet stuffed with chopped vegetables and served with hot garlic sauce. The best dimsums I've tasted in a long time.

[My rating: 5 out of 5]

Dimsums

I preferred the Chicken Eggs over Vegetable Eggs. Boiled egg whites topped with chicken chaat/ vegetable chaat garnished with coriander.

[My rating: 3.5 out of 5 (for Chicken Eggs); 3 out of 5 (for Vegetable Eggs)]

Chicken Eggs

Among the array of health juices, my least favorite was the Daily Detox, which is a haphazard blend of apple, beetroot, aloe vera, carrot, and mint leaves.

[My rating: 1.5 out of 5]

Daily Detox (Right side)

If you're a sucker for Smoothies, you can't afford to miss the Watermelon Re-hydrator. You have an option of skimmed milk or yoghurt base with this smoothie.

[My rating: 3.5 out of 5]

Alternatively you could even go for the Berry Blast.

[My rating: 3 out of 5]

I found the Peri Peri Chicken to be extremely spicy. The grilled chicken breast was served with veggies and brown rice, topped with Peri Peri sauce.

[My rating: 3.5 out of 5]

When it comes to desserts, go for the Dark Chocolate Mousse - dark chocolate with low-fat hung curd.

[My rating: 4.5 out of 5]

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Finally, you cannot leave Healthy Routes without savoring the awesome Banoffee Pie. Sliced banana topped with yogurt and honey, served on a shell of crumbled biscuit.

[My rating: 5 out of 5]

Banoffee Pie

What Doesn't Work

The space is a bit cramped. If you're going in large numbers, seating can be an issue. Also, they do not have a restroom for customers, which is really annoying.

They do have a provision to place order online via www.healthyroutes.in. You can also call their customer care number i.e. 9250065555.

Conventional wisdom is that abs are made in the kitchen with 70% diet and 30% workout. Since your body is a true reflection of your lifestyle, I insist that you choose healthy as a way of living and Healthy Routes as a catalyst to achieve your fitness goals.