Locally operated and chain restaurants abound in Mansfield for people looking for a tasty lunch. It’s difficult to abstain from hearty, perhaps unhealthy lunch options drizzled with cheese, high in saturated fat, and offering bigger-than-necessary portions. But statistics show most Americans need to change their diet.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 35.9 percent of adult Americans above the age of 20 are obese. When they include individuals who are overweight and overweight, that number jumps to 69.2 percent.
Throughout the Mansfield area, it’s possible to choose healthier fare. Here are a few choices available to local diners seeking lighter options.
Doc’s
Located just steps from MedCentral hospital, patrons flock to Doc’s Deli looking for a quick, hearty sandwich and combinations of soups and flatbreads.
But you can find lots of healthy options here, too. Manager Emily Ling reports that the most popular healthy menu item people turn to again and again is the large salad. Doc’s salad option is unique, though. Unlike other restaurants that choose the combination of vegetables and toppings that go on their salads, Doc’s lets you make up your own.
“Everything we make is to order,” Ling said. “Most people would get grilled chicken and a hard cheese and an assortment of fresh veggies,” most of which are locally sourced.
In fact, “the majority of our customers are looking for healthy dishes,” said Ling. From its inception, Doc’s Deli has strived to offer the healthiest of fare, purchasing produce from local farmer’s markets and opting for the highest quality foods.
At Doc’s Deli customers can choose from more than 100 fresh ingredients, four soups made fresh every day, and multiple side dishes. They make items like chicken, egg and tuna salad, humus and pasta salad fresh daily. Picky kids—or adults—can choose standard fare like a peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwich.
Granter’s Grinders
Customers at this relative newcomer on the Mansfield restaurant scene are drawn to healthy options like gluten-free pizza and salads.
Granter’s Grinders’ Assistant Manager Brooke Wirick notes that customers seeking a healthy lunch choose from the same general options. When customers ask for healthy menu options, they choose salads. And people get tuna salad or chicken salad, too, just not on bread or a bagel. We have pitas that people like to choose over bread and bagels, too,” said Wirick.
The option to choose a gluten-free pizza was born out of customer requests.
“We just started serving pizzas and we did a gluten-free option which people love. And we’re going to try to do more gluten-free things in the future. We have to change a lot of the recipes to be gluten free. All of our Boar’s Head meats are gluten free,” added Wirick.
For customers who aren’t in the mood for a sandwich or salad, Granter’s Grinders offers plenty of health soups.
“Most of our soups are pretty healthy, with the exception of a cheesy or creamy soup. We always have a vegetarian soup. We are going to start serving half salads, too. Our full-size salads, they’re huge. They could serve two people,” stated Wirick.
Two Cousins’ Pizza Co.
Along with standard pizza options, Two Cousin’s Pizza Co., with locations in Lexington and Mansfield, features salads, vegetarian dishes and pizza by the slice.
“We get a lot of people that order salads,” Manager Andrew McIntyre said. “That’s one of our biggest sellers for lunch. We have both side salads and bigger salads and salads with grilled chicken on them.”
While pizza is generally not a go-to option for healthy lunch seekers, being able to order just a slice offers lunch patrons the option to indulge without excess.
“In our lunch crowd, we do get a lot of people that get pizza by the slice,” McIntyre said.
For lunch patrons that are part of a group heading out for pizza, Two Cousins offers several vegetarian options.
“Stromboli is kind of just like a pizza but wrapped up in dough. You can get whatever toppings inside of it that you want, and cheese and sauce on the side,” McIntyre said. “We also offer gluten-free pizza.”
With rising obesity rates in America, it’s possible for Mansfield residents to get a healthy lunch—if you know where to go. Restaurants often change their menu options based on consumer demand. If you ask for it, they will supply it.
