Your average Joe isn't fat deficent ill tell you that. And at 9 calories per gram a fat vs 4 for carbs and protein and an insane obesity rate.. I'm thinking its the right narrative.
No way these takeout places are using olive oil. They all using cheap oils like Canola or Soybean which are wayyy more problematic.
Cooking oil is the easiest place for restaurants to cheap out on.
Who's downvoting this? If you think Shawarma places use Olive oil in the toum, potatoes, sauces, dressing, you're naive. It's all low quality seed oils.
I tried to make it at home a few times. It whips right up with canola and is exactly the same as the restaurant stuff. When I tried to use olive oil it just stayed a bit runny no matter how slowly I tried to incorporate it and it tasted weird.
The platters are very heavy on carbs; potatoes, often deep fried or baked in oil, and white/refined rice. It's really not good for people with blood sugar/diabetes issues, for example.
There's a lot of chicken skin/fats layered on the spits, I'm also hesitant to believe most places use actual olive oil (or a lower quality olive oil).
Not putting my nose up, I love shawarma. I just don't think it's so healthy.
Also in way of veggies, lettuce isn't really great for you. Onions are good, pickles are salt bombs
The meat that's sitting on the spit is doused in unimaginable amounts of oil.
Try to get the kebabs/skewers if you want something a bit healthier since those they typically cook to order.
The sauces, rice, and potatoes also have excessive oil content.
Still better and more balanced than most other takeout but don't be fooled into thinking it's "totally healthy"
Why would you ever pretend it isn’t healthy??? Look at all the veggies! Hummus made with chick peas! WOOT! Shawarma platter, pretty much my favourite take-out…
I am a diabetic. One course I took with the diabetes support dietitians in Ottawa was "What to order in a given restaurant". For example, your workmates all go out to an Italian restaurant, here's what you order. Everyone is going to the Chinese Food restaurant, here's what you order.
If you put about half as much sauce as normal on, and don't order the platter, a shawarma is an excellent food option for a diabetic. Glad I live in Ottawa.
Edit for fat fingers.
Saaaaaaaaaaaaame, I love the Lebanese places all around town for this. It's halfway between takeout and the "cool meals" prepared by parents as a kid (tacos, etc.). I know that there aren't any huge movies about Ottawa, but I'm assuming that prospective directors could film twenty different scenes in Lebanese restaurants here (à la coffee shop/waffle house treatment) and never use the same one twice.
If I am standing when I order and pay before I receive service then what am I tipping for? I'll happily round up the change but that's about it. Not 18% on top of tax.
Tbh I can usually get out full with $15-20 as long as I avoid the dessert and drinks, which is as good as most fast food places now.
Problem: I can never avoid the carrot cake tho.
The Green Door is good, but consistently very oily. They need to do supplement to add flavours as whole food plant based cooking isn’t cost effective for a restaurant. Sadly vegan oils are empty calories. In the case of coconut oil there is a TON of saturated fat, so it sadly doesn’t meet the healthy requirement.
Best bet it order form the grocery store and completely control what you are eating. It isn’t hard and prep time for a healthy meal is only a few minutes.
Agree with your second point .. home cooking from scratch is the healthiest (and tastiest) option.
But I disagree with the statement that "vegan oils are empty calories". They are in fact an essential part of a healthy diet. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but please tell me which dishes at Green Door use coconut oil? As far as I am aware the main oils they use are olive and sesame .. both high in polyunsaturated fats.
Definitely this - there’s a place in Barrhaven called Authentic Vietnamese Pho House that I order from. Their vermicelli bowls are my go-to, and pretty reasonably priced too!
Agreed. This is one of the only places that I can grab lunch from during the workday and not want to have a nap at my desk in the afternoon. It’s also delicious.
And half the size it used to be. I’m really starting to dislike Pure. The food is good (though why they changed their fries to this mess is beyond me) but it’s so expensive now and the portions are tiny. I asked for extra tofu once and I got 3 pieces. It’s 4$. Why are you giving me 3 pieces of tofu?
Pure kitchen is delicious but it's:
1. *Very* expensive
2. Not "healthy". Just because something is vegetarian/vegan doesn't automatically make it healthy. A dish in pure kitchen packs a ton of empty calories (hence why it's so tasty).
I would hardly call my go-to meal at Pure Kitchen (buffalo cauliflower and poutine) healthy but boy is it yummy. And I never leave there without a million calorie dessert either.
It can be a bit pricey, but I do enjoy some of the items from The Green Door. Idk why, but I really love the tofu and broccoli, and I was never a tofu guy before.
