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Take the guesswork out of eating healthy and eating out.

New Orleanians struggle with a particular ultimatum almost daily, especially now that king cake season is upon us: eat good or eat healthy. The city’s rich history and current innovative food culture does not make it easy for everyone to enjoy eating out without having to make some tough decisions — should I keep my cholesterol in check or dig into that delicious plate of fried chicken?

Over her 20 years as a sports and lifestyle registered dietitian, Molly Kimball noticed that her clients also needed guidance when eating out in the real world. “What about living?” she asks, pointing out that eating out isn’t always merciful to those trying to eat better. “Depending on how it’s prepared, fish may not be the better option.”

How do you know, then? Thanks to Eat Fit, a partnership between Kimball, local restaurants, and the Ochsner Health System, eating out and staying healthy doesn’t have to be an either/or conundrum. Over 100 local restaurants, even iconic New Orleans establishments like Muriel’s, offer the Eat Fit seal on their menus, letting patrons know that the dish is made from a strict set of health-focused criteria.

Kimball and her team worked with chefs to develop Eat Fit menu options, sometimes having them hand over famous recipes. Everything from appetizers, entrees, and desserts to cocktails, smoothies, and kid’s dishes were dissected by the Eat Fit team to fit new healthy requirements. Anything with an Eat Fit seal is prepared for anyone wanting to “eat clean, look better, and feel better,” Kimball says.

Thanks to support from the Ochsner Health System, Eat Fit is expanding, not only by region, but also by market, including schools, local grocery stores, bakeries, even the Superdome and the Louis Armstrong International Airport. A free Eat Fit app also gives patrons easier access to better eating with recipes, location finder, and real world shopping lists. 

Released in October 2019, The Eat Fit Cookbook is the latest addition to the Eat Fit universe. It includes more than 125 recipes and content from local restaurants like Commander’s Palace, and educational features on salt swaps, stocking the perfect pantry, kitchen tools, and how to choose the best oil.

The Eat Fit Cookbook offers the same at-home healthy eating found at local restaurants.

Salted Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

We love peanut butter cups. Love-love-love them, like can’t-keep-them-in-the-house love them. So we flipped over these low-carb versions that truly taste like the real thing.

For the Chocolate Coating
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Swerve Confectioners

For the Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 cup no-sugar-added creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa butter, melted
1/4 cup Swerve Confectioners
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

In a muffin pan, place liners into 12 cups. Set aside.

Prepare the Chocolate Coating: Whisk together melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and Swerve in a medium bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture into each muffin liner. Freeze for 5 minutes or until mixture is no longer shiny on top.

Make the Peanut Butter Filling: Whisk together peanut butter, melted cacao butter, Swerve, and sea salt until combined. If it seizes up, microwave for 10 seconds.

Remove muffin pan from freezer and add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture to the frozen chocolate coating. Return pan to freezer for 5–10 minutes.

After mixture has set, remove pan from freezer and add 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining chocolate mixture to each cup, covering the peanut butter layer. Freeze for 5–10 minutes until completely frozen. Store in fridge or freezer in an airtight container.

Makes 12 peanut butter cups. Per Serving (1 Peanut Butter Cup): 240 calories, 24 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat (all plant-based), 240 mg sodium, 13 grams carbohydrate (2 grams net carbs), 3 grams fiber, <1 gram sugar (0 added sugar), 4 grams protein GF, Low Carb, Vegan.

Tim Meyer is the Managing Editor of Nola Boomers.