By Shannon Blair

Fried chicken thighs over potatoes with a white pepper gravy from Dish in Plaza Midwood. Kristen Wile/UP

Southern fare is hearty and can touch the heart with generational recipes, but it’s not always heart healthy. This tradition of cooking usually involves plates piled high with indulgent, classic dishes. Other times, Southern chefs take inspiration from their culinary heritage while adding modern, unique twists. Whether Gullah, Country, Creole, Lowcountry, or Soul, all derivations of Southern cuisine have deep-rooted cultural associations to understand and appreciate — with decadent and lightened-up options to explore. 

Those of us who enjoy this cuisine more than likely grew up on it and are reminded, with each bite, of loved ones and special gatherings; however, those who did not come up on Southern comfort foods often approach as skeptics — quickly becoming converts after tasting a properly boiled peanut, vinegary collards, just-right giblet gravy, creamy grits, hash and rice, a made-from-scratch pound cake, or crisped livermush. There is much to love about Southern food; however, there is also much to consider when trying to be health-conscious. While there are many veggie-based offerings from Southern kitchens like the classic meat-and-three plate, it is still difficult to find an authentic recipe that does not contain significant amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fat (perhaps even from lard or shortening). 

Even more challenging is that the healthier parts of Southern fare usually get a makeover to amp up flavor that lowers nutritional value: fresh green beans bathed in bacon grease, lean chicken pieces or fish heavily salted and breaded before deep frying, yams that get candied, and seasonal fruit and sun tea made sweeter with extra sugar. 

Some chefs and restaurateurs of the South, though, are maintaining authenticity while easing the way for patrons who desire or need to maintain healthier lifestyles. La’Wan’s Soul Food Restaurant has a clearly labeled “Heart Healthy and Seafood” menu section, and they simmer their vegetables in stock flavored with smoked turkey rather than with bacon grease. Fried items are harder to find than smoked, slow roasted, blackened, and stewed ones on the Leah & Louise menu, which also incorporates many ancient grains. Mert’s Heart and Soul has an abundant selection of seafood from which to order. The King’s Kitchen and sister concept Rooster’s showcase seasonal produce in a way that shines as much as, if not more so, than the meat offerings. The menu at Dish seamlessly integrates vegan and vegetarian preparations. Since 1991, Roasting Company has given fried chicken serious competition with its locally-sourced rotisserie approach. Many RoCo customers come simply for the long list of vegetables and “veggie of the day” specials — all prepared without any meat products.

Southern home cooks have found adaptations for everyday nutrition. They might gradually reduce the sugar and salt called for in a recipe, even by as much as half. Maybe they swap Greek yogurt for mayonnaise or applesauce for vegetable oil. They may even “fake fry” with air fryers or via baking or broiling to crisp. Emphasizing the “three” in a “meat-and-three” is growing in popularity, too. Still, there are times when making the meal is up to someone else; customers can still order with health in mind and even politely request adjustments. Here are a few steps you can take when perusing a Southern menu: 

Step One: Unfried seafood is usually a healthy place to start. If it is not your preference, try a white meat version of poultry, which is leaner than dark meat. You can even eat vegetarian for a single meal by ordering all veggie sides, including some beans or legumes for bulk. A hearty soup or stew coupled with a salad makes for a filling, veggie-heavy meal as well.

Step Two: Select a preparation that relies on less fat. Opt for baked, broiled, roasted, stewed, or grilled methods over ones like breaded, battered, fried, and crispy.

Step Three: Scattered, smothered, and covered doesn’t have to be unhealthy if the entree is topped with sauteed onions, peppers, and tomatoes. You can also request heavy sauces on the side and ask to leave off cheese. 

Step Four: Side with better-for-you sides. Many menus will designate lighter options with a heart symbol or asterisk, so look for those keys. The same rule applies to sides prep as with main proteins: baked, broiled, roasted, stewed, or grilled over breaded, battered, fried, and crispy. 