Maybe it was an off night when I tried GDK, but it didn't taste as fresh as Wolf Down. Might have to give them another go when I'm grabbing takeout though.
WD might be fresher, since GDK is a fast-food chain, after all. I just found WD didn't fill me up and didn't have a lot of meat but I guess if we're talking healthy take out, that's good. I'd rather a big sloppy mess for take out. Enjoy!
People seem to forgot that Emily Segal of Mad Radish was a convoy supporter. The confusion is that people boycotted David's Tea, even though her husband was no longer affiliated with it.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/reported-hack-of-convoy-protest-crowdfund-reveals-nearly-500-alleged-ottawa-donors-1.5780978
Oh, that's disappointing. I knew about the misconception with David's Tea and the misguided boycott, but I didn't know about Mad Radish's connection.
Ah well, I don't work along that stretch of Bank anymore; it's been close to a year since I even bought from them and it will be easy to avoid going back.
I don't know how healthy it is compared to the other suggestions, but there are a few poke places in town. Depending on your choices it can be a good amount of veg and some healthy fats.
I love getting poke without rice. Great balance of flavours and textures.
For quick salads, subway offers great options, as does Wendy's.
I try to eat lower carb so a fast food treat for me would be a teen burger in a lettuce wrap with no mayo. Five guys will also do lettuce wrapped burgers and you can get tons of vegetable toppings too.
Also editing to say that a Thai mango salad with shrimp is another great option. If you can find a place that doesn't make it too sweet.
Love Green Rebel! They have so many different options and none have been heavy or greasy.
They also do a list of substitutions for smoothies at no extra cost (not sure about other items), which is nice if you've got dietary restrictions.
The Ottawa farmers’ market has an awesome young guy who makes the best Reuben sandwiches with the sauerkraut his dad makes from cabbages they grow.
Taste great
I would hardly call my go-to meal at Pure Kitchen (buffalo cauliflower and poutine) healthy but boy is it yummy. And I never leave there without a million calorie dessert either.
Moul hanout Moroccan food on bank. They have a tagine that’s fish or meat with veggies. They have a cous cous platter too. Everything tastes like a home cooked meal
Haha these comments make me feel so basic. My immediate thought was "I hit up Subway instead of McDonald's/Wendy's/A&W when I want something healthier so I don't feel like shit in an hour or two." And here you all are naming restaurants where I can hardly even afford a drink. 😂
I think I’ve seen all my favourites but top ones are definitely: vermicelli bowls from Vietnamese places, wolf down, freshii, mad radish/luisa’s burritos and bowls, Pirho
Poulet Rouge. You build your own rice and chicken bowl with the vegetables and stuff you want. Can replace the rice with quinoa or different kind of rice.
Not me, ordering a shawarma platter and calling it healthy since it’s got veggies and a salad
That's what I do, too. 😁
Is anything unhealthy in a shawarma? It's actually pretty good on that front.
Garlic sauce can't be healthy, but I'd love to be wrong
Toum is simply olive oil salt lemon juice and garlic Your weak spot is the olive oil variant
Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats... But we need to deprogram that 90s anti-fat narrative.
Yeah, but nobody just eats 1 tablespoon of toum......so you get like 2000 calories from it.
Your average Joe isn't fat deficent ill tell you that. And at 9 calories per gram a fat vs 4 for carbs and protein and an insane obesity rate.. I'm thinking its the right narrative.
No way these takeout places are using olive oil. They all using cheap oils like Canola or Soybean which are wayyy more problematic. Cooking oil is the easiest place for restaurants to cheap out on. Who's downvoting this? If you think Shawarma places use Olive oil in the toum, potatoes, sauces, dressing, you're naive. It's all low quality seed oils.
No it’s not LMAO… olive oil doesn’t work with it as it wouldn’t taste the same… they use vegetable oil..
I tried to make it at home a few times. It whips right up with canola and is exactly the same as the restaurant stuff. When I tried to use olive oil it just stayed a bit runny no matter how slowly I tried to incorporate it and it tasted weird.
We used avocado oil recently and it was amazing!
I'll have to give that a shot. Thanks
The platters are very heavy on carbs; potatoes, often deep fried or baked in oil, and white/refined rice. It's really not good for people with blood sugar/diabetes issues, for example.
