Hey Newark, Looking to Eat Healthy? Give Better Bites a Try

The weekday downtown dining scene in Newark offers a lot of scrumptious options, from barbecue to Iberian to falafel to the old reliable for the on-the-go office worker, a couple of dogs with everything from one of the city’s many lunch trucks.

Better Bites, an eatery on Raymond Boulevard, is among the more healthful of those choices.

Better Bites is the brainchild of two Seton Hall University alumni,  VJ Derbarghamian and Gabriel DaSilva, who left the corporate world after a few years to pursue their passion of serving up nutritious, flavorful meals. Now serving breakfast and lunch, Better Bites' menu includes vegetarian dishes, an extensive salad bar, whole wheat waffles, turkey bacon, salmon burgers, “smashed” sweet potatoes  and even bison (as a burger or as part of other dishes).   

You can also pick up a classic American burger, although one with a healthy twist: Better Bites uses only lean ground beef.

DaSilva said his restaurant caters to people, like himself and his partner, who are into food as well as  fitness. The menu is carefully designed to appeal to those keeping an eye on their intake of calories, fat and carbs.

The dishes are also priced for those keeping an eye on their wallets -- the selection of wraps, which includes chicken ceasar, chicken or turkey club and vegetarian, are all priced at $7.99 off the catering menu, for example. The Bison Breakfast -- lean ground bison, egg whites, spinach and tomato -- is just $4.99. Sides like fruit, turkey bacon or avocado are just 99 cents each.

Other offerings include a Kashi bar, fruit cup and the “Protein Plus,” a lean beef burger topped with whole egg whites, turkey bacon and low-fat mozzarella and served on a whole what bun.   

Better Bites, 1186 Raymond Boulevard, is open 7 am to 5 pm weekdays. Phone: 973-242-1193; fax 973-242-1194.