Matt Llewellyn, managing partner of 23rd Street Brewery, talks about some of the healthy dishes the establishment began offering in May. These include, back to front, Brewery Stuffed Pepper, Sun-dried Tomato Salmon, Caprese Salad, and Tilapia Florentine. Llewellyn is interested in participating in a new LiveWell Lawrence initiative that would recognize restaurants that offer healthy foods.
23rd Street Brewery offers several healthy entrées, including Tilapia Florentine. The dish is pan seared tilapia topped with toasted almonds and feta cheese, and served with sauteed spinach and artichokes. Such dishes are part of a new LiveWell EatWell intiative in Lawrence.
LiveWell Lawrence wants to increase access to healthy foods in restaurants.
Trish Unruh, a nutritionist with the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, said Americans spend 44 percent of their food dollars on eating out.
Get involved
Trish Unruh, nutritionist with the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, is contacting restaurant owners who might be interested in becoming part of the LiveWell program that recognizes healthy foods.
She also is seeking feedback from the community on what kind of information they would like to see included in a restaurant program.
You can contact Unruh by e-mail or through the health department’s website.
“My goal with the restaurant program is to have nutritious and delicious healthy food choices when going out to eat,” she said.
For example, the program could encourage restaurant owners to offer:
• Salad, fruit and/or vegetables as a side dish.
• One entrée prepared with a lower-fat method such as baked or broiled.
• Whole-grain products.
• A low-sodium entrée.
• Low-fat sauces and dressings.
Cook Michael Abraham fixes a dish on the healthy menu that is offered at 23rd Street Brewery, 3512 Clinton Parkway, The dish — the most popular on the healthy menu — is a red pepper stuffed with couscous and served with a spring mix tossed in rice wine vinaigrette. Sitting on the plate is another healthy menu item: sundried tomato salmon.
LiveWell Lawrence provided a $5,335 grant to the health department to help facilitate activities that focus on improving access to healthy food, and the restaurant program is the first activity.
Unruh has been working closely with Susan Krumm, nutritionist with K-State Research and Extension — Douglas County, and Marilyn Hull, LiveWell Lawrence facilitator, along with other members of the LiveWell steering committee.
They are determining what criteria restaurants would need to meet to get LiveWell’s seal of approval or sticker. The group is seeking feedback from restaurant owners, chefs and consumers.
Unruh has met with Matt Llewellyn, managing partner with 23rd Street Brewery, 3512 Clinton Parkway. He is interested in participating in the program because he wants to inform residents that healthy choices are available at his establishment, which is best known for its beer and bar-and-grill-type fare.
The restaurant, which as been in business for five years, began offering a selection of healthy entrees about two years ago. They were listed on a piece of paper and weren’t part of the main menu.
“It went over very well,” Llewellyn said. “We’ve changed it, and tweaked it around a little bit.”
Three months ago, five healthy options were added to the main menu.
“The dish that I thought was going to be the least popular on it — is the most popular,” he said.
That’s a red pepper stuffed with couscous and served with a spring mix tossed with rice wine vinaigrette.
“I felt like there was no way people are going to eat this, and they love it,” he said with a laugh.
Llewellyn admits that the unhealthy options — cheeseburgers, pizzas and fries — are still better sellers. His goal is to satisfy both appetites.
“I think Lawrence is a healthy town. You can’t tell by looking at me, but it is,” he said. “People want to treat their bodies well and we are a very active town. We are into sports and activities outdoors. We are into living well.”
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