Delicious or Nutritious? Energy Kitchen

1089 2nd Ave (btwn 5th and 6th)
New York, NY 10022
212-888-9300

Bored of salads and in need of something quick and healthy I ordered from Energy Kitchen, a fast food chain where every dish is grilled, baked or steamed and thus under 500 calories. One of Energy Kitchen’s main ingredients is bison meat.

Bison cheesesteak meal
Sea Salt baked fries & Corn and edamame salad

An alternative to groundbeef, their Bison cheesesteak wrap was definitely as hearty as your standard cheesesteak but with a lot less cheese and bread – must be where they save the calories. My two sides were a delectable Corn and edamame salad – a combo I’m now upset I hadn’t heard about before – and sea salt flavored baked “fries”. Despite not being cooked in oil, these and the Cajun fries I got with my Chicken burger were still pretty decent.

Chicken burger meal
Cajun baked fries & Broccoli

Although baking the “fries” may have caused them to lose the crunchiness that traditional ones usually have, it was refreshing to find that their broccoli was steamed and maintained its crisp. This particular side dish however is best consumed on the first day. The Chicken burger, made of ground chicken, was great although it could have used just a little more seasoning. Their turkey options seem to be better seasoned, which is why I’m glad I also ordered a Turkey meatloaf wrap.

Turkey meatloaf meal
Black bean and mango salad & Brown rice

The Turkey meatloaf wrap was more like turkey parmigiana, served with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. It was good, but a little awkward to eat in a wrap instead of with a knife and fork – which was also an option. The Black bean and mango salad was DIVINE, and an excellent pairing with their Brown rice. Both sides though packed more calories than most of the other options, with 141 and 210 calories respectively compared to the 30 – 100 calories most of the other side options contained.

Hearty meal items with less than 500 calories that leave room for side dishes a dietician would approve of? DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS!