We wash it, dry it, brush it, style it, love it, hate it and very often wish it were shinier, healthier and more beautiful.Here’s the real secret—it’s all about a healthy diet, not just at home but when dining out as well. The right nutrients can make your locks lusciously beautiful and manageable and the wrong nutrition can make it dry, brittle and worthy of only a ponytail and baseball hat.MORE: Restaurant Suggestions to Eat for Beautiful Skin, Nails and LipsTreat your hair right with these diet essentials at home and at your favorite restaurants and you’ll love your hair again. (And check how your diet’s affecting your hair with our Eat Pretty Quiz). Here is advice from Health Dining’s team of registered dietitians with restaurant choices featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com.Omega 3-Rich Restaurant MealsHair Benefit: Scalp health. It also helps keep a healthier heart.Meals to Order: Dishes that include flaxseed, walnuts, salmon and sardines to get the recommended one serving per day of foods rich in these fatty.Dining Suggestions:
- ‘Jerk Painted Salmon’ served with green beans or fresh fruit at Bahama Breeze (locations nationwide) 320 cals, 9 g. fat
- ‘Old Fashioned Oatmeal with Walnuts,’ warm and hearty old-fashioned oatmeal made with skim milk. Top with a medley of delicious additions, including currants, cranberries, brown sugar, toasted walnuts and almonds. Served at Corner Bakery (locations nationwide) 330 cals, 9 g. fat
- ‘Apple Walnut Chicken Salad’ A blend of tender, seasoned fresh grilled chicken, crisp apples, carrots, chopped walnuts, and crumbled bleu cheese served over a bed of mixed salad greens. Served at Friendly’s (locations nationwide) 390 cals, 18 g. fat
Vitamin A-Rich Restaurant Meals Hair Benefit: Shinier hair. Your scalp creates its own conditioner—a substance called sebum and its production relies on you getting enough Vitamin A from dark green veggies and orange colored fruits and vegetables such as carrots, mango and sweet potato.Meals to Order: Look for menu items that contain spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and carrots.Dining Suggestions:
- ‘Hawaiian Fresh Fish with Mango Salsa and Thai Basil Pesto’ Request ‘Healthy Dining preparation’ at Yard House Restaurants (locations nationwide) 645 cals, 16 g. fat (includes Jasmine rice)
- ‘Fit Fare Omelette’ Egg white omelette with spinach, mushrooms, freshly made pico de gallo and shredded Cheddar cheese at Denny’s (locations nationwide) 390 cals, 18 g. fat
Protein-Rich Restaurant MealsHair Benefit: Hair growth. Forget the expensive creams for hair growth; order the high-quality protein.Meals to Order: Order meals with beans, lean poultry and low-fat dairy.Eggs also have the added bonus of biotin that can prevent brittleness.Dining Suggestions:
- ‘The Egg and Broccoli Baked Sandwich’ at Au Bon Pain (locations nationwide) 430 cals, 19 g. fat
- ‘Original Famous Chicken and Juicy Achiote Shrimp Fajitas’ served with sautéed San Antonio Veggies served at Chevy’s (locations nationwide) 410 cals, 17 g. fat (accompaniments not incl in nutrition info)
- ‘Sea bass with Lemongrass’ at Saigon Landing in Evergreen, CO 240 cals, 9 g. fat
Zinc-Rich Restaurant MealsHair Benefit: Preventing hair loss. If you’re finding more hair in your brush than you’d like, you may need to look at how much zinc you’re getting. Excessive hair loss often indicates a deficiency in this mineral.Meals to Order: To get the recommended 8 mg. for women or 11 mg. for men per day, order oysters or choices that contain cashews, pecans or almonds.Dining Suggestions:
- ‘Summer Citrus Salad’ with baby spinach, pecans, mangos, strawberries, dried cranberries, and carrots, tossed with fat free citrus vinaigrette. Served at Silver Diner (locations in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey) 490 cals, 21 g. fat
- ‘Pecan Praline Chicken’ at Super Suppers (locations nationwide) 330 cals, 16 g. fat
Whether dining out or in, a balanced diet that includes the recommended amounts of these essential nutrients is key to the luscious locks you’re looking for. Those hair models will have nothing on you!
