There are moments when hunger hits and finding a healthy food option in a time crunch is really needed. With limited lunch hours, tiny breaks in between classes and a short window for dinners – I’m keen on finding ease with my meals. A healthy dish can sometimes seem boring and uninviting to the eye which, in the past, unfortunately made me afraid of eating good food outside of my own kitchen. That’s why I’m so excited about having Mad Radish as my go-to spot in Ottawa for nutritious and creative meals!
With 3 locations in the Ottawa area and a new location that just opened in Toronto, Mad Radish has meals that are colourful and full of flavour. Each meal is made with the best veggie, protein or grains. The atmosphere isn’t intimidating and being committed to 100% plant based, compostable material (yes, even the cutlery!) makes them an easy choice. There is even an easy to use app where I can always see what the menu entails.
That’s why when I ventured into the Bank St. location, I had a good idea of what I needed. I had a heavy schedule of running errands and classes immediately after my visit. I wanted to make sure what I chose to eat was light and would provide me with enough energy. Now, before my visit I was never a fan of salad. Every time I’ve had a salad in the past there was only tons of lettuce, croutons and a hint of dressing and maybe 2 options. Mad Radish has some great choices including a creative take on the almighty Caesar and the option to build your own with their full list of ingredients.
It was convenient to pick up two salads (my friend Erica ate the other one!) and dig right in. I’m all about trying new things so when I saw the Harvest Bowl which had roasted sweet potatoes, REAL plump cranberries, walnuts, quinoa and a maple mustard dressing I had to pick it up. There is something to be said about how the ingredients pair together. I never thought that feta or blue cheese would go well with sweet potatoes. I was happily surprised to see actual cranberries and I never realized that maple and mustard could be in the same dish or that they could be combined.
Erica made the decision to try the yummy Thai Mango Salad which had an awesome peanut satay dressing, marinated tofu, red onion, mango of course and mint. While the salad I picked up was a vegetarian base due to blue cheese and feta, Erica’s salad was pure vegan goodness. After having a taste of her salad, I couldn’t help adding 2 vegan dark chocolate brownies for us to complete the experience.
Dessert is important and should always be added. ALWAYS.
It’s great that there are options for those who don’t eat meat, gluten or might be lactose intolerant like me. The portion sizes were perfect and helped to tide me over until my next meal when I had a string of classes.
I’m more excited that when I visit Toronto I have somewhere to eat that involves real healthy food for busy people like me. Eating well doesn’t have to be boring and when you think about salad you should not have to create several excuses as to why it’s not your first choice. I love that I can find inspiration in my schedule through what’s on my plate. Make sure you check out a Mad Radish at any of their locations, they have great staff to guide you through your next meal and no matter if you are picking up or sitting down it will never disappoint.
Join me on my wild journey through Instagram with #DoTheDaniel, and see how I try to handle life in the Ottawa Valley, running a business, being an amazing partner and being a yogi while raising this amazing child that has given me a new sense of purpose (and a few grey hairs!).
To healthy eats!
Ro
Mom + Movement Teacher
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