The post Toronto Bakeries That Offer Healthier Choices, Especially For Those With Allergies and Intolerances appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>A huge part my philosophy and professional approach to nutrition is to focus on abundance, and NOT restriction. I believe it is important to indulge, and enjoy the foods you love- cake and pastries included! I personally LOVE baked goods ( A LOT), and love indulging.
I believe that no matter what your dietary preferences or ‘restrictions’ are, it is important to find foods that you can eat- that make you feel good on all the levels.
With that said, it may be difficult to indulge in the average bakery when you have food allergies or intolerances. The great news is that Toronto has some amazing bakeries with healthier choices, especially for those with allergies, intolerances and specific dietary preferences.
Below, I compiled a list of 5 bakeries in Toronto, which offer a variety of options for those with allergies and intolerances.
Toronto Bakeries (with options for those with allergies + intolerances)
1. Cock-A-Doodle-Doo GF Bakeshop
100% gluten-free,refined sugar-free, dairy-free, corn-free and soy-free bake shop.
830 Bloor St West ( Bloor + Ossington)
2. Bunner’s Bake Shop
100% Vegan & GF
3054 Dundas St W ( Junction)
244 Augusta Ave (Kensington)
3. Tori’s Bakeshop
Organic, eco-aware, vegan cafe with gluten-free options.
2188 Queen St. East ( Beaches)
4. Sorelle & Co.
Gluten-free, Soy-free, Sesame-free, Nut-free, Preservative-Free and Vegan Bake Shoppe & Cafe
Locations in Yorkville, Vaughan and in Saks Food Hall
5. Butternut Baking Co.
Gluten-free, grainless, cane sugar-free, paleo inspired, Diabetic-friendly, low-carb Bakery
2743 Dundas St. W
I hope you enjoyed this list, and find it useful when indulging Out&About in Toronto!
Do you have any bakeries that you love? Leave us a note in the comment section!
* All photos taken from respective Instagram accounts*
– Sarah
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]]>The post 5 Places to Get a Warm Drink | Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Here are some of my favourite warm drinks to grab in Toronto!
Light Cafe
Think real, rich, ceremonial grade matcha tea- that’s exactly what you’ll taste while you sip on Light Café’s matcha lattes. It’s made with traditional Uji matcha powder, almond milk and sweetener of your choice, you can choose whether you prefer yours iced or hot. Not to mention, the atmosphere in this café is stunning and it’s plant filled wall definitely had be intrigued. If you are in the Baldwin area, I highly recommend checking out their latte and lunch menu!
Jimmy’s Coffee
Then there’s Jimmy’s Coffee. This cozy café all throughout Toronto is beloved for its blissful java and welcoming staff. Although, I tend to go for a warm cup of their coffee each time I enter, I have instantly fallen in love with their chili hot chocolate! It is an absolutely must. It’s prepared with 70% Dominican dark chocolate from Soul (no added sugar) and water mixed together until a syrupy consistency forms, then they mix in whatever milk you wish, and fresh chili syrup. The house made syrup contains hot red chilies, dried ancho chilies and cinnamon. It’s not too sweet, and not to spicy- the perfect balance.
Pilot Coffee Roasters
Sugar, chai spice and everything nice! I was never a chai tea fan, until I started sipping on Pilot Coffee Roasters’ chai latte. It’s made from real spices, milk and sweetener of choice. Since they use the actual loose spices instead of a tea bag or natural flavouring, you really get a taste of each spice coming together. It’s definitely a go-to drink on a cold, winter day.
Kupfert & Kim
I’m sure by now, many of us have tried a turmeric latte, but Kupfert & Kim’s turmeric latte is a serious must. It’s created with just turmeric, nut milk, a little bit of pepper and a lot of froth. I will occasionally ask for some ginger in mine, to make it a little spicy. Sometimes I make my way to Kupfert & Kim just for the turmeric latte because of its authentic flavour. To me, this is exactly what a turmeric latte should taste like: simple, strong, and traditional.
Good Neighbour
Lastly, my favourite place to grab a coffee is from Good Neighbour Coffee. This place is home to the loyal locals in the Junction and its pretty obvious why! The coffee here is organic, fair trade, direct trade, local and freshly roasted, what’s not to love? All proceeds are also shared with over 200 workers in Honduras and Neighbourhood Life. Its impossible not to love a place that carries so much value and makes such quality coffee. If you’re looking for a place to grab a warm drink, and get some work done- I definitely recommend making your way over to Good Neighbour Coffee.
