by Christine Ottoni
With healthy options, vegan, gluten-free, allergy-friendly eating, Toronto is the city of abundant choice for every dietary need. Get your eating game on with menus made just for you. Who says you have to stay in tonight? [Image credit: iStock.com/AnnaIleysh]
Apiecaplypse Now is a vegan pizza joint that sits kitty-corner to Christie Pitts Park. It’s perfect for a super loaded slice on the go with vegan cheese and un-meats. Grasshopper offers comfort food like their famous quinoa mac ‘n’ cheese in a creamy vegan chedda’ sauce. Bloomers is making waves on the Bloor West scene with vegan pub-style sandwiches and Doomie’s is a vegan junk food paradise serving greasy spoon-style food alongside a stacked cocktail list and boozy milkshake menu.
Downtown weekend warriors can skip the bag lunch this week. Check out Kupfert & Kim, the “wheatless and meatless” quick-service restaurant with a plant-based menu that will leave you energized for your afternoon at the office. Urban Herbivore is a solid sandwich, salad and bowl bar that serves fresh food fast in Kensington, Dufferin Grove and the Eaton Centre.
Toronto is home to tons of devoted nut-free and gluten-free bakeries, cafés and shops. Cock-A-Doodle-Doo creates treats, breads, pizzas and more in their store at Shaw and Bloor, and it’s all totally free of nuts, soy, gluten and soy. Almond Butterfly bakes gluten- and soy-free goods and crafts espresso drinks at their café and production facility in Harbord Village. DeFloured is a modest bakery with a regular following specializing in gluten-free savoury pies, cookies, cakes, pastries and more. Short and Sweet Bake Shop is your go-to spot for 100% nut-free cupcakes and Kitten and the Bear crafts buttermilk scones and artisan preserves in their nut-free shop in Parkdale.
Toronto’s allergy-friendly restaurants provide risk-free meal options for allergy sufferers. The Longest Yard is a local family restaurant with a peanut-free kitchen located on Bloor West east of Islington, and Impact Kitchen is a gluten-free restaurant on King Street East with a modern cafeteria vibe and meals for all times of day. Live Organic Food Bar is a trendy and completely gluten-free operation with nut- and soy-free options available across their fresh lunch and dinner menus.
For food that nourishes, sustains and helps you trim down in the meantime, check out some of Toronto’s most celebrated healthy restaurants. Bolt Fresh Bar is a cozy spot that crafts made-to-order salads, bowls and refreshing juices. Antler serves seasonal, foraged and local ingredients that highlight the best of new Canadiana cooking. Athletes Kitchen in Liberty Village is a health-focused restaurant and meal plan provider that strips food down to its pure, balanced essentials. Crave Healthy Habits is a downtown breakfast and lunch spot serving nutritious yogurt parfaits and lunch boxes inspired by international flavours.
Whether you’re a devoted vegan, living with allergies or just looking for healthy food options, Toronto’s has you covered from east to west. These restaurants fit your food needs without the stress. Get out there and nourish yourself.
