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  • $21 Calories: 379 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 10g Protein:...

    Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

    $21 Calories: 379 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 10g Protein: 45g Dietary fiber: 1g Not only isn't this one of those grim "punishment dishes" that other Italian restaurants put on their menu for dieters, it's become the go-to choice for Aldo's diners who have sworn off the veal saltimbocca. There are a few essentials at play. "Paillard" is a fancy way of saying thin, pounded cutlet, an olive oil-based marinade is applied just before grilling, and imported buffalo-milk mozzarella makes the chicken as satisfyingly rich as every other dish on the table.

  • $6 Calories: 171 Total fat: 4g Saturated fat: 1g Protein:...

    Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

    $6 Calories: 171 Total fat: 4g Saturated fat: 1g Protein: 6g Dietary fiber: 6g With a salad, you could make a meal out of this classic Italian soup. And if your regimen points you toward nutrient-rich "superfoods," this soup has two of the champs -- sweet potatoes and kale. Donna Crivello's food is not only nourishing, it's beautiful. And aesthetics matter -- if your eyes aren't satisfied, chances are your stomach won't be either. Another key to healthful restaurant dining is simplicity. If the kale soup looks like something you could make yourself, you can. Crivello teaches healthful cooking at her restaurant's Columbia location.

  • Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

  • $17 Calories: 407 Total fat: 15g Saturated fat: 6g Protein:...

    Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

    $17 Calories: 407 Total fat: 15g Saturated fat: 6g Protein: 38g Dietary fiber: 3g Michael Matassa and Debi Bell-Matassa speak of their Hampden cafe as a laboratory. Their solution for the often bland boneless and skinless chicken breast is ready for peer review. Marinating the chicken overnight in a sauce made from ancho chiles gives it a good, strong flavor; sweet corn and vine-ripened tomatoes offer some emphatic eye appeal; and the roasted garlic butter and basil chiffonade add just enough satisfying flavor. But the real wizardry of the Angel Fire Chicken is its portion size -- the chicken breast is 5 ounces.

  • $13.95 Calories: 276 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 11g Protein:...

    Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

    $13.95 Calories: 276 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 11g Protein: 11g Dietary fiber: 1g This savory pie at Rowhouse Grille might not be the first thing a diner on a regimen would choose. But look again; It's low in overall calories and reasonably low in saturated fat. One of those things a dieter can be miserable without, pancetta has life outside of a super-creamy carbonara sauce. It's perfectly at home in this light pie made with ricotta cheese. For the long haul, you'll need an occasional treat like this one from chef Tess Mosley.

  • Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

  • $26 Calories: 897 Total fat: 46g Saturated fat: 4g Protein:...

    Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

    $26 Calories: 897 Total fat: 46g Saturated fat: 4g Protein: 46g Dietary fiber: 9g Tatu lets the diner choose the meat or seafood they add to this wok-fired dish. For our analysis, we went with shrimp. The calorie count and fat grams may be higher in this beautiful stir-fry than some diets ask for, but they're reasonable enough for you not to get discouraged. The key is to focus on the good things you're getting -- 46 grams of protein and a big serving of vegetables. Long-term success comes with a varied and interesting diet. This is a win.

  • $21 Calories: 591 Total fat: 16g Saturated fat: 2g Protein:...

    Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

    $21 Calories: 591 Total fat: 16g Saturated fat: 2g Protein: 12g Dietary fiber: 6g If this dish looks extravagant, that's the point. It's a great example of the kind of deliciously satisfying healthy meal a restaurant can produce when it starts with good ingredients. In this case, the foundation is imported La Bomba rice from Calisparra, Spain, the rice used in paella. Unlike a classic paella, though, the rice dishes at Pazo are baked, not sauteed. That helps keep calories down. Variety and texture come from local black beans, forest mushrooms and yellow corn, and it all gets finished with a piquant sauce made from sweet red peppers.

  • $18 Calories: 351 Total fat: 11g Saturated fat: 2g Protein:...

    Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

    $18 Calories: 351 Total fat: 11g Saturated fat: 2g Protein: 43g Dietary fiber: 5g Searing the tuna in a very hot skillet with no added oil keeps the calorie count low, and the black-eyed peas and Swiss chard are just the kind of nutrient-rich food included in most healthful eating regimens. Topped with a flavorful, low-calorie relish and presented with flair, this exceptional lunch entree from chef Thomas Dunklin at B&O American Brasserie has it all.

  • $14.95 Calories: 519 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 3g Protein:...

    Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

    $14.95 Calories: 519 Total fat: 19g Saturated fat: 3g Protein: 16g Dietary fiber: 23g The Helmand stuffs succulent baby eggplants with fresh spinach and simmers them in a piquant sun-dried tomatoes and herb sauce. These vegetarian dolmas are just one of the enchanting Afghan dishes that Quayum Karzai's famed Mount Vernon restaurant has been serving for 23 years. Note: This version subs the rice (pictured) with lentils, which the restaurant does by request. The Helmand was growing its own produce before anyone dreamed that it would become a trend. No one speaks of the Helmand as a health-food restaurant, but it is. The food is clean, wholesome and always delicious.

  • Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

  • $14 Calories: 666 Total fat: 34g Saturated fat: 14g Protein:...

    Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

    $14 Calories: 666 Total fat: 34g Saturated fat: 14g Protein: 28g Dietary fiber: 6g Admit it. You've pecked at a salad while your friends were having a pizza. We all have. Unless your regimen forbids wheat and dairy, there's no reason you can't enjoy pizza. Of course, if you share this 10-inch pizza or save half of it to have for lunch the next day, you cut down on calories. The key is always using good ingredients, and Joe Squared uses crushed San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo-milk mozzarella and a sourdough crust. If there was a contest for the dough with the most healthful profile, sourdough would win it handsomely.

  • Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

  • Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

  • $16.95 Calories: 890 Total fat: 24g Saturated fat: 11g Protein:...

    Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

    $16.95 Calories: 890 Total fat: 24g Saturated fat: 11g Protein: 40g Dietary fiber: 8g Catfish is one of those things that show up on "don't have" lists. Part of its bad reputation comes from what people traditionally do with it, namely frying the whiskers off it. Langermann's marinates the fish in a complex rub made with Szechwan peppercorns and star anise before broiling it. Accompanied by a red rice and black-eyed pea succotash, the catfish's calorie count is high, but the lean protein and good fat are on most nutritionists' "do have" lists.

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How’s that new regimen going? If you’ve made it this far, we’re here to help you sustain your resolution for the new year for at least a little while longer. Those home-cooked nutritious meals are a good step, but sooner or later you’ll be going back to a restaurant. And that’s where things get thorny. There’s so much to tempt you — the fried chicken, the fully stocked bar — that it’s easy to fall back into bad habits.

Here’s good news. The days of the “punishment dish” at restaurants may be over. You know the punishment dish: It’s that dire entree offered to dieting patrons. In the old days, it was a hamburger patty and cottage cheese. In more recent times, it was a tasteless chicken breast served with steamed broccoli. No wonder no one ever stayed on a regimen.

Thanks in part to a general movement toward a diet based on whole foods, restaurants have gotten much better at this. We’ve rounded up 10 healthful (and delicious) dishes you can order in Baltimore restaurants, and had registered dietitian Jodie Shield break down their nutritional content. They are all prepared from fresh ingredients by professional chefs. And they’re all dishes that look and taste special.–Richard Gorelick

If you know of other healthy Baltimore-area dishes, tell us about them in the comments field below.