These two Ottawa restaurants made the top 100 list for healthy bites in 2024

Two Ottawa restaurants have made it to Canada’s 100 healthiest restaurants in 2024, according to a new report by OpenTable.

Fairouz Café --a modern Middle Eastern café located in the Byward Market -- and Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine – a Peruvian inspired restaurant located in Centretown -- are Ottawa’s restaurants on the OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants with Healthy Bites for 2024.

Healthy eating “can be fun, creative, exciting, colourful and powerful,” Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine’s chef, Lizardo Becerra told CTV News in an interview Saturday.

“There are customers that come in with a lot of preconceptions about what Peruvian food is”, said Becerra .

The Peruvian restaurant is the "best example" for healthy eating, according to Becerra.

“A lot of those people, when they finish their meals they say ‘wow, I ate so much but I don’t feel bloated, I don’t feel sick.’”

Thirteen restaurants in Montreal have cracked the list, 18 in Toronto, ten in Vancouver and only four in Calgary.

This comes as 55 per cent of Canadians are planning on eating healthier this year as one of their New Year’s resolution, according to the report.

Compared to last year, 74 per cent of Canadians are likely to consider eating more healthily this year, reads the report.

The list was made to help Canadians stick to their plan to eat healthier this year, especially as 62 per cent find it difficult to discover healthy restaurants, says Matt Davis, country director, OpenTable Canada.

“Many spots are offering lighter dishes, presented with expert technique and serious attention to flavour,” Davis added.

Meanwhile, Abby Sharp, registered dietitian and food blogger, adds wanting to eat better doesn’t mean having to avoid eating out.

“There are some simple practices you can put in place to better navigate a restaurant menu and maintain a balanced diet, including a focus on fiber and having sauces on the side,” Sharp explained.

For better eating habits, Sharp suggests to fuel up with fibre, forget about the fries and keep portions with proportions.

“Instead of ordering a single main, try ordering a protein-based appetizer and a vegetable-based appetizer. This helps with portion control and allows you to explore more menu options,” read the report.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Sam Houpt