York has one of the largest campuses in all of Canada, so why does everyone think it’s so difficult to find a nutritious (and tasty) meal here? With restaurants moving in and out every so often and little time on our hands, it isn’t easy to scope out these options, and it would seem there aren’t many. But if you’re willing to sacrifice the next three minutes to read this article, eating healthy on campus won’t seem so hard.
Talking to York students, I found two popular opinions: Bluemont Bistro, Thai Express, and Sakura are the healthiest, while Wendy’s and Popeyes are places to avoid at all costs.
Surprisingly though, students seem to overlook the most health-conscious restaurant on campus: Berries and Bloom’s, known for its lean deli subs, fresh a-la-carte salads, and healthy sandwiches that don’t cost a fortune. The salad bar has a fresh selection of fruits, vegetables, and dips. The veggies are chopped fresh — they haven’t been sitting around for six hours before being put into your sandwich.
Berries and Bloom’s also makes fruit smoothies with protein powder and creatine, a perfect post-workout drink. It provides, by far, the most nutritious options on campus.
Great Canadian Bagel and Mac’s Sushi are also commonly overlooked. GCB lets you decide how healthy your bagel will be, with plenty of choice: eggs, turkey, chicken, and vegetarian salad just to name a few.
Mac’s Sushi is low in calories if you go for the veggie rolls without any spicy mayo. Their sushi portions are great as an afternoon snack and don’t come with the deep-fried oils you will find in the other restaurants in the Student Centre.
Thai Express is brand new and is already a student favourite. It’s also safe to say it has one of the healthiest menus on campus. I recommend the basil-chicken stir fry — it comes with rice, fresh veggies and basil-grilled chicken, and it only packs 515 calories.
Finally, at Sakura, food is cooked right in front of you, and fresh chicken teriyaki, sushi, and brown rice are made around the clock. Sakura has an authentic Japanese restaurant feel to it (the freshly cooked food being a part of this) that separates it from the pack of fast-food chains at York.
So there you have it. While affordability remains an obstacle, and options are still very limited, we have to make do with what we have. With a little extra thought, it is possible to eat healthy at York.
Jon Weinstock
Contributor