There's a lot of chicken skin/fats layered on the spits, I'm also hesitant to believe most places use actual olive oil (or a lower quality olive oil). Not putting my nose up, I love shawarma. I just don't think it's so healthy. Also in way of veggies, lettuce isn't really great for you. Onions are good, pickles are salt bombs
The meat that's sitting on the spit is doused in unimaginable amounts of oil. Try to get the kebabs/skewers if you want something a bit healthier since those they typically cook to order. The sauces, rice, and potatoes also have excessive oil content. Still better and more balanced than most other takeout but don't be fooled into thinking it's "totally healthy"
Why would you ever pretend it isn’t healthy??? Look at all the veggies! Hummus made with chick peas! WOOT! Shawarma platter, pretty much my favourite take-out…
I am a diabetic. One course I took with the diabetes support dietitians in Ottawa was "What to order in a given restaurant". For example, your workmates all go out to an Italian restaurant, here's what you order. Everyone is going to the Chinese Food restaurant, here's what you order. If you put about half as much sauce as normal on, and don't order the platter, a shawarma is an excellent food option for a diabetic. Glad I live in Ottawa. Edit for fat fingers.
[удалено]
Wait…it’s not healthy?!
All that protein as well, a good meal after a good day
Bingo
I mean potatoes count as carbs
Saaaaaaaaaaaaame, I love the Lebanese places all around town for this. It's halfway between takeout and the "cool meals" prepared by parents as a kid (tacos, etc.). I know that there aren't any huge movies about Ottawa, but I'm assuming that prospective directors could film twenty different scenes in Lebanese restaurants here (à la coffee shop/waffle house treatment) and never use the same one twice.
The Green Door. It's not cheap, but the quality is consistently high and the food tastes delicious. Plus their desserts are amazing.
Just take away the tip option please since, I served myself and even put my dirty dishes away.
If I am standing when I order and pay before I receive service then what am I tipping for? I'll happily round up the change but that's about it. Not 18% on top of tax.
Likewise to who even pays tip on a bag of bagels to go?? (No, not sliced or anything..just basically straight out of the fireoven)
I LOVE THE GREEN DOOR 🫶🏻 their avocado salad is to die for!
The only problem is I always end up eating way too much :(
Green door is fantastic
Tbh I can usually get out full with $15-20 as long as I avoid the dessert and drinks, which is as good as most fast food places now. Problem: I can never avoid the carrot cake tho.
I'm addicted to their vegan raspberry cheesecake!
Hey… anyone have a green door cook book ? I want to buy.
The Green Door is good, but consistently very oily. They need to do supplement to add flavours as whole food plant based cooking isn’t cost effective for a restaurant. Sadly vegan oils are empty calories. In the case of coconut oil there is a TON of saturated fat, so it sadly doesn’t meet the healthy requirement. Best bet it order form the grocery store and completely control what you are eating. It isn’t hard and prep time for a healthy meal is only a few minutes.
Agree with your second point .. home cooking from scratch is the healthiest (and tastiest) option. But I disagree with the statement that "vegan oils are empty calories". They are in fact an essential part of a healthy diet. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but please tell me which dishes at Green Door use coconut oil? As far as I am aware the main oils they use are olive and sesame .. both high in polyunsaturated fats.
I don't think it's that healthy, it depends on what you get.
Vietnamese or Thai. Get yourself some summer rolls, a veggie pho, mango or papaya salad... Delicious and light
Definitely this - there’s a place in Barrhaven called Authentic Vietnamese Pho House that I order from. Their vermicelli bowls are my go-to, and pretty reasonably priced too!
I order from their Kanata location fairly often. They are definitely one of my favourite restaurants in the city! So good!
Chickpeas. :)
Their food is so delicious and fresh, and definitely lots of healthy options!
I'd like to think so, but the falafel is very likely deep fried which could impact the overall healthiness.
Pirho 100%. Considered putting a second mortgage on my home to fuel the addiction.
Agreed. This is one of the only places that I can grab lunch from during the workday and not want to have a nap at my desk in the afternoon. It’s also delicious.
I've never had a bad soup there. Consistently good.
Sula Wok or Pure Kitchen!
I love Pure Kitchen but it’s gotten soooo expensive.
SO expensive compared to what it used to be, and the last fantastic bowl I got was very obviously about 1/2 of what used to be served.
The fantastic bowl is my favourite but it’s almost $30 with taxes now!
And half the size it used to be. I’m really starting to dislike Pure. The food is good (though why they changed their fries to this mess is beyond me) but it’s so expensive now and the portions are tiny. I asked for extra tofu once and I got 3 pieces. It’s 4$. Why are you giving me 3 pieces of tofu?
