Freshii for Heart Health: The Complete Guide

If heart-health is a priority for you, Freshii is one of the best places to pop into when you’re on the go. While it started in Toronto in 2005, there were 343 locations by 2023, in North America and internationally, as far away as Saudi Arabia. (Find one near you.)

Freshii offers salads, wraps, and bowls with a wide range of heart health boosting ingredients, from whole grains (quinoa, brown rice), to legumes (chickpeas, black beans), fish (sushi-grade salmon), and vegetables (you name it), that you won’t see at most other restaurants.

But like any restaurant, if you’re not careful, you can easily end up with a lot more than you bargained for. More carbs, sodium, saturated fat, or sugar. Not a big deal if you rarely eat out, but if you’re ordering often, and heart health is a priority, read on for the lowdown.

* This post is not sponsored. I have no affiliation with Freshii.

Ordering basics

I’m offering guidance here to those who want it, but remember that it’s always okay to overrule me and go with what you want. Consider how big a priority heart health is for you, and how often you eat out. Enjoying your food and feeling satisfied after a meal are also important!

1. Start with the category

There are heart-healthy choices in each one, so go with what you feel like! I’ve listed them from least to most filling:

• “Heartii” Salads – Fresh, light, and crunchy with creative ingredients from tart apples to creamy avocado
• “Energii” Bowls – Like a salad served over a cooked grain, like quinoa or brown rice
• Poke Bowls – A popular Hawaiian dish featuring marinated, raw fish (like tuna) over brown rice or greens, topped with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, sauces, and crunchy toppings
• Savourii Wraps – Like a salad in a whole wheat tortilla
• Burritos – Also a wrap, but heated, and with rice inside.

(There are sides and soups too, but I’ll just focus on entrees for now.)

2. Chef-designed or “create your own”?

Most categories offer a handful of chef-designed menu items, so you can benefit from their expertise on which ingredients work well together. Or create your own. Either way, they make everything to order, so customize away. 

3. Choose a base

Depending on the category, you get to choose one or two base ingredients — field greens, romaine, kale, brown rice, quinoa, and/or rice noodles.

All are heart health friendly except rice noodles, which are a refined grain, (They’re made from white rice.) If you like the sound of an item like the Buddha Satay Bowl, you can swap those noodles for brown rice or quinoa. Or ask for your bowl with half the noodles. You have lots of options.

4. Add a protein?

Do you need to add chicken, tofu, salmon, or any of the other “proteins”? It’s usually good idea. While most of the dishes contain protein sources like quinoa, cheese, or beans, in most cases it amounts to less than the 20+ grams of protein typically recommended for a meal.

(If you want to know which dishes have enough without adding an additional protein, you can look up the nutrition information.)

For example, the Fiesta Salad, despite having black beans and aged cheddar, offers just 11 grams of protein. Grains actually help! The Fiesta Wrap, with those ingredients inside a tortilla, has 17 grams. But that’s still not enough!

Nuts, seeds, and quinoa are certainly heart-healthy foods, but they’re not as high in protein as you might think. The Berri Crunchii salad, for example, with its quinoa, crumbled feta, and walnuts, still only has 13 grams.

So when in doubt, add a protein!

The heart-healthiest options are tofu, sushi-grade salmon or tuna, but if none of those appeal to you, any of the others are fine, except the steak, because it’s the highest in sodium, adding nearly 600 mg to your meal!

(I couldn’t find shrimp in any of the nutrition documents, but it can be high in sodium too, depending on how it’s processed.)

5. Top it up!

There are a huge variety of toppings. Some are free, others cost CA$0.49 to $1.79 (at time of writing).

What toppings do we love for heart health?

The whole or minimally-processed plant foods are great, for starters:

• Any fruit or vegetables, from Mango ($1.79*) to Beet Slaw
• Edamame (no charge!)
• Salsa Fresca ($1.79*)
• Crispy Chickpeas ($1.79*)
• Avocado ($1.79*)
• Hot Black Beans ($1.79*)
• Walnuts ($1.79*)
• Peanuts ($0.49*)
• Sesame, hemp, or chia seeds ($0.49*)

* Prices as of December 4, online in Calgary, Canada.

