Koch Jared - Clean plates. Manhattan. 2013: a guide to the healthiest tastiest, and most sustainable restaurants for vegetarians and carnivores

My deepest gratitude, appreciation and respect to the following people, without whom this book would not exist:

To all the chefs and restaurant owners dedicated to serving delicious but healthier food. A special thanks to Dan Barber, Bill Telepan, Sarma Melngailis, Debbie Covenagh, Amy Chaplin, Rene Duran, Melissa ODonnell and Michael Anthony for taking the time to be interviewed.

Alex Van Buren for her talents, integrity and great dinner conversation. Angela Starks and Bunny Wong for all their help writing and editing the nutritional content. Talia Berman, Andrea Lynn, Lisa LeeKing Ruvalcaba, Megan Murphy, Jessica Colley, Sarah Amandolare, Jaclyn Einis, Amy Sung, Allix Geneslaw and Scarlett Lindeman for writing great reviews.

Jessica Arana for designing the logo and the book cover. Gary Robbins for interior design and layout. The whole gang at Monaco Lange for all of their invaluable suggestions.

Special thanks to Blake Appleby for always supporting, encouraging and inspiring me and offering her insightful opinions. To all my family, friends, teachers and clients who have contributed and enriched my life in so many significant ways. Greg Monaco for his talents, perspective and calm demeanor and for his invaluable advice every step of the way.

Maji Chien, Niles Brooks Leuthold, and Laura Mordas-Schenkein for all of their invaluable help and dedication.

And to Ashley Spivak, Mat Zucker, Lynnda Pollio, Yvonne Roehler at Jenkins Group, Kate Basrat, Ameet Maturu, Susan Banzon, Amy Bush, Angela Davis, Chad Thompson, Sam Rosen at ThoughtLead, Peter Horjus, Vera Svezia, Barry Flemming, Jeremy Funston, Lisa Vasher, Catherine Cusamano, Mark Sclafani, Katherine Jamieson, Kathleen Spinelli, Erin Turner, Michael Ellisberg, Nancy Weiser, Carey Peters, Brett Lavender, Cassandra Caffaltas, Kim Blozie, Chelsea Holmes, Elizabeth ORiordan, Robert John Scott and especially Andrew Cohen and everyone at EnlightenNext.

Jareds nutritional advice in Clean Plates has the power to transform your individual health and our collective well-being.

Deepak Chopra, M.D.

I have long held that the sweet spot for our relationship with food is where food we love for the sheer pleasure of it, loves us back by nurturing our health. It is to just such sweet spots among the restaurants of Manhattan that Clean Plates N.Y.C. insightfully, engagingly, and reliably leads us.

David Katz, MD, Yale University School of Medicine

Knowledge is power, and awareness is the first step in healing. Clean Plates NYC is a highly valuable source of information that can empower you to make informed and intelligent choices about where to eat in New York.

Dean Ornish, MD, Bestselling Author Eat More, Weigh Less

There should be a clean plates for every city in the country! An invaluable resource to help you navigate to real food in a toxic nutritional wasteland.

Mark Hyman, MD, NY Times bestselling author of UltraMetabolism

Hurray for Clean Plates NYC - a quick, thorough, and easy way to eat well in The Big Apple

Christiane Northrup, MD, bestselling author of Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom

A cute compact volume in Tiffany blue dedicated to culling New Yorks best healthy, sustainable restaurants... Its less preachy than practical... an ideal gift for someone trying to make a positive change in their diet, and a useful one for any foodie looking for better ways to eat and to live.

Andrea Strong of The Strong Buzz

This is the best guide to healthy eating at the most delicious places in NYC

Mariel Hemingway, Academy Award nominated actress

The most comprehensive pocket guide I have ever read. Not only will you learn where to dine, but how to make healthy choices for yourself and the planet. Please create one for every city.

Kris Carr, NY Times bestselling Author, Crazy Sexy Life

I BELIEVE THERE IS a dream diet for everyoneits just not the same for each person. That brings me to a key principle of this book:

As nutrition pioneer Roger Williams writes in his groundbreaking 1950s book Biochemical Individuality, If we continue to try to solve problems on the basis of the average man, we will be continually in a muddle. Such a man does not exist.

Were all biochemicallygenetically, hormonally and so ondifferent, and the idea that this should guide our eating habits has recently begun to excite the leading-edge medical and nutrition community. Experts are beginning to talk about the benefits of individualizing our diets rather than giving advice based on recommended daily allowances (RDA) or the United States Department of Agricultures (USDAS) My Plate, both created with the average person in mind.

As you read through my list of how were all unique, some of the points may seem obvious (of course someone training for a marathon requires different foods than someone sitting in front of a computer all day, for instance). But part of what Id like to get across is that these distinctions manifest themselves not only between individuals, but also between your different selvesyour tired self, your active self and the like. The key is to pay attention to how your body reacts to various foods and to what its telling you at any given moment.

Genetic Makeup: To a large extent, the anatomy and body chemistry that you inherited from your ancestors determine your nutritional needs and ability to benefit from particular foods. For example, a few recent studies have shown that some people possess the genetic ability to metabolize caffeine more efficiently than others. Research has also revealed that specific groups of people have the genetic makeup to absorb vitamin B12 with ease, or benefit greatly from broccolis cancer-fighting nutrientswhile others lack those genes.

Culture and Background: Your ethnicity and upbringing influence how your body acts. For instance, several of my friends have inherited a genetic ability enabling them to drink milk, but my friend who is Asian is lactose intolerant, as are many of his compatriotshis grandparents came to America from a country where milk rarely makes it onto the menu. So its helpful to consider which foods are part of your culture and background, and incorporate the appropriate ones into your diet.

Lifestyle: Aman training for a marathon requires different foods than a person who does an hour of yoga each week.

Day-to-day physical health: Pay attention to your physical health symptoms to figure out what foods you need. Sick? Miso soup may be just the thing. Sneezing constantly? Avoid dairy and sugar; the former causes the body to produce mucus and the latter weakens the immune system.

Gender: Whether youre a man or a woman affects your diet needs. For example, menstruating women require more iron than men, but men need more zinc than their female counterparts to nourish their reproductive systems.

Age: A growing, active teen will be ravenous at dinnertime; the same person, 60 years later, will likely find that his appetite is waning.

Seasons and Climate: Even the weather affects whats best for you to eat. When its hot outside, the body will likely crave cooling foods like salads; on a cold winter day, hot soup is more appealing.