Of course, there are so many more and we are always on the look out for new places to check out! What are some of your favourite warm drinks in the city on a cold day? Let us know in the comments!
-Jass
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]]>The post Supporting Sistering, a wonderful organization helping women in Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>I wanted to officially announce that now a portion of my work and business will be in support of Sistering, a wonderful organization helping women in Toronto.
Sistering is a multi-service agency for at-risk, socially isolated women in Toronto who are homeless or precariously housed. Sistering offers various services including a 24/7 safe drop-in centre, a kitchen with served nutritious meals, harm reduction, support services including housing referrals, shelter/hostel referrals and income support, as well as various programs and social enterprise initiatives. Sistering is a low barrier agency, meaning that they make it as easy as possible for women to get a wide range of support. You can read more about their impact in their annual report.
Starting January 1st, $10.00 from EVERY service booked will be donated to Sistering, in a tangible way. This means that for every appointment, I will use $10.00 to purchase an item that is needed by the centre or provided within a quarterly donation. You can have a say in what I use the $10.00 towards if you would like, and I will show you what I provide using the donation.
My office will also be a drop-off centre for donations, so that you may drop off items when you come in for your appointments. If you are interested to donate items, the list below shows you what this organization needs at this time :)
Needed Items
Personal Care Items
(travel/sample sizes are ideal but we gladly accept regular size as well)
Hand/body lotions
Soap
Lip balm
Deodorant
Pads/tampons
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Shampoo/conditioner
Tissues
Towels
Seasonal Items
Blankets
Coats/sweaters
Mittens/gloves
Hats
Scarves
Socks
General
Gift cards (Tim’s, McDonald’s – $5.00 denominations)
Grocery gift cards – any denomination
Walmart gift cards – any denomination
Subway tokens
Bed sheets
Plates/mugs/bowls
Cutlery
Bras/underwear
If you have any questions about my services, or Sistering, please do not hesitate to reach out!
-Sarah
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]]>The post 5 Healthy Lunch Spots in the Financial District | Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Top 5 Healthy Lunch Spots in the Financial District, Toronto
Kupfert and Kim
Kupfert and Kim is wheatless, meatless and totally delicious. From colourful smoothie bowls, to blissful salads, this place has it all. What makes Kupfert and Kim different, is that they really work hard to make sure that all of the produce they use are fresh and follow the Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen chart. All of their meals are filled with good fats, protein, complex carbs, fibre and load of nutrients- meaning it will keep you feeling satiated and ready to take on the rest of the day. Plus, you can get kombucha on tap! Who doesn’t love that? If you check out this place, I highly recommend the Oaxaca bowl!
Crave Healthy Habits
If you haven’t been to Crave Healthy Habits yet, I strongly recommend you make this your next lunch stop. At Crave Healthy Habits, you can choose from culturally cool or steamed lunch boxed, which are both just as nutrient dense. This is the perfect spot for those super busy days at work. Place your order ahead of time, so you can pick it up and head straight to the office to enjoy a flavourful meal.
Flock Rotisserie + Greens
Why Flock Rotisserie + Greens? The salads here will even impress those who would never grab a salad as their main meal. With each bite, you can taste the quality and work that has been put into making this personal meal. This place is perfect for a quick grab and go, or lunch break with the coworkers. Naturally raised rotisserie, greens, nourishing soups and sweets- you can get it all in one modern stop. You can also customize your salads to be anything you crave.
Hopscotch
Then there Hopscotch, another must for a weekly lunch spot. Hopscotch is a healthy restaurant that cares more about the way we eat. All produce is source locally and in season when possible. Hopscotch also cares deeply for the environment, making sure that all of their packaging is 100% recyclable or totally compostable. If you’re stopping by at this trendy spot, make sure to try out their Sweet Potato Zen. It’s pretty impossible not to love.
Freshii
Freshii is another one of my favourite places to eat in the financial district. I love how you can customize your meals to whatever you want: Burrito, lettuce wrap, salad, smoothie, soup- to name a few. They’re protein is all grass fed and local when possible. What’s most impressive is how little energy they use to run the place and how everything that your meal comes in is completely biodegradable. Call in and order your meal in advance, and it’ll be just as fresh as you would expect when you pick it up.
https://www.freshii.com/ca/about
*photos from Kupfert and Kim Facebook page + Freshii Facebook page
Let us know if you get the chance to try any of these places out!