Parmesan, feta cheese, or aged cheddar (all $1.79) actually aren’t bad for heart health, except for the 250 mg or so of sodium they add to what can be a high total. But they add about 4 grams of protein and 100 g of calcium, so overall it’s a win.

Hard-boiled eggs are fine too. They’re higher in cholesterol than the others, but for most people that doesn’t significantly impact the body’s cholesterol levels. (Here’s the lowdown on eggs and heart health.)

See the Appendix below for the estimated protein content of the toppings.

6. Choose your dressing

There are lots of great choices! Some with healthy fats, not too much sodium or sugar:

• Creamy Chipotle
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
• Lemon Za’atar Vinaigrette
• Greek Yogurt Ranch
• Salsa Fresca
• Spicy Lemongrass
• Plain olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

Try to avoid the sodium bombs:

• Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (1050 mg sodium)
• Teriyaki (600 mg)

And the hidden sugar:

• Fiery BBQ Sauce (18 grams or about 4 teaspoons of added sugar!)
• Spicy Yogurt (Approximately 7 grams / 2 teaspoons of added sugar)
• Teriyaki (8 grams / 2 teaspoons).

If you really like one of those, you could always ask for half of the dressing, or have it on the side. There are lots of ways to make heart healthy eating work for you.

What to skip

1. Rice in a wrap

Whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat tortillas are great for heart health, but a big scoop of rice inside a giant wrap is too much of a good thing for most of us.

How much carbohydrate do Freshii entrees deliver? According to this 2025 table, the ranges are:

• Salads: 20 to 78 grams
• Poke bowls: 51 to 64 g (source)
• Wraps: 60 to 92 g (generally no rice inside)
• Bowls: 68 to 121 g
• Burritos: 84 to 121g (brown rice inside)

You don’t have to aim for the lowest — quality is more important than quantity for carbs — but for most of us, 60-75 grams is plenty.

So if you want a burrito, consider skipping the rice inside, in favour of more beans and veggies. Or just eat half? (And if you want a bowl, you can ask for half of the quinoa or rice, extra veggies.)

Instead of looking up the carbohydrates in every meal, just think about this simple meal planning principle: Making about a quarter of your dish grains and starches leaves plenty of room for vegetables and protein.

You have to use your imagination, but it’s fair to say that huge tortillas are already at least a quarter of the meal, even without the rice piled on.

2. Soup

At the time of this writing, there are only two soups.

The Creamy Tomato comes in just one size, with 1310 mg of sodium as well as 19 grams of saturated fat! (That would be 95% if you were reading a label on packaged food.)

The Spiicy Lemongrass soup is just too much sodium: 1420 mg (small) and 2840 mg (large).

How much sodium is too much? Guidelines range from 1500 mg to 2300 mg per day. In theory a meal would be about 1/3 of that — 500 to 800 mg. But that would leave out almost all restaurant food!

3. Other sodium bombs

Freshii isn’t worse for sodium than any other restaurant. They just don’t get a free pass because they sell all that lovely fresh food.

These are the other entrees with over 1500 mg of sodium, according to Freshii’s 2025 nutrition guide.

• Kale Caesar Salad 1650 mg
• Spiicy Buffalo Bowl 1930 mg
• Teriyaki Twist Bowl 1710 mg
• Spiicy Buffalo Burrito 2590 mg (!)
• Steak, Egg & Cheese Burrito (from the breakfast menu) 1710 mg
• All of the poke bowls 2505 to 2835 mg (source)

That’s all without added protein, which ranges from 85 mg for marinated tofu to 570 mg for steak!

And special mention for Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, which delivers a shocking 1050 mg of sodium per serving, which looks like about two tablespoons. If you want heat, how about jalapeños?

4. Sugar in a glass

Cold Pressed Juices

With names like Get Glowing and Green Genius, the cold pressed juices sound wonderfully wholesome, but unless you’re super active, there’s too much liquid sugar.

