Start, a healthy fast food option, is located on 4814 Greenville Ave in Dallas, TX. (Courtesy of Start)

As an SMU student, we take on a full course load, social obligations and commitments to jobs and campus organizations. When is there time to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal? Rarely, right?

But the good news is that now there is a place that will do it for you, for an affordable price. You can get lean, eat out and eat quickly at Start. My roommate recently took me there for the first time and it’s a really neat place.

The vibe of the restaurant is earthly, but chic. You feel clean there, like you’re doing something good for your body.

The atmosphere alone encourages you to want to make better food choices even though you’re eating out. That’s easy to do at Start since the items on their menu are healthy, yummy, and available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For dinner I ordered a delicious “Savory Tater”, which is a sweet potato topped with roasted chicken, spinach, bleu cheese and drizzled with a little house-made buttermilk dressing. It was delicious, unique and filling; and it was only $7.

Start offers unique meals such as this one or more traditional items with a healthy twist such as a “Better Burger” or an “Egg White and Veggie Sandwich” for breakfast (like an Egg McMuffin, but good for you).

One detail that I really liked at Start is that they encourage you to drink beverages other than soda, which offers no health benefits what so ever. Start offers drinks such as fruit smoothies, herbal teas, fresh fruit and veggie juices and “shade grown organic coffee.”

If none of these strike your fancy, I personally really enjoyed the orange, lime and lemon slices they serve with their water. They are a fun and refreshing touch.