Food Review

The people of Lahore are known for their love of food; eating, hosting others and more than often expressing their love by forcing others to eat but as years have passed, they’ve (thankfully) become more conscious and aware of what they put in their systems. With healthy lifestyles becoming a norm rather than the exception, people are tilting towards nutritious and hearty meals. The tastes of Lahore have evolved and more people are willing to try out diets and healthy restaurants. Many restaurants (like Sweet Affairs and The Brasserie) have introduced Keto menus and similar places are on the rise in this burgeoning health conscious market.

Macro Counted

Macro Counted, as the name suggests, started as a home based business and now makes calorie counted meals for the health conscious. As the business started picking up, the owners realized the need for a takeaway place. "Healthy food is usually eaten at home and isn’t really a going out activity," shares owner Sheharyar Ali. With a plan to open a number of such takeaway places in Lahore, in various gyms and collaborate with other restaurants like Burning Giraffe - the new market entrant has made its presence felt. About people’s awareness regarding macro calories, he says, "There’s no middle ground in terms of awareness - people will be scared to start but once they do, they get really involved in the food."

Grab Your Meal (GYM)

GYM is a little joint in DHA that serves healthy food and allows you the chance to customize it. A menu detailing calorie count for each item that goes into your meal will allow you to know exactly what you’re eating. The flipside is that when you’re taking away food, which is generally the case, there will be a bit of wait. When one can customize a meal, that also means the restaurant doesn’t restrict itself to dieters but health conscious people can also partake. Have a sandwich, wrap or a bowl; pick your meat, vegetables and then your sauces and you have yourself a delicious meal with which you know exactly what you’re getting.

Thanda Garam

Thanda Garam (TG) is located right next to GYM and is another hotspot for those who want to explore the healthier option for themselves. They have smoothie bowls and healthy salads but also have waffles with whipped cream, which aren’t too healthy but if you’re looking for a cheat meal you’ll find a good one here. Thanda Garam makes it a point to choose more wholesome ingredients in their dishes and one can see that once they turn up. Each ingredient is visibly present, the greens, the eggs and the cheeses; and for the visual experience, we’d recommend eating here! There is also the ol’ cold press juice, which TG was one of the first to start in the city.

Diet by Design

A name you might have read on signs displayed across the city, Diet by Design is the oldest of the few in the business. They position themselves as a proper consultation service that designs meals according to your height, weight and metabolism, so you can achieve a healthy weight loss. Through a full-fledged consultation, one can get meals delivered or picked up from their clinic, Esajees and other supermarkets dotted around the city. With diet food, one needs to make it convenient for the consumer and DBD has made their food readily available. Think paneer tikka with 210 calories, a brownie with 97 calories or sajji and rice with 160 calories - it’s a total win.