Get Glowing is the worst, with 36 grams or 9 teaspoons of sugar. The sugar comes from juice, so it isn’t technically an “added” sugar, but it behaves like one, in that liquids don’t trigger satiety the way solid food does. You might have heard it called “free sugar”.

Is there anything special in there, nutritionally? Well, the ingredients in Get Glowing are “juiced apple, grapefruit. lemon, ginger, and cucumber”. We have no way of knowing how much of each there is, so it could be 90% apple juice!

Seriously though, there will be some nutrition. Even a cup of apple juice has more than 7% of our daily potassium and manganese needs. Grapefruit juice is much better, with over 100% of our vitamin C, and 12% potassium. (Except that it interacts with some heart medications.)

But it’s nothing magical, and for cardiovascular health, generally better to eat the whole fruit or vegetable.

What about the other cold pressed juices? They have between 13 and 19 grams of sugar, equivalent to about 3 to 5 teaspoons. Still not great, considering that guidelines suggest we aim for no more than around 25 to 50 grams (depending on how many calories we burn).

And $7 each! That’s expensive apple juice. 🤣

Elixirs

The Cambridge dictionary defines “elixir” as “a substance, usually a liquid, with a magical power to cure, improve, or preserve something”. That’s quite a claim! “Elixir” isn’t a regulated term in Canada. The only magical power these drinks have is the power to separate you from four loonies.

Take the Antioxidant Elixir. The word antioxidant refers to a wide range of nutrients and other molecules, like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, that can counter unstable molecules called free radicals, which can damage cells. Sounds good, right?

And evidence does suggest that people who eat a variety of antioxidant-rich foods (but not supplements) are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

So is the “Antioxidant Elixir” a disease-preventing magical potion?

Well, start by checking the ingredients: “Beet juice, lemon juice, orange juice, camu camu fruit powder organic, moringa powder organic”.

Beet, lemon, and orange juice are antioxidant-rich, and beet juice may modestly improve blood pressure and vascular health, thanks to its nitrate content. All good, except you’re only getting a 60 mL shot. That’s around a tablespoon of each. 😂

As for the last two ingredients, “camu camu fruit powder organic” and “moringa powder organic”, what even are they? They do sound magical though, I’ll give you that.

Camu camu fruit, which grows in the Amazon, contains many nutrients, including antioxidants!

Moringa, a vegetable found in India, is also rich in antioxidants. And there’s some evidence that it might aid in cholesterol reduction and blood sugar control in diabetes, but Natural Medicines Database reviewers concluded that it was “mixed and insufficient”. (That’s a consumer version of their writeup on WebMD, because I can’t share their subscription-based content.)

How much of those antioxidants end up in the powder dissolved in your 60 mL of “Antioxidant Elixir”? Who knows? Seriously, we have no way of knowing.

But isn’t an antioxidant elixir better than nothing, if you don’t feel you get enough fruits and veggies? Or a harmless boost if you do? If money was no object, why not?

Well, Natural Medicines Database reviewers also concluded that there isn’t enough reliable information to know if camu camu is safe or what the side effects might be. And they warn that moringa interacts with several medications, affecting how fast the liver breaks them down.

Things you might want to know before you down an unknown amount of it.

The best sources of antioxidants are colourful plant-based foods like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, berries, artichokes. Even nuts and whole grains! Don’t forget coffee, tea, and high-cocoa chocolate. You’ve got this.

While writing here I’ve been drinking coffee and nibbling on cashews and an orange. There’s your antioxidant elixir. 😉

Cleanses

Freshii’s “cleanses” are just an assortment of their cold pressed juices (see above) that you drink for one day ($39.99) or up to five days ($169.99). Honestly. I’m in the wrong business.

They don’t make any health claims, because that would be illegal. They use vague words like “natural” and “press your body’s reset button” and “super-charge your nutrient intake”. 🙄

If you feel better after a few days of drinking only juice, and you’ve checked with your doctor, why not?

While there is some evidence that 100% juice may benefit cardiovascular health, a 2015 review concluded that evidence is lacking for both weight management or elimination of toxins from “detