When the weather gets warm, if not hot, all I crave for lunch are fresh and light meals. How to pick a spot in Zurich when there are so many to choose from? Today we’ll focus on the following six spots but clearly there are dozens more in Zurich that we won’t have time to discuss today.
First let’s determine what a ‘light lunch’ really means. Light lunch can mean different things to many people. It could be referred to as a quick on-the-go lunch (i.e. sandwich, burger, sausage), or to a lunch that is more on the healthy side (i.e. less carbs, sugar, heavy sauces and processed ingredients).
For the sake of this post, I will focus on the second definition which I am usually most interested in. So where in Zurich can we get a nice, fulfilling meal that won’t break the scale?
On-The-Go
Definitely my Go-To spots when feeling lazy or don’t have enough time. Both Tibits and Hiltl can be found all over town. They are known to serve healthy vegetarian fast food. But be mindful that just because it is vegetarian it doesn’t mean that it’s good for your waste line. In fact, plenty of the dishes they serve are high in carbs and sugar (some good carbs and some not so good like bread, white rice, fried apetizers and desserts). Having said that there are plenty to choose from without feeling guilty afterwards.
Another great spot for healthy salads, sandwiches and warm dishes. For more flavor they use herbs and spices instead of added salt and sugar. They also recognize that the body needs healthy essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, so instead of drowning the salads in oil they use smaller quantities. My favorite salads so far have been the Italiano Salad and of course my own creations from the salad bar. Best of all, they started delivering!
Just discovered this cute spot behind Globus on Bahnofstrasse a couple of months ago. It’s tucked in a small street. They offer a small but nice variety of bowls, soups, wraps, juices, and smoothies. At Roots they only use seasonal, fresh and nutritional ingredients for both take out or eat in.
What I love most about this place other than the taste of course, is the attention placed to details and obvious passion felt for the art of cooking, even if it is considered fast food. The chef takes his time to decorate every single bowl. If it’s pleasing to the eye, chances are it will be pleasing to the tummy as well!
I’ve had their Spicy Quinoa and Green Couscous bowls which I highly recommend (small portions are plenty enough). Oh and best of all, if you go before closing time on a Saturday and they have fresh bread left over, they will give you a loaf or two to take home 🙂
Sit-down
Fun, easy and delicious mediterranean food. Choose from either the menu of the day or à la Carte. Both options are nice. Again some mezzes are more healthy than others, so up to you to decipher. But regardless, I could eat this cuisine every day without ever getting bored. I particularly enjoy the vegetarian, cold mezze platter. They switch up the mezzes all the time, which is ok because I like to be surprised.
Quaint and cozy cafe serving light and healthy options throughout the day. Don’t expect a wide variety since it’s still a cafe but expect quality. Their servings are small for my taste but in the end enough to satisfy a normal hunger. A little expensive but considering where we live, it’s still ok.
The Art of Slow Cooking high quality ingredients, in season. Slow cooking but fast serving. The atmosphere is fun, the staff friendly, the food delicious, healthy and the prices reasonable (per Zurich standards). What more to ask for?
My favorites are the Kale-Quinoa salad, the low carb burger (without the bun) and as a special treat their fries!
En Guete!
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