What are your favourite healthy lunch spots in the financial district? Comment below and let us know!
– Jass
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]]>The post Healthy Events in Toronto | November appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>NOVEMBER EVENTS
- Whole Life Expo
Friday, November 3rd- Sunday, November 5th
2. Kombucha Making 101 Workshop with Rachel Molenda
Monday, November 6th
3. Exploring Your Ten Bodies Through Kundalini Yoga
Friday, November 10th
4. Soap for Your Skin Type + Soap Making Workshop
Saturday, November 11th + Sunday, November 12th
5. YTU Workshops
Saturday, November 18th
We hope you go Out&About to some healthy events in Toronto this month!
-Sarah
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]]>The post Healthy Events in Toronto | October appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Here are some selected events for this upcoming month!
OCTOBER EVENTS
1. Free Meditation Class
766 College Street ( College + Shaw)
Monday, October 2, 7-8p
Monday, October 16, 7-8p
Monday, Oct 23 , 7-8p
Monday, Oct 30, 7-8p
Cost: FREE
2. Compassion Circle 2.0
Weekly group meditation and discussion through CAMH Spiritual Care Services. Safe + non-judgemental space.
CAMH Sacred Space, Bell Gateway Building, 2nd Floor, 100 Stokes St.
Monday, October 2, 7-9p
Monday, October 16, 7-9p
Monday, Oct 23 , 7-9p
Monday, Oct 30, 7-9p
Cost: FREE
More Information or contact Sumeet Saini [email protected]
3. Backyard Forging and Wild Cocktails
A surprising number of garden plants can feed both body and soul. Ellen Zachos will stir up your interest in harvesting and preparing common garden plants and teach you how to wow your friends with dirty daylily martinis, rose hip soup and many other delicious treats.
Thursday, Oct 12, 5:30-9p
Cost: $15 for public + $5 cocktails
4. Bump to Baby Show
An all-natural baby show for the whole family!
Saturday, Oct 21, 9:30a-3:30p
Cost: $5 in advance or $10 at door
5. Food For Action, Charity Dinner
Charity dinner for Action Against Hunger.
George Brown Culinary School, 300 Adelaide
Wednesday, Oct 25, 6-9p
Cost: Starts at $49.99
I hope you make it out some healthy events this October, and maybe I will see you there!
If you have a healthy event you would like to share, e-mail me and I can add it to the list!
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]]>The post Top 10 Farmers’ Markets in Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Compiled below are my Top 10 Favourite Farmers Markets in Toronto!
1) THE STOP FARMERS’ MARKET
The Stop Farmers’ Market | Wychwood Barns
Organizers: The Stop Community Food Centre
Address/Intersection: Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. , Christie + St. Claire
Day + Time: Saturdays, 8:00am-1:00pm
2) EVERGREEN BRICKWORKS FARMERS’ MARKET
Evergreen Brickworks Farmers’ Market
Organizers: Evergreen
Address/Intersection: 550 Bayview Ave.
Day + Time: Saturdays, 8:00am-1:00pm
3) SORAUREN FARMERS’ MARKET
Organizers: West End Food Coop
Address/Intersection: 50 Wabash Ave. , Dundas + Lansdowne
Day + Time: Mondays, 3:00pm-7:00pm
4) DUFFERIN GROVE FARMERS’ MARKET
Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers’ Market
Organizers: Independent Farmers
Address/Intersection: Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin St., Dufferin + Bloor (south)
Day + Time: Thursdays, 3:00pm-7:00pm
5) TRINITY BELLWOODS FARMERS’ MARKET
Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market
Organizers: Initiative of Friends of Trinity Bellwoods Park
Address/Intersection: Trinity Bellwoods Park, Dundas + Shaw (north west end of park)
Day + Time: Tuesdays, 3:00pm-7:00pm
6) ST. LAWRENCE FARMERS’ MARKET
St. Lawrence Market, Farmers’ Market
Address/Intersection: St. Lawrence Market North Building, 93 Front St E, Front St. + Jarvis
Day + Time: Saturdays, 5:00am-3:00pm
7) LESLIEVILLE FARMERS MARKET
Organizers: Independent
Address/Intersection: Jonathan Ashbridge Park, Queen + Woodward
Day + Time: Sundays 9:00am-2:00pm
8) CABBAGE TOWN FARMERS MARKET
Organizers: A Seed by Seed Project
Address/Intersection: Riverdale Park West, Sumach St. + Winchester
Day + Time: Tuesdays, 3:00pm-7:00pm
9) JUNCTION FARMERS’ MARKET
Organizers: Independent/Community organized
Address/Intersection: 2960 Dundas St. West, Keele + Dundas West
Day + Time: Saturdays, 9:00am-1:00pm
10) MY MARKET
My Market | Three locations
Address/Intersection/Day/Time
Bloor + Borden, Wednesdays, 3-7,
East Lynn Park, Thursdays 3-7
Liberty Village, Sundays 9-2
I hope this list inspires you to try out a new farmers’ market this summer.
