Naked but not naughty
Let’s face it – nothing beats a good, old-fashioned burger. This simple invention has satisfied generations of hungry eaters and it’s not going away any time soon, though there are some among us who would prefer to do away with the hefty buns from time to time. Several burger joints are offering their burgers in naked form, meaning that instead of a filling bun the burger is wrapped in lettuce leaves – making it a fresher and healthier option. Ze Pickle and Ribs & Burgers offer burger varieties on lettuce, while Pineapple Express in Hamilton has four burgers to try on lettuce or a corn bun. Alternatively, Just Poppy’s offers a great range of meat-free burgers, including the Tree Hugger with a veggie patty, salad, haloumi, mushrooms and hummus and the Vegan Mountain with grilled onions, mushrooms, sweet potato, pumpkin, eggplant and pineapple on lettuce. Grill’d whips up a special burger called the Nourish & Flourish, which boasts lean beef, avocado, dill pickles, carrot, lettuce and more on a low-carb SuperBun. Also, Thr1ve in the City serves artisanal burgers on gluten-free buns with healthy additions including kaleslaw and roasted peppers.

Lunch minus the lard
If burgers aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other options to sink your teeth into without hesitation. The savoury bliss bowl at Miss Bliss Wholefoods Kitchen is packed with seasonal roasted vegetables, quinoa, house-made pesto and covered in soft ‘n’ gooey egg and parmesan. Deedot Coffee House serves a tasty and trim haloumi and chorizo breakfast salad, while The Jam Pantry whips up a coconut and coriander chicken, corn and semi-dried tomato omelette with jalapenos and kefir cream. Sol Natural Foods is a great spot to get your pizza fix, with gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and meat options – try the vegan pizza with notzarella, roasted curried potato with Spanish onion and rocket. Let Minnow loves to get creative with its food options – for a tasty but guilt-free feast we suggest wolfing down a banh mi bowl or a Mediterranean roast veggie burger or bowl. Raw Energy in the city is always a reliable healthy pit stop – try the Mexican Roll Up, which features a gluten-free five bean and sweet corn patty with crisp green salad, avocado, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce wrapped in a herb garlic lavash.

Saintly sweets
Those with a sweet tooth know all about over indulging. Sugary goodness is hard to ignore, but while gobbling down a pack of maltesers is a direct ticket to a sore stomach, several establishments make it their mission to keep things as healthy as possible. Pineapple Express and Pawpaw Cafe are known for serving the heavenly CocoWhip dessert, with a mind-boggling range of toppings available. Every cake at Nutri Hitt’s cake shop is raw, vegan, paleo friendly, refined-sugar free and absolutely delicious, while nodo donuts in Newstead is the go-to for divine doughnuts that are gluten-free and guilt-free.