7 Calgary Restaurants With Healthier Options
Dining out is an enjoyable treat, but sometimes it’s hard to find the kinds of healthy foods you can make at home. We’ve rounded up seven cafés and restaurants that offer a variety of freshly prepared healthy choices that take the guilt out of dining. These Calgary restaurants (and one in Banff) offer a snapshot of some of the best vegetarian, vegan and clean eating choices in the area.
1. Heaven Artisan GF Cuisine
If you’re looking for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or vegetarian fare, this Hanson Square restaurant is a good pick. The goal at Heaven Artisan is to create fresh, healthy choices for people with food sensitivities. Eating gluten-free or vegan dishes can be a delicious experience at this fully gluten-free restaurant.
2. River CaféÂ
Another farm-to-table dining option in the Calgary area is the River Café at Prince’s Island Park. The dishes there are sourced from seasonal local vegetables and meats. The chefs at River Café butcher, cure and smoke the meats on the premises, and they also offer organic artisanal breads. Their fruit preserves are made on-site and serve as the basis for the delectable specialty pastries.
3. Veg-In YYC
If you’re not a meat-eater, check out this downtown restaurant’s creative vegetarian dishes. It’s a take-out café that’s dedicated to providing fresh homemade vegan and vegetarian cuisine. You’ll find traditional recipes here, as well as some original ones. You can also pick up hot and cold beverages and organic bottled drinks.
4. The Coup
This modern restaurant strives to be ethical in both cuisine and business practices, using GMO-free grains, organic produce and recycled paper products. Their produce selections include organic rainbow greens and a kale and portabella mushroom salad. The varied menu ranges from burgers to falafel to chow mein. This ‘ethical vegetarian’ restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Calgary at 17th Ave.
5. White Rose Vegetarian Kitchen
‘Innovative’ and ‘creative’ is the way White Rose describes its cuisine. The Northwest Calgary restaurant is mostly vegetarian, and nearly everything on the menu is gluten-free. They even break down the dining categories into vegan, vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian and pescatarian, and the staff is well-versed in varied dietary needs. The restaurant offers take-out along with dining in the lounge or on the patio.
6. Nourish Bistro
If you don’t mind going further for gourmet clean eating, this restaurant in Banff bills itself as ‘mostly’ meatless and gluten-free. They also have an eco-bar with organic selections in wine, beer and liquor. The focus is on gluten-free, organic and raw foods with house-made preserved fruits and jams. The Nourish Bistro offers hot and cold selections and desserts like ‘Raw Cheeze Cake’. You can also get traditional comfort foods like ramen, burgers and mac & cheese.
7. Broxburn Vegetables & Café
The name of this restaurant gives away the healthy bent of the cuisine there. It’s a produce store with a dining area, but the café isn’t just an afterthought. Paul & Hilda de Jonge grow the veggies on their 80-acre farm 3 miles east of Lethbridge on the Broxburn road. The market and restaurant are next to it, and the café showcases farm fresh vegetables, homemade fruit pies and bakery specials.
Healthy Eating is Going Mainstream
As you can see by the variety of organic and farm-to-table restaurants we’ve listed here, healthy eating isn’t just a fad. More vegetarian, gluten-free, organic and scratch-made choices are cropping up every day in Calgary. Try one or all of these great restaurants today! Not only will they help you feel healthier, they may even help you shed some extra pounds!