Any other farmers’ markets in Toronto that you love? Let me know!
-SG
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]]>The post Health Food Store Round Up / Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Noah’s Natural Foods
This family owned health food store is where I worked for many years. Locations in the Annex, Yonge and Bloor, Thornhill and King West. A great bulk section, vitamin section and natural body care section. Some locations carry more produce than others. I am bias, but the staff is also amazing :)
Evergreen
Located in my current residing neighbourhood St. Claire and Bathurst, this is another small family run health food store. No produce, but a good bulk section, vitamin section and pretty good prices!
Herbs and Nutrition
An annex health food store, with a great selection of stuff. The price is also right, and I love shopping here myself.
The Sweet Potato
This health food store in the Junction, contains a great range of grocery items, bulk items and has a good organic vegetable section.
The Big Carrot
This is definitely a Toronto institution and the closest health food store to my new office location ( for those that want to go shopping after an appointment with me!) :)
Moberly Natural Foods
Another great east end health food store.
4 Life Natural Foods
This is one of my favourite health food stores, located in Kensington Market. It is large and has great produce, as well as other healthy grocery items.
West End Food Co-op
Located in the west end, this is a nice and bright store with a good range of products.
Ambrosia
Located both in Thornhill and Vaughan, these are beautiful large stores with a large range of items including a good produce section.
Healthy Planet
There are many Healthy Planet locations around the GTA, and a good store for those not living or working in the heart of Toronto.
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]]>The post Almond Butterfly Cafe/ Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Almond Butterfly is located right around the corner of my office and it has became an easy favourite. I often grab lunch, a snack and coffee. Everything is so delicious and made with healthy, whole ingredients.
The cafe is a great place to sit down with friends or enjoy a quick lunch. The space is small and cozy, but offers bar seating and a communal rustic table seating- a perfect combination of modern and rustic decor.
Almond Butterfly specializes in gluten-free goodies, however they offer a lot of dairy-free, vegan and paleo friendly options. They have a large selection of cupcakes, brownies, cookies, muffins, biscuits and date squares. They also have a great selection of savoury breakfast and lunch items including their amazing gluten-free bagel! The products are made with unique flour blends, specially formulated for each product. You would not be able to tell that any of the products are gluten-free, which is what they strive to achieve according to co-owner Melody. I love any place that offers those on a seemingly restrictive diet to indulge and eat delicious food. Almond Butterfly has something for everyone, which makes healthy eating in Toronto so easy!
The cafe opened their Toronto doors in June 2014, after establishing a Montreal-based business in 2011. Melody originally operated Almond Butterfly out of her home kitchen in Montreal, offering products online, to the crossfit community and wholesale to cafe customers. After establishing a well-loved following, Melody joined forces with her partner David and moved her home-based operation from Montreal and expanded into the vibrant food market here in Toronto. Together, David brought his corporate background and Melody her background working in the food and beverage industry to open a food business that would allow both to excel at what they do best. So far, it is working!
Since opening, they have gained a loyal clientele and expanding community. Both Melody and David, with their staff, love to interact with their customers daily.
When asking Melody her favourite part of owning and operating Almond Butterfly she answered that she loves the creativity of creating new products, having fun with the staff and absolutely loves chatting with regular customers. From a customer perspective, this passion infiltrates the shop and creates a warm, inviting space.
