Cholesterol is Not Your Friend

A recent phone conversation with Houstonist's doctor went like this:

Doctor: Houstonist, your tests came back and everything looks great except for your cholesterol.
Houstonist: Cholesterol? Really?
Doctor: I'm not sure how much you know about cholesterol levels, but what we're shooting for is under 200. Yours is 250. As you can imagine, this has major ramifications, especially for someone like you. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. . . . .

10 minutes later and still shell-shocked, Houstonist promised to stick to a healthier diet that no longer includes the following: burgers (and by burgers we mean thick, juicy, one pound sandwiches oozing with greasy goodness), shellfish (curse you Oceanaire and your Happy Hour oysters!), red meat, and milk based products (not really a problem since we're lactose intolerant anyway). That being said, this hungry Houstonist has been in a pretty grumpy mood as we traverse the restaurants in Houston in search of food that actually TASTES good and will help us avoid becoming diabetic in the future. The short list includes:

Hungry's (2356 Rice Blvd) Their hummus is fabulous. And they have the helpful little hearts next to the heart-loving dishes on the menu. A great place to get your foot in the door and out of the grave.
The Hobbit Cafe (2243 Richmond Ave) Yes, they have a nice vegetarian selection, but carnivoures can find some tasty dishes to sate the appetite without dying of a heart attack on the spot.
Lemon Tree (12591 Whittington Dr) While shellfish is out of the question, Houstonist is more than encouraged to partake in some delicious fish. Lemon Tree does authentic Peruvian style ceviche (raw fish "cooked" in lemon juice and onions) which makes us nostalgic for home and keeps our cholesterol in check.
Baba Yega(2607 Grant St) Another vegetarian friendly place that serves some amazing teas. With healthy sandwiches and fish platters to choose from, there's definitely something for everyone here.
Sage 400 (2800 Sage Rd) Houstonist loves sushi and sushi loves your heart (well, as long as you choose wisely). That being said, Sage 400 is some of the best sushi we've found in this town, plus it is right next to the Galleria so it is perfect for some post-shopping food.
Black Walnut Cafe (5510 Morningside Dr) Rice Village has so many restaurants to offer, but Black Walnut attempts to have a nice combination of healthy and hearty food at your fingertips. Houstonist isn't big on salads, but we'll eat our greens here.

Are we missing some gem of a restaurant that'll keep us on track? Let us know about other yummy places in town that hearts our heart.

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Photo: flickr user Homesick Texan