Everyone knows New York is a fabulous food city. It’s hard not to find great food here. But great food that also happens to be good for you is tougher to come by. That’s why I am excited to tell you about two places I visited recently that nail the elusive but magical combination of delicious, inspiring and good for your body.

First, in the fine dining category: Rouge Tomate, a spacious, elegant, Zen-like space a block from Central Park on East 60^th Street. I had lunch there with Natalia Rusin registered dietitian, their on-staff Culinary Nutritionist. I think every restaurant should have a culinary nutritionist on staff!

Between sips of my delicious rhubarb bellini and bites of the beautifully presented and abundantly flavorful asparagus and farm egg appetizer (see photo), she explained to me the restaurant’s guiding principal which, according to their website is  “…to provide a harmonious alignment of balanced cuisine, well-being, and social and environmental consciousness. This nutritional approach demonstrates a genuine respect for the integrity of ingredients used in crafting balanced, healthful and flavorful dishes.” All that integrity and balance wound up tasting incredible! The spring pea risotto was rich and alive with flavor and the chocolate banana dessert was heavenly. How refreshing to have an upscale dining experience and leave feeling absolutely content but light and