Dining & Dashing Gets Fresh: "Fast food doesn't have to equal junk food"

Ever wandered through your typical food court or downtown business district? You probably saw McDonalds, maybe a Chinese food outlet, pizza and subs, the usual fast food, low nutrient fare.

One Canadian company wants to change the face of fast food, offering fresh, healthy, whole food meals - at fast food prices.

Licious Living - a successful healthy meal delivery service operating in Vancouver and Toronto - is opening their first retail store this September in downtown Vancouver (Bentall Centre IV at Dunsmuir & Burrard), with plans to open more locations across Canada in similar high traffic, business districts and urban hot spots.  

"Our clients keep telling us that one of the obstacles to maintaining a healthy weight is the lack of choice," said company President Deanna Embury. "They leave their office to grab a quick lunch and there just aren't any healthy, convenient options."

Embury with her partners Katie Rodgers and Aaron Keay saw the opportunity and jumped to fill the niche.

"It wasn't just our clients. We work downtown too and we were sick of not being able to find healthy AND yummy food. Fast food doesn't have to equal junk food," says Rodgers.

According to Statistics Canada, one quarter of Canadians report eating fast food daily. And the majority of Canadians aren't eating the recommended minimum of five daily servings of fruit and vegetables ("Overview of Canadians' eating habits" in the publication Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Statistics Canada, 2006). At the same time obesity is on the rise and many Canadians are trying to lose weight.

In response there's been a trend toward healthier retail offerings. Cereal bars in Toronto's business district have done well and salad bars are cropping up more and more.

But Licious Living is pushing the trend to healthy fast food even further.

Unlike, say, a "Wrap Zone" or a salad bar, their menu is large and caters to many tastes. The 200 lb hungry man and the petite calorie-conscious woman will both find something they want - all of it healthy and affordable. A selection of freshly prepared, balanced meals will be available for grab-and-go, pre-order, eat-in, or they will even deliver to you if you're stuck at your desk.

Menu items include:

• Steamed Wild Salmon with Tomato Salsa - Seasoned wild salmon and cauliflower served on a bed of seven grain rice with fresh herb tomato salsa.

• Caribbean Jerk Chicken Sandwich - Slices of seasoned chicken breast, red and yellow pepper, arugula, tomato and light homemade mayo served on whole wheat bread.

• Grilled Beef and Blue Cheese Salad - Grilled lean beef, blue cheese, dried cherries, and celery served over mixed greens with a light vinaigrette.

"The Vancouver store is just the beginning," says Embury. Licious Living is already in talks to open more stores across Canada.

So next time you head out for a quick lunch, you'll have more than the usual fast food fare to choose from - and your options are looking pretty d-Licious.

For more information, visit http://www.liciousliving.com/

ABOUT US: At Licious Living we make good food. But not just ordinary good food. It's healthy food that's made especially for and delivered to you. Food that'll make you smile from ear to ear. Food that will help you become healthier, more energetic, more fit. Because it's all about a new you.  A healthier you with more time for living.

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