Eat Out and Live Lean

Orinda resident Sheena Lakhotia has worked with local eateries to provide healthy options for diet-conscious diners

Katrine Naleid

When activity alone didn’t cut it for frustrated students in Sheena Lakhotia’s exercise classes, the Orinda resident decided to figure out how to help them shed some meaningful pounds. What she discovered was “an interesting correlation between eating out and weight loss.”

Specifically, the clients who dined out the most saw the worst results—essentially wasting all the hours they had spent at the gym.
That’s why, in addition to exercise, Lakhotia’s Living Lean health program now includes specially tailored Living Lean–friendly menu items featured at a handful of popular local restaurants. Lakhotia has carefully consulted with each of the chefs at participating restaurants, requesting steamed vegetables over fried, olive oil instead of butter, and a more balanced meal of proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables.
Lakhotia says her goal was to create a program that “makes it fun and simple for my clients to lose weight and stay healthier.”

Here are a few of the Living Lean options available on menus in East Bay restaurants.

Ristorante Amoroma in Moraga and Pizzeria Amoroma in Orinda have a “number of lean-portion options, including a wonderful grilled prawn kabob, ahi tuna salad, and a chicken breast kabob, all of which are flavorful and lean,” Lakhotia says.

Baan Thai in Orinda serves an extensive Living Lean menu. Lakhotia recommends the salmon mango salad. “They serve brown rice as well, which a lot of restaurants don’t do.”

Montclair Bistro in Oakland has Living Lean specials that include grilled or steamed fish, plus brown rice and steamed veggies.

For information or to check out more Living Lean eateries, visit thelivingleanprogram.com.