The holiday season, in all its gluttonous and bacchanalian glory, has come to a close. (Praise be!) We’ve toasted the start of a new year and the much-anticipated end of what will surely come to be known in the history books as the Year that Killed Almost Every Good Person and Ideal We Ever Had. We’ve eaten our weight in turkey, mashed everything, fried foods, chocolate and latkes. We’ve drunk our way through more bubbly, beer and craft spirits than were thought to exist. In short, we’re now fatter, happier (hopefully), and slightly more mentally fortified to take on what is sure to be a newsworthy year.
Meanwhile, our bodies are still a bit lethargic comatose and our brains a bit befuddled. With school and work itching to make us miserable again, the only recourse is to eat foods that will give us energy and the will to live another day. (And maybe go easy on our much-abused livers.)
To that end, here are a few places where eating out will not add to your already high cholesterol count or brand-new muffin top.
Railtown Café
The popular café and catering company just opened a second location on Howe, and it features an epic build-your-own salad bar that includes greens, grains, pickled and fresh veggies, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, and crispy things like bacon and squash chips. Plus, there are a handful of cheeses, about a dozen dressings, and optional additional proteins. At $10 all-inclusive (apart from the optional proteins), you can create a salad that will fill you up without filling you out. Plus, their sandwiches will trick you into thinking they’re less healthy than they really are, which is always appreciated. RailtownCafe.ca
Field & Social
I’ve written about this place before, and it’s worth bringing up again. This is a lovely salad purveyor that creates a seasonal list of healthy bowls filled with beauty, like the Persian Herb Salad ($12) with various herbs and lettuces, shallots, tomato, cucumber, radish, walnuts, black-sesame feta, and a side of sangak, a lovely, chewy Persian flatbread. Another excellent choice is the Farmer’s Crop ($11); warm potato, arugula, seared Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, shallot and a soft-boiled egg make for a hearty yet healthy meal, especially when paired with toasted rye bread. You can also add on items like a ramen egg, mixed veggies, smoked tofu and various proteins for an additional charge (and for extra padding against the cold). FieldAndSocial.com
The Arbor
Vegetarian and vegan eats get a shout-out at the brand-new Arbor, little sister to the Acorn. Some fried items – like broccoli popcorn and artichoke nuggets ($8 each) – might not be the healthiest items (albeit tasty), but there’s no arguing with the vegan pulled-jackfruit steam buns ($9) stuffed with shitakes and barbecued jackfruit, or marinated tofu salad rolls ($8) with Thai basil, crispy yam, vermicelli and tamari-cashew sauce. TheArborRestaurant.ca
SMAK Fast Food
Healthy fast food might seem like an oxymoron, but thanks to SMAK, it’s now a reality. The menu is entirely gluten-free, and everything from the takeout containers to the ingredients are sustainable and fair trade. The sausage breakfast sandwich ($6.65) is made with multi-seed bread, organic free-range eggs, onion jam, and organic, house-made pork sausage. For something more substantial, the veggie hash ($8.95) is a bowlful of roasted Portobello mushrooms, tomato and spinach, with that lovely onion jam and scrambled eggs over a thick bed of potatoes. This is also one of the few places in the city offering gluten-free oatmeal. SmakFastFood.com
Anya Levykh is a food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