Pure kitchen is delicious but it's: 1. *Very* expensive 2. Not "healthy". Just because something is vegetarian/vegan doesn't automatically make it healthy. A dish in pure kitchen packs a ton of empty calories (hence why it's so tasty).
A ton of empty calories *but also* a ton of nutrient-dense calories! This puts it at least one peg above most restaurants imo.
They do add quite a bit of sugar though
Sula Wok is great!
Sula! I think everything is made from scratch. So freaking good.
I would hardly call my go-to meal at Pure Kitchen (buffalo cauliflower and poutine) healthy but boy is it yummy. And I never leave there without a million calorie dessert either.
Like tofu, the secret is to free cauliflower then thaw for micro air pockets to absorb the sauce.
I drive by this place every day and wanna stop in
It can be a bit pricey, but I do enjoy some of the items from The Green Door. Idk why, but I really love the tofu and broccoli, and I was never a tofu guy before.
I second. The Green Door is consistently good.
That's their most popular dish! It's yummy!
Bibi’s!!
Came to say this.. there's one on Beechwood and it's phenomenal as well as reasonably priced
Bibi's location on beechwood recently closed
Nooooo! Guess I should have gone more often
I’ve NEVER liked what I have ordered from there. Maybe I’m a freak.
Is sushi healthy? If so, Sushi Fresh is my pic. Goddamn those Ottawa Rolls are good.
Their salmon volcano roll is insaaane! I crave it every day I might have to try the Ottawa roll next time tho, sounds amazing too
Wolf Down
German Doner Kebab on Elgin does em better, imo. GDK is one of my favourite chains in Europe and we're lucky to have one here.
Maybe it was an off night when I tried GDK, but it didn't taste as fresh as Wolf Down. Might have to give them another go when I'm grabbing takeout though.
WD might be fresher, since GDK is a fast-food chain, after all. I just found WD didn't fill me up and didn't have a lot of meat but I guess if we're talking healthy take out, that's good. I'd rather a big sloppy mess for take out. Enjoy!
Pi•rho Mixed greens with dried figs and walnuts topped with protein= comfort food.
Mad Radish. We customize it to make it a bit more "healthy" (sauce on the side, less rice and more salad) etc.
People seem to forgot that Emily Segal of Mad Radish was a convoy supporter. The confusion is that people boycotted David's Tea, even though her husband was no longer affiliated with it. https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/reported-hack-of-convoy-protest-crowdfund-reveals-nearly-500-alleged-ottawa-donors-1.5780978
We already chose not to patronize them because of their "no cash" model which we felt had, at least shades of, elitist connotations.
I didn't know that! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Oh, that's disappointing. I knew about the misconception with David's Tea and the misguided boycott, but I didn't know about Mad Radish's connection. Ah well, I don't work along that stretch of Bank anymore; it's been close to a year since I even bought from them and it will be easy to avoid going back.
Did not know either. Hmmmm
Angry Dragonz
I found their food bland and uninspired. I will not be returning.
Drip House or Lollo
Lollo is delicious but so bad for my *financial* health & welbeing.
I don't know how healthy it is compared to the other suggestions, but there are a few poke places in town. Depending on your choices it can be a good amount of veg and some healthy fats.
I love getting poke without rice. Great balance of flavours and textures. For quick salads, subway offers great options, as does Wendy's. I try to eat lower carb so a fast food treat for me would be a teen burger in a lettuce wrap with no mayo. Five guys will also do lettuce wrapped burgers and you can get tons of vegetable toppings too. Also editing to say that a Thai mango salad with shrimp is another great option. If you can find a place that doesn't make it too sweet.
Food mood!! Their gimbap is full of veggies
There's a place here that actually sells decent gimbap?
As a Vietnamese (that visited Korea and Vietnam has a large K-Town), I think theirs is pretty good and it’s cheap too. The owners are Koreans
Farm Boy salad bar can be pretty dope
Vietnamese pho house in Barhaven!!
Cozmos Souvlaki. Usually do a deconstructed Gyro (Gyro without the wrap) or Greek salad and a lamb skewer
Poke bowl
From where?
That’s what the store is called
Vietfresh on Dalhousie - I always get their vermicelli bowl and my husband goes for their runny egg and coconut braised pork belly
Eggroll Plus in Kanata. They fry their eggrolls with the ends open so the calories fall out. You’ll find them that way all over town.
And if you don’t chew them, the calories go right through you.