Step Five: Budget your plate. Most Southern servings include a main and two to three sides, as well as some form of refined bread. Choose one indulgence and go healthier with the rest. For example, really craving that mac and cheese? Have it. Just order it with baked fish, collards, and succotash. Pass on the bread; you can even ask your server to leave it off of your plate altogether to help with temptation.

Step Six: Share. Southerners go big in almost every way, from hair to prayer. This includes heaping helpings. You can help your own health by ordering a meal to share with your dining companion, which may leave room to split dessert. 

Here are healthier ordering options (our Eat This picks), as well as some indulgences (And That), when visiting some Southern establishments in Charlotte. It’s okay every now and then to go for more decadent ingredients, just be aware that these preparations are typically going to be heavier in cholesterol, saturated fats, added sugar, and sodium. Savor them as the treats they are. All in all, a healthy relationship with food steers away from good/bad labels and focuses more on enjoying reasonable choices, with the occasional indulgence thrown in. Here’s our advice on what to feel good about, and what to save for special occasions.

La’Wan’s Soul Food Restaurant, South Charlotte
Eat This: Broiled tilapia, plus two standard sides and bread. I recommend passing on the bread and choosing two sides from green beans, pinto beans, cabbage, or collard greens (a premium side upgrade).
And That: Country fried steak, breaded and served over rice and gravy, plus two standard sides and bread. I recommend upgrading to both premium sides of mac and cheese and fried okra. Top it all off with a dessert of banana pudding. 

Mert’s Heart and Soul, Uptown
Eat This: Start with a cup of the homemade Lowcountry okra soup. Share an order of the red beans and rice with turkey kielbasa. Add a side of collards, topped with diced fresh tomatoes and onions.
And That: Fried catfish, with two sides and cornbread. I recommend selecting sides from macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad, green beans (cooked in animal fat), mashed potatoes, grits, or home fries. Top it all off with a dessert of coconut cake, pound cake, or red velvet cake.

Leah & Louise, Camp North End
Eat This: “Say it Witcha Chest” — Milk tea-brined pheasant breast, chestnut polenta, arugula salad, and persimmon glaze. Share the “Arthur Lou” for dessert — Tang custard, oat crust, floral meringue, and fresh fruit.
And That: “Beef Vol. 3” — Beef fat-poached, grass-fed steak, house steak sauce, and Leah’s cabbage or river chips. Enjoy an order of the “Miso Corny” all for yourself — cornmeal pound cake, white miso diplomat cream, seasonal fruit compote.

Roasting Company, Montford and Plaza Midwood
Eat This: Rotisserie chicken plate (¼ chicken, white meat) with one side of steamed broccoli or spinach and cornbread. Add a side of jaco sauce.
And That: Chicken and black bean combo over rice con queso with two sides, such as squash casserole or smoked cheese and pasta salad, and cornbread. Add extra queso.

Dish, Plaza Midwood
Eat This: Cajun lentil “meatloaf” with vegan slaw, fresh fruit, or stewed cabbage. Ask to sub out the mashed potatoes and gravy with the cauliflower mash. Skip the biscuit (if you can), but keep the deviled egg that comes with an entrée.
And That: Fried chicken with mac and cheese, crumbled bacon, and pimento cheese sauce. Select the house chips (salt and pepper or barbecue) as your side. Enjoy the deviled egg and biscuit..  

The King’s Kitchen, Uptown
Eat This: Start with the tomato bisque. Order the grilled boneless pork chop, along with sides of braised field peas and Carolina Gold rice.
And That: Whet the appetite with an order of fried green tomatoes and a basket of biscuits and cornbread with jam and butter. Order the pan-seared catfish with smoked mayo, along with sides of creamed potatoes and gravy and pan seared green beans. 

Disclaimer: The information contained here is of a general nature to provide research-backed educational content. It is not intended to offer professional medical diagnosis and treatment. While a certified nutritionist produced this article, your specific needs may or may not apply. Consult your team of professional healthcare providers with health concerns or questions.