Finding healthy food on campus

Nourishing yourself with the right food is essential for productivity in school and overall wellness.

According to an article on Harvard Medical School’s website, Dr. Eva Selhub explains that food is fuel for your brain and, like a luxury car, it works best on high-quality fuel. She adds that fueling your brain with low-quality food damages it, thus reducing its efficiency.

So what is healthy eating?

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s website, eating healthy requires eating a balanced diet filled with vegetables, protein and water. Carbohydrates are also important, but only the good kind which are found in legumes such as beans or fruits like bananas. It is encouraged to choose whole-grain foods and limit processed foods and refined sugars as much as possible.

But where can you find these healthy food options around campus?

Downtown Campus

Options are a-plenty on the Sir George William campus compared to Loyola. For quick and easy grabs, Il Panino Café Mediterraneo (1435 Guy St.) has a large variety of tasty salads and generally healthy sandwiches. Mandy’s (2067 Crescent St.) is another quick option that has mouth-watering artisanal salads.

If you have a little more time on your hands, vegans and vegetarians (or anyone willing to try these specialty foods) can get a healthy meal and snacks at Copper Branch (1245 Bishop St.) or La Panthère Verte (2153 Mackay St.). The rest-boutique Abe & Mary’s (2170 de la Montagne St.) is another great option if you’re feeling a little fancier and have the time to sit down with friends and eat well while on break. Koa Lua, the Hawaiian poké shop (1446 Ste-Catherine St. W), offers a variety of healthy poké bowls if you’re in the mood for something other than sandwiches or salads.

Loyola Campus

While it’s tough to find healthy food options on and around this campus, it’s not impossible. For those with dietary restrictions and don’t mind the walk or five-minute bus ride, the Provigo at 6485 Sherbrooke St. W has a lot of healthy food options. If you forgot to pack your lunch, this is a good alternative to buying food at a restaurant.

The Hive Café Solidarity Co-Operative (7141 Sherbrooke St. W) is located on campus in the same building as the Loyola Chapel and is a great option for healthy food. All the meals are vegetarian and their menu also includes vegan and wheat-free options, according to their website. Nearby, past Souvlaki George, is a Korean restaurant, Comptoir Koyajo (6963 Sherbrooke St. W). Their menu includes Asian-style protein bowls, soups and specialty dumplings.

There’s also Mon Ami Korean BBQ (6521 Somerled Ave.); not all the food is necessarily healthy, but the menu has a wider variety of options compared to some of the other food spots nearby. Lastly, there are the food counters in the CJ and SP buildings, which usually have vegetarian options that are sustainable and healthy.

The most budget-friendly and fool-proof option is to make your own healthy lunches at home, but that isn’t always possible and realistic. If you do forget to pack your lunch, the options are out there if you take the time to properly dissect the food you’re eating and choose better/healthier options to allow your body to feel its best.

Photo by Laurence B.D., Map by Mackenzie Lad

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