What do you do if you are a restaurateur and also a fitness buff? For Ranjaha Singhal, it just meant planning a menu for her restaurants On The Go and That’s Y Food, where runners, walkers, swimmers, gymmers could have a meal AND keep a close watch on the calories they consumed. “It is a big problem for me if I have to eat out,” says Ranjana. “I am always counting calories and the result is a bland, boring meal. Or, I may order a cup of coffee thinking it is only one cup, but there are three spoons of sugar in it! How nice it would be if I could have a ready reckoner about the calorie intake.” Since more people are becoming mindful about what they eat, yet want to continue eating out, “we are giving you that option,” she says.
My friend chooses “Much Room for Mushroom”. It has two pieces of garlic bread, three pieces of spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms, Penne Pasta in white sauce and a chocolate ice cream. I prefer to go desi so I choose “Ginger Winger”, which has all my usual favourites from On The Go. I am served Paneer Adraki, Dal Makhni, onion raita, a roasted papad and a tandoori rot prettily arranged on a plate. My dessert, chocolate ice cream will be served later, I am told. I could have also chosen Paneer Push ups (For the non vegetarians there is a Chicken Chin Ups!) that has paneer tikka biriyani, a green salad, roasted papad, raita and a flourless cake with a drink of a lemonade. Some of the menus serve a small portion of Caramel Custard as dessert and a drink.
There is enough and more choice for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian (there are 20 planned menus to choose from) in both Indian and Continental cuisines. There is an interesting twist! While my total calorie intake with the Ginger Winger menu is 1076 calories and costs me ₹550, I can exercise my right to be more mindful and remove the ice cream from my meal. In which case my calorie intake will reduce to 920 calories, AND I get ₹50 knocked off from my bill.
- From May 10, The Calorie Counter Menus will be offered at On The Go in Race Course and Thats Y Food in RS Puram for both lunch and dinner. If you are counting calories, ask to see the special menus.
- For details call On The Go (0422-4520116) or ThatsY Food (0422- 4365118)
Can I refuse the rotis as I am off carbs, I ask, and Ranjana says I can but, while my calories consumed will be reduced, my bill will remain the same. “We have to stick to the de-cal option. If everyone wants to change everything around, there will be confusion and my kitchen will not be able to handle it,” she explains. She points out that, in most of these menus, the drink and the dessert constitute the decal option.
For a strict dieter there is ‘A Run in the Garden’ meal that includes a vegetable clear soup of only19 calories, a salad of 76 calories, two pieces of garlic bread (140 calories) and finally a portion of caramel custard (156 calories). The total count is only 391 calories and the price ₹415. Decal the dessert, and the count drops to a slender 235 calories and the bill is just ₹365!
Ranjana has consulted a team of menu specialists in Kolkata, she says,who came up with the menus after four months of hard work. The menu is easy to read and understand and the calories of each dish is given next to it, says Ranjana. She also points out that there is no nutritional information given in this menu and that the calorie table has been taken from the Internet. Each meal is sufficient for an individual and the dessert portions are smaller than the usual servings. The limited portions have been measured and weighed.
The menus are available at both her restaurants for lunch and dinner. However, she assures, “The regular menu will also be on offer.”
