CHICAGO, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The beginning of 2015 offers the opportunity to start the year fresh, and for many, this “fresh start” means improving health, diet and exercise habits. With this in mind, GrubHub, the nation’s leading online and mobile food-ordering service, has partnered with Eat This, Not That!, the foremost consumer resource for no-diet weight loss and healthy food choices, to identify the most impactful food swaps and special instructions for some of America’s most popular takeout menus.

To see how Americans alter their takeout orders to help fulfill New Year’s resolutions, GrubHub analyzed a year’s worth of order data and uncovered the special requests and instructions that are more popular during the first two weeks of January, when New Year’s resolutions are in full swing.

Health-Conscious Special Instructions More Commonly Ordered to Start the New Year^*

1. No Bread/Bun: 15 percent more commonly ordered
2. Dressing on the Side: 14 percent more commonly ordered
3. Easy Rice: 14 percent more commonly ordered
4. Easy on the Cheese or No Cheese: Seven percent more commonly ordered
5. Substitute Brown Rice: Four percent more commonly ordered

In addition to identifying the special requests that see the biggest jump in popularity, GrubHub analysts identified the cities, coast-to-coast, that are most likely to make health-conscious customizations at the start of the New Year.

Top 10 Cities Making Healthy Eating Resolutions to Start the New Year^*

1. Tempe, Ariz. – Healthful special requests jumped 46 percent
2. Champaign, Ill. – Healthful special requests jumped 36 percent
3. Denver – Healthful special requests jumped 25 percent
4. Houston – Healthful special requests jumped 24 percent
5. Columbus, Ohio – Healthful special requests jumped 24 percent
6. Ridgewood, N.Y. – Healthful special requests jumped 20 percent
7. Rochester, N.Y. – Healthful special requests jumped 16 percent
8. D.C. – Healthful special requests jumped 15 percent
9. New York City – Healthful special requests jumped 13 percent
10. Oakland, Calif. – Healthful special requests jumped 12 percent

According to the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, “losing weight” is at the top of New Year’s resolutions lists, but only eight percent of Americans are successful in achieving that resolution. In an effort to help diners make more impactful “healthy” choices in 2015, GrubHub enlisted the help of the diet and nutrition experts at Eat This, Not That! to come up with the best health-conscious special requests for takeout.

Top Swaps for Making Favorite Takeout Foods Healthier

1. Pizza – Slice of Cheese Pizza

• EAT THIS: Order thin crust instead of regular crust.
• SAVE: 60 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates for every slice!
• Overlooked Healthy Option When Ordering Pizza: Ham is one of the best pizza toppings on the menu. It’s lean and loaded with protein.

2. Chinese – Lo Mein

• EAT THIS: Order Vegetable Lo Mein instead of Chicken Lo Mein.
• SAVE: 325 calories, 7.6 grams of fat (1.5 grams saturated), and 257 milligrams sodium. (And utilize GrubHub’s special instruction box to request extra veggies!).
• Overlooked Healthy Option When Ordering Chinese: Kung Pao Chicken. Made with roasted peanuts, dried chilies, and a slew of other vegetables, Kung Pao Chicken can be one of the best entrées on the Chinese menu because the chicken isn’t fried.

3. Japanese – Sushi Rolls

• EAT THIS: Order a plain tuna roll with a side of chili sauce or sriracha instead of a spicy tuna roll.
• SAVE: At least 150 calories, 13 grams of fat and 245 milligrams of sodium per roll. The “spicy” in Spicy Tuna Rolls comes from a dab of mayo mixed with Asian chili sauce.
• Overlooked Healthy Option When Ordering Sushi: Mackerel. Often overlooked for more popular fish like salmon and tuna, mackerel has twice the amount of heart-healthy, inflammation-reducing, cancer-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, making it one of the healthiest fish in the sea.

4.  Mexican – Tacos

• EAT THIS: Order tacos with soft corn tortillas instead of hard shell tacos.
• SAVE: 8 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat in just one, three-taco serving.
• Overlooked Healthy Option When Ordering Mexican: Pozole is a delicious broth-based soup built around hominy – a fiber-loaded member of the maize family. It’s packed with chili peppers, which impart antioxidant capsaicins, and pork, which adds high-quality protein.

5. Indian – Chicken Tikka Masala

• EAT THIS: Order your Chicken Tikka Masala with all white meat instead of dark meat.
• SAVE: 50 calories or more per serving. Every calorie makes an impact in a recipe that’s comprised of fat-rich ingredients like ghee, whole milk yogurt and heavy cream.
• Overlooked Healthy Option When Ordering Indian: Tandoori. Made in a clay oven that cooks small, tender slabs of protein, tandoori menu items like kebabs and chicken are some of the leanest items on Indian menus.

“Eat This, Not That! has impacted millions of people’s lives by showing them the weight-loss power of simple swaps,” says David Zinczenko, bestselling author of the Eat This, Not That! series and Chairman and CEO of Galvanized. “And with GrubHub’s Special Instructions box, making these healthy swaps and substitutions has never been easier.”

To find takeout restaurants available in your area, please visit GrubHub.com, and for more information on GrubHub Inc., please visit http://media.grubhub.com.

About GrubHub
GrubHub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation’s leading online and mobile food ordering company dedicated to connecting hungry diners with local takeout restaurants. The company’s online and mobile ordering platforms allow diners to order directly from approximately 30,000 takeout restaurants in more than 800 U.S. cities and London. Every order is supported by the company’s 24/7 customer service teams.

About Eat This, Not That
With each book a best-seller, the Eat This, Not That! series has changed the way America eats. By alerting Americans to the shocking and often hidden nutritional facts about our food over the course of 17 books, more than 100 television segments, and the new Eat This, Not That! magazine, author David Zinczenko and coauthor Matt Goulding have inspired local and national consumer-protection laws and forced the restaurant industry to change their ways. In the words of Ellen DeGeneres, “Eat This, Not That! will freak the weight right off of you!”

^*Based on orders made in the first two weeks of January 2014 (1/1/2014 – 1/14/2014) versus the last two weeks in December 2013 (12/18/2013 -12/31/2013).