Healthy Cocktails

This is a special bonus edition of "Healthy Eating in Athens". Today's entry is not about a specific restaurant, but it is about something that many Ohio University students are familiar with: drinking alcoholic beverages! More specifically, I am here to offer suggestions on how to make that cocktail in front of you as healthy as possible.

Now, we all know that alcoholic beverages are full of empty calories and can lead to stupid behavior. I am not advocating binge drinking either; these are cocktails for sipping, not chugging.

There are research studies from the U.S. and Thailand that suggest that alcohol actually enhances our body's ability to absorb antioxidants. With that in mind, if you're going to order a fruity cocktail you should know where to find the antioxidants.

According to Readers Digest, pulling from a Tufts University study, the top ten fruits rich in antioxidants are:

1. Prunes
2. Raisins
3. Blueberries
4. Blackberries
5. Strawberries
6. Raspberries
7. Plums
8. Oranges
9. Red grapes
10. Cherries

Not all of these make for a delicious tipple. Can you imagine a prune-tini? But there are some fruits that you can incorporate into your sipping schedule without even trying. Such as strawberries. A strawberry daiquiri is delicious, but it is high in calories. It has about 300 calories without whipped cream.

Everything should be done in moderation, and, with moderation in mind, here are some recipes to test your inner mixologist.

• Blackberry Tom Collins: This recipe from White on Rice Couple uses beautiful pictures to illustrate how easy it is to create a refreshing summer treat. Even if you are not in the mood for a drink, it is worth it to look at the lush photography.
• Blueberry Smash: This is super easy to make, plus you get to smash the heck out of some berries. This drink from The Partyblueprints Blog contains only four ingredients, putting it at everyone's skill level.
• Salted Plum Shochu Cocktail: This is more of a foodie option. If you have the funds, time, and access to to shochu, a grain-based Japanese liquor that is low in calories, it might be just the thing to impress even the most jaded palette.
• Raspberry Tart: The Vintage Kitten offers a healthy dose of 1950s sex appeal with her recipes. This calls for ice cream, so be prepared to take an extra hour on the treadmill if you indulge.

As always, I hope you sip well, have an excellent evening, and, as always, everything in moderation.

Bagel Street Deli

The front door of the Bagel Street Deli

The Bagel Street Deli (BSD) wants you to know that bagels are not just a breakfast food. Stepping over the threshold into this narrow, cramped, brick-walled restaurant, you notice how packed it is. The brick walls have chalk writing all over them and bits of the foil that the sandwiches come wrapped in are shoved in nooks and crannies.

That's enough to get some people in the door, "Look at this place!" says Lisa Rome, a student at Ohio University and frequent BSD patron. "It has so much character, and it is so much fun. I come here all the time."

That statement is echoed throughout the narrow dining room. And, even with Soup Nazi-esque instructions on ordering written on a chalk board, the place has a Cheers quality to it. Well, if cheers had a mind-bogglingly big menu. The printed menu fills up both sides of a standard sheet of printer paper. They mean business here.

They also mean health. For instance manager Meredith Rock clued me in on a secret hiding in plain sight. "We have some massive, fresh, delicious salads that are super cheap," she says, gesturing to the giant sign above the counter.

I never even knew they had salads! But are our vegetarian friends supposed to just eat salads if they want to dine healthfully?

"We have a lot of tofu sandwiches. People never know about that. We also have so many options. You can try one of our vegetarian options or build your own sandwich. We have lite sauces, and we make it fresh."

Fresh seems to be a running theme in Athens. But what is my favorite? Well, the day I came in I ordered the "Seinfeld Secret", a decidedly unhealthy sandwich that I was too ashamed to take a picture of. And don't forget to get there for breakfast. I enjoy the Bobo, a pretzel bread bagel with honey, banana, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. This is just my favorite, there are dozens of other healthy options at BSD to slake your hunger.

Want to dress your bagel up in something delicious? Here are some ideas:

• Make your own!: There is an overachiever in all of us who likes to REALLY start from scratch. This recipe from the Food Network cautions that it is for intermediate cooks only.
• Philly Cheese Steak Bagel: This is hardly healthy, but you can't deny that this recipe from the Budget Gourmet sounds delicious!
• Cheesy Tofu Bagel Sandwich: Sustainability blogger, Sus.Tom.Ability, presents this savory breakfast sandwich as a socially responsible option for those who crave a hearty brunch sandwich.
• Basil-Balsamic Bagel Sandwich: This is another vegetarian-friendly option. Website CDKitchen gives a grown up flair to the bagel sandwich with sun dried tomatoes and feta.
  

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Eat in good health!