7 healthy dining choices in Ocean City (and one secret “cheat day” splurge you don’t want to miss)

With 2017’s New Year’s Resolutions looming in the very near future, I wanted to share some options for eating healthy while still enjoying your trip to the beach. I recently joined Weight Watchers at the end of September and have visited Ocean City numerous times since beginning the diet. While at the beach, I was worried about feeling deprived when my table-mates would eat their fried shrimp platters, hush puppies, ice cream and boardwalk fries right in front of me. After doing a bit of research, I have found some restaurants that offer delicious and healthy dining choices for those of us looking to break free of “fried.”

This list is just a small sampling of solid options for nutritious and delicious lunches or dinners – please add your favorites in the comments section. To keep the calories even lower, ask for any salad dressing or condiment on the side and use sparingly, or better yet, bring your own zero-calorie dressing, such as Walden Farms brand, so you can use as much as you want!

1. Harborside Bar and Grill’s Seared Ahi Salad – The sky-high quality and generous quantity of sushi-grade barely-seared ahi tuna on this salad is what makes this salad a superstar!
2. Crazy 8’s Cali Wrap – Lean turkey, avocado, fresh spinach, a little bit of bacon all wrapped up with a bit of sweetness from their delicious avocado honey mayo. A perfect quick lunch to grab and go! We’ve received reports that this restaurant is closed. — Ed.
3. Hooked’s Harvest Moon salad – combines hearty kale with earthy walnuts, creamy goat cheese and dried fruits in a delicious winter-inspired salad.
4. Bull on the Beach’s Happy Hour steamed shrimp and raw oyster specials – Watching your wallet as well as your waist? Head to Bull on the Beach for great prices on a half pound of steamed shrimp and raw oysters, available year round! Both foods are very diet-friendly and high in protein. Add a side salad and dinner is served!
5. Culture’s Belizean Harvest Bowl topped with Grilled Shrimp – Authentic, fresh and unique flavor combinations abound in this hearty salad featuring flavors of avocado, coconut, pepitas and roasted pineapple. Top with perfectly grilled shrimp, chicken, or mahi for a satisfying lunch or dinner. We’ve received reports that this restaurant is closed. — Ed.
6. Crabcake Factory Seafood House (open off season) – Delicious options include the crabcake salad, single crabcake dinner, or perhaps the crabcake with half roasted chicken to share! Just ask for your selection to be broiled instead of fried, and you can enjoy Ocean City’s most famous seafood option guilt-free.
7. Piaza’s Kale Power Salad  – When the rest of your group wants wood fired pizza, head to Piaza, a new restaurant over by Walmart on Rt. 50. Their Kale Power Salad combines a number of superfoods including spinach, kale and quinoa as well as almonds and strawberries. The whole family will find something they like at Piaza, and you have a variety of choices to feel good about, too.

If you are starting a diet or continuing on your weight loss journey, congratulations and keep up the hard work! It is a relief to know that there are many options for healthy and tasty eating, and they are not all strictly salads. And since you made it to the end of this article, I have a little insider information for when you want to have a “cheat day” while in Ocean City. Go to Longboard Café and ask to order the “Longboard Wings”. They are not on the menu but they are the most delicious wings I have ever had!! Imagine a basket of sticky, crispy awesomeness topped with blue cheese crumbles and bacon bits. Yeah, you can thank me later. Happy new year everyone – make it your best yet!