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Eating Out Right

Mumbaikars have suddenly woken up to the idea of a Sunday brunch. And restaurants are offering fantastic deals so that you can spend the better part of your Sunday here.

Personally, I refuse brunches as they are normally heavy and high in calories. Penne, however, was a pleasant surprise. The mouth-watering salads and refreshing mocktails, priced at Rs 650, made this a good deal. The main incentive was that plenty of dishes at the brunch were high in fibre, low in calories, packed with antioxidants (the little soldiers who fight off diseases in our body) and cooked in olive oil. They were light and non-greasy - perfect for the humid weather.

The combination of lettuce with citrus segments was truly a treat for my tastebuds. Each serving had just about 40 calories! Everything was perfect whether it was the crunchy roasted beetroot that I was biting into, or the grilled vegetables and caramelised onions that I relished.

The unusual but exotic blend of mushrooms and cottage cheese is just right for those trying to avoid carbohydrates. You could even try the silicon potatoes, marinated and grilled to perfection. Meat lovers are spoilt for choice with scrumptious chicken and various varieties of seafood salad.

I chose to avoid the pasta salads as it has four times the calories compared to any other vegetable-based salad. The pickled aubergine was heavy on calories too due to the excess oil. Avoid the hot dishes at the buffet (these are creamy, cheesy and full of white flour), and go straight for the main course. Request for a whole wheat pasta, prepared for you with minimum oil. Arrabiatta and pesto sauce are healthy and light - combine with plenty of vegetables and less pasta. Penne also has wood-fired pizza without cheese which is absolutely delicious.

All in all, it is the perfect place to eat a lazy, healthy Sunday brunch, with pleasant and soothing live music making the meal all the more enjoyable.

Naini is a nutritionist