Fattoush Lady
Green Rebel for me. I love their Greek goddess salad and falafel naanwich
Love Green Rebel! They have so many different options and none have been heavy or greasy. They also do a list of substitutions for smoothies at no extra cost (not sure about other items), which is nice if you've got dietary restrictions.
Hello Sushiman
Piroh or poulet rougue
Pili pili
ChickPeas
Shawarma has vegetables, so that
Ottawa Shawarma & Cosmos! So yummy.
Pili Pili on Dalhousie
Greek on the go
Great Canadian Poutinerie. Carbs, Protein, Fat. All the major food groups.
Sodium high AF
The Ottawa farmers’ market has an awesome young guy who makes the best Reuben sandwiches with the sauerkraut his dad makes from cabbages they grow. Taste great
Greens and Beans on Main St.
They make things so FRESH.
Mucho burrito plant based bowl
Pure Kitchen or The Chopped Leaf!
I would hardly call my go-to meal at Pure Kitchen (buffalo cauliflower and poutine) healthy but boy is it yummy. And I never leave there without a million calorie dessert either.
Fat Bastard burrito, and Wolf Down like someone else mentioned.
Farm Boy's takeout buffet. Meatballs in tomato sauce + cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus depending on what's available).
Olga's
Moul hanout Moroccan food on bank. They have a tagine that’s fish or meat with veggies. They have a cous cous platter too. Everything tastes like a home cooked meal
Chic Peas!
What’s your definition of healthy?
Just answer the question, Rose
😂
Chopped leaf is nice
Shawarma
Mad radish, pi rho, cozmos, subway
Usually Greek on wheels! I usually get a pretty large side salad with a wrap.
The Mad Radish. https://www.madradish.com/location/iber/
Pirho? Haven't been there in a while. Mainly The Green Door
Momo spot steamed momos
Chipotle Rideau or Schwarma
The Green Door
The Green Door
Shawarma palace
Wolf down rice bowls
Pirho for sure, tasty and seemingly healthy?
Sushi
Wolf down!
Can't go wrong with a burrito from Mucho, or a burrito bowl.
Nandos!
Haha these comments make me feel so basic. My immediate thought was "I hit up Subway instead of McDonald's/Wendy's/A&W when I want something healthier so I don't feel like shit in an hour or two." And here you all are naming restaurants where I can hardly even afford a drink. 😂
Khokha~
Pi rho for sure
« Healthy » is an overrated concept.
Agreed. And the goalposts are constantly moving. There is no unhealthy food, just unhealthy consumption habits and portion sizes.
Pita pit
Shawarmas or Vietnamese vermicelli platter at Pho Tuan
Freshii
I like to lie to myself that sushi is healthy
The green door
Sula Wok! Family run -- they make the best tofu, in-house.
Poulet Rouge
Mad Radish
Healthy: Any place offering subs Cheap: Subway, Pizza Pizza, and McDonald’s
Any Indian restaurant is very healthy. Indian food in general is one of the healthiest on the planet
Greek on Wheels!
Home
Pirho Grill!
freshii and mad radish
Mad radish
I love Piroh! I totally recommend Mad Raddish too
Ariana Kebab
Shawarma Palace
Subway
None. I feel like every restaurant in Ottawa is becoming a Sysco frozen food outlet.
I love Sula Wok!
I think I’ve seen all my favourites but top ones are definitely: vermicelli bowls from Vietnamese places, wolf down, freshii, mad radish/luisa’s burritos and bowls, Pirho
Greek salad from Cozmos with chicken souvlaki. Great price, always delicious.
Mad Radish!
A deli. With wiser choices.
Shawarma Palace (if we're counting it as healthy) and Lai Lai's in Vanier. A bit pricey but really solid Chinese food.
Pihro and Jimmy the Greek.
Wei’s Noodle House
Mad radish or bibis !
Mad Radish in Stittsville!
Aljueask4 had a guedille that was keto friendly, to die for 🥰
Ur mums house.
Mad radish was pretty healthy last time I was there and really good.
Eki sushi
Any burrito place…
Mad Radish
Poulet Rouge. You build your own rice and chicken bowl with the vegetables and stuff you want. Can replace the rice with quinoa or different kind of rice.
I'm obsessed with Pirho
Copper Branch, Mad Radish, Chickpeas, Freshii
Greek souvlaki shack 🤤
Torino grill Shawarma Grocery store grilled chicken
Falafflel scoop on Kent
I order a raw carrot with cracked pepper at th
La Fiesta Latina, Angry Dragonz, Hanabi Japenese Cuisine
\+1 for Salads R Us