First REAL Certified Restaurants Named In New York

At the James Beard House, the United States Healthful Food Council just announced the 32 restaurants across New York City that have received the prestigious badge of "Eat REAL Certified," including Bareburger,'wichcraft, and Rose Water. These restaurants join the hundreds across the country who have met the strict guidelines to show that they are committed to serving healthful and natural food, running a green eatery, sourcing sustainable ingredients from local sources when they can, and cutting down on portion sizes and waste. In other words: bringing us back to real and natural food.

"We want to take this very special occasion to honor those chefs and restaurants whose owners take seriously the direct relationships between the foods they serve and the health of their customers," said USHFC CEO Lawrence Williams.

The index used to determine a restaurant's "real" status is a points system based on a questionnaire that asks if the establishment has a soda fountain, how much of the menu contains deep-fried items, what percentage of the menu is vegetarian or vegan, and what are the most commonly-used ingredients, among other items.

Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi