Spring time! We know it doesn’t feel like it, given that there’s still snow on the ground, but Spring is just around the corner (March 22nd)! Spring in the prairies doesn’t feel like it comes around until May, but there’s never a time too late to start eating healthy. Windermere, specifically, the Currents of Windermere, is home to many great places to grab some healthy eats. Windermere is located in the south west of Edmonton and is a beautiful neighbourhood, with plenty of entertainment, local places to shop, and great eats. We partnered up with the Currents of Windemere to showcase a few of their amazing restaurants and shops, and some giveaways as well!
(Click to jump)
Stay tuned onto our Instagram for 4 days of giveaways coming up on March 22-25th to these 4 great businesses in Windermere! This post was done in collaboration with the Currents of Windermere.
Freshii
Though Freshii is a international brand, behind each location is a dedicated owner and operator. The businesses goal of Freshii is to provide people with healthier options and making those choices convenient, affordable, and sustainable. All of their packaging is made from biodegradable material, so it makes take out more guilt-free!
Jonathan and his wife owns the location in Windermere, and they are passionate people who are huge advocates for healthier eating! I had never been to this location before, but the staff was incredibly helpful with giving recommendations. There are some Freshii branded items like their kombucha if you’re on the go, and all of their menu items have calorie information so you can make the best decision for what suits you! We tried the Umamii bowl, which comes with kale, brown rice, avocado, edamame, mushrooms, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, hemp seeds, ginger miso dressing, with some added chicken breast for protein.
This was surprisingly filling! We loved how there were so many different ingredients, and each bite was a little bit different. Super easy choice to make. Freshii is a great option for a quick bite to eat when you’re shopping in the area and need to grab a light lunch. We also got the Freshii Green smoothie, which is kale, spinach, pineapple, and avocado.
Burger Village
Burger Village is another international chain that has come to Edmonton. They promote healthy, organic eating. They put an emphasis on organic, natural, and sustainable ingredients and food. Our feeling about healthy eating and dieting is everything in moderation. And it could be as simple as making the healthier option when eating out (so you don’t need to miss out when your family decides to go out to eat!)
Yaman, the owner, is very enthusiastic and passionate about Burger Village. All of the ingredients at Burger Village is organic, and they accommodate all the varying kinds of dietary needs (Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan) they use separate grills and fryers for everything so there is no cross-contamination!
For our meal, we opted for the Village Beanstalk Black Bean Burger. This comes with a black bean burger, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, grilled jalapenos, avocado, and their signature sauce. All of their burgers are served with fries, ketchup, and their special sauce. The burgers are quite large and there is a generous serving fries, so it’s very easy to split this meal into two or to save it for a second meal.
You really have tons of options when you go here! You can customize your bun and get multigrain, or vary up your protein! They have choices of exotic proteins, such as bison, turkey, elk, boar, salmon, lamb, and ostrich! They are all either free-range, all natural, antibiotic and hormone free options.
Our favourite thing was the Jones soda! They have a Jones soda fountain pop machine with various flavours. All of these sodas are naturally sweetened with cane sugar. This really takes me back because I used to drink a lot of Jones soda when I was younger!
Extra Photos: These are other burgers we did not get to try, but they look amazing! We’ll definitely be coming back to try some more
The Alley
The Alley is one of, if not, my favourite place to get bubble tea in Edmonton. They have a couple of locations now, but their Windemere is their first location in the city.
The location has a beautiful interior, with an emphasis on plants and greenery! I know bubble tea might not be considered healthy eating, but as we mentioned above, everything in moderation. The Alley has a variety of drinks, from milk teas, to fruit drinks, and they all have controllable sugar amounts. We usually drink our bubble teas with either 75% sweetness, but when we want to reduce our sugar intake, we’ll get half sugar, or even sometimes ask for no sugar! If you know you will be grabbing a sweet drink, definitely opt to check out The Alley and try one of their delicious drinks, and opt for less sugar if you’re trying to be conscious about it!
For this occasion, we grabbed the Deerioca Matcha. All of their bubble tea uses raw organic cane sugar as sweetener. The fruit slushes are all healthy options, and you can get the milk teas or tea lattes with no sugar! Very refreshing and a nice caffeine boost to get on with our day (Fun fact! Matcha actually has more caffeine than coffee).
Tiffin India’s Fresh Kitchen
Tiffin is another business that is environmentally conscious, with their biodegradabe packaging. Another great lunch spot, with tons of options.
You can choose from different plates, with 1, 2, or 3 different items. Tiffin is great spot, where you have the control to choose the healthier options. I usually go for butter chicken (delicious!), but we opted for more of the veggie-forward items, and their fish.
Great spices and flavours and a great spot to grab lunch because there’s something for everyone (even the pickiest eater!) And of course, we had to have naan! They have a naan dressing station where you can get onion, garlic, chili, or even a sweet brown sugar naan!
Currents of Windermere is filled with tons of great local spots to shop, and places to grab a bite to eat. We have been looking at houses to purchases, and Windermere always seem to catch our eye. As more and more places opens up in the Southwest area, it’s definitely enticing! We want to be environmentally conscious and make healthier food choices, so having all these great options is great.
Let's Eat YEG 