So, what is the first thing you should try? I personally love the veggie bagel, all cookies and cupcakes. Other customer favourites include the chocolate espresso cupcake, chocolate chunk cookies, breakfast cookies, paleo lava cake, GFT sandwhich, the breakfast sandwich and their Americano. As for staff favourites? They love the cheese biscuits, cupcakes and dairy-free pumpkin pie. All sound great to me!
To stay updated on all happenings at Almond Butterfly and to see what is happening next (including lots of new delicious products) follow their Instagram and Facebook.
If you have not already, Almond Butterfly is a place you must try next time you are Out&About in Toronto.
-SG
Special thanks to Melody for the interview and all photos are curtesy of Almond Butterfly.
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]]>The post Health Hut / Port Carling + Toronto appeared first on Sarah Goldstein - Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto.
]]>Health Hut is an all natural beauty and lifestyle shop with locations in Toronto and Port Carling, Muskoka. Health Hut has had an organic evolution and now fits in perfectly within the evolving landscape of natural care, while offering a unique experience that stands out from the rest.
Health Hut began in the spring of 2011 in Muskoka, Ontario. Owner and Nutritionist Tara Miller, had recently graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto. She was spending the summer at her family cottage in Muskoka when she realized that there was nowhere close by that she could buy a natural bar of soap, biodegradable cleaning supplies or healthy staples like hemp hearts or chia seeds. She realized the need for such a place and decided to create it. She used her resources and converted an old neglected ice cream shop that had been in her family for generations, into a super tiny health food store. “The concept was simple”, Tara says “ and people were excited!”
What started as a small health food store, quickly expanded that first summer as Tara began adding some harder-to-find, coveted skincare and haircare items. The store shifted from a basic health shop to a destination for luxury green beauty products. Tara opened up the online shop after that first summer, at first offering only two brands!
Over the next few years, the green beauty industry evolved and with that The Health Hut expanded further. Tara started bringing in make-up, hair treatments, body care and high-end skin care lines. Tara describes this time as “exciting- it was obvious there no longer had to be a compromise for using clean, natural products”. Tara notes that the products coming out were as effective, or more so, than conventional products and had “fantastic packaging and branding”. Natural beauty and body care products were quickly loosing their stigma as being “crunchy”, or “ hippie”. Although not a stigma Tara tries to stay away from, the new products were now appealing to a wider range of people, expanding the green beauty industry in a great way.
Tara maintained the seasonal store in Muskoka and developed a large and growing customer base. The season would come to a quick end and after Thanksgiving Tara would return to Toronto where she ran the online store out of her one bedroom apartment. Tara was quickly growing out of her home office and was eager to share her finds with Toronto- and Toronto was ready for it!
Health Hut officially opened it’s Toronto doors in the spring of 2015. This new opening brought further expansion as Tara began introducing more lifestyle products like Swell water bottles, locally made bags and totes, handmade note cards, blankets and turkish towels. Health Hut evolved from a small health food store to what it is now; a natural lifestyle shop with a focus on high quality, locally sourced goods.
This space at 171 Harbord street is small, but reflective of the original hut in Muskoka, which is just perfect. I warn you though, as you walk into the bright, fresh space you will immediately want everything inside. Owner Tara Miller has done an amazing job at bringing in the best of natural beauty, body care and lifestyle items. Tara has also created the perfect aesthetic to her space and hits the perfect balance of relaxing, yet uplifting.
The best part of Health Hut is that it is owned and run by such an amazing person, who is so deeply passionate about what she does. Tara says “ I am in love with everyday that I spend at Health Hut. I love finding new lines, connecting with the passion-filled makers and then passing on the beauty and intricacy of their amazing products to my customers”. Tara notes “ I even love the tedious tasks like bookkeeping!”- I mean, who else can really say that!?
I know from my experience as a customer, colleague and friend, that Tara offers her warmth and expertise to every single customer that walks through her door. Her passion radiations through her space and through each interaction. This offers a truly unique and individualized customer experience, that makes Health Hut a very unique place to visit and shop.
I asked what the future holds for Tara and for Health Hut to which she answered “I am hoping to further expand and one day being able to offer these products to more neighbourhoods and smaller communities in Canada”. I know I am not the only one who is excited for this and to see what happens next!
To stay posted on Health Hut happenings check out Instagram.
( Photos courtesy of Tara, Joanna Crichton + FoodbyT)
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