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Philly sticks to healthy eating resolutions, data says

Hey Philly, give yourselves a big pat on the back – seems you guys really weren’t kidding about resolving to make healthier diet choices this year.

Hey Philly, give yourselves a big pat on the back – seems you guys really weren't kidding about resolving to make healthier diet choices this year.

With the month of good intentions officially at a close, GrubHub, a leading online and mobile food ordering platform, decided to track takeout orders to determine the typical lifespan of a New Year's resolution.

GrubHub analysts looked at the percentage of total orders considered "healthier" in 2011, 2012 and the first month of 2013 to determine if their diners made any healthy eating New Year's resolutions, and to track if and when those resolutions broke.

In the last two years, Philly's good intentions were generally short-lived - a mere 2 weeks went by before you cracked and ordered a cheesesteak with a side of fries –come on you guys! But this year, according to the GrubHub analysis, Philly diners really stepped up their game.

As of last Monday, our healthy orders experienced a 15% increase for a steady four weeks, with no apparent sign of a downturn, according to GrubHub PR associate, Allie Mack.

Oh and that's not the only good news! Out of the 400 cities GrubHub services, Philly ranked second this year in showing significant uptakes in healthy ordering – falling only behind Atlanta (20-25% increase), and beating Boston by a 5% increase.

But we realize not all of us can be that strong – maybe you're struggling to stay on track with your new healthy eating habits? Fortunately, Mack shared a few of GrubHub's easy tips (and some of her own!) for ensuring a healthy takeout order.

Utilize the Special Instructions Box for individual menu items as well as entire orders, and make sure to ask the restaurant to:

  1. Package the dressing on the side so you have control over this higher-calorie addition

  2. Hold the butter, mayo, cheese and/or sour cream

  3. Steam vegetables, instead of cooking them in butter or oil

  4. Grill or steam meat or appetizers, instead of fried

  5. Sub brown rice for white or fried rice

  6. Sub a side salad or vegetable side for the french fries or chips

  7. Leave the side of bread, pita, etc. off the order (so you don't tempt yourself!)

  8. Split the order into two boxes for potion control
    Green alternative: Serve yourself half of the order and set the other half aside for another meal

Mack also recommends using GrubHub's custom search option to look for specific healthy food items, like super foods, such as quinoa, kale, spinach, salmon, etc.

Believe us, we know it's not easy. Tired of ordering the same old takeout and don't know where to find healthy options? Don't worry, GrubHub, who works with 650 local restaurants, has that covered too! They've compiled a list of Philly's most commonly ordered salads so far in 2013. Check out the top five faves:

  1. Axis Pizza - Create Your Own Salad

  2. Greek Lady - Greek Lady Salad; Grilled Chicken Salad

  3. Mizu Sushi Bar - Seaweed Salad

  4. La Scala's Pronto - The Mista Salad; The Caesar Salad

  5. Fuel - Strawberry Spinach Salad

Armed with all of this helpful info, there's no reason why we can't continue to keep Philly's healthy streak alive. After all, with GrubHub's help, you don't even have to cook – so no excuses, keep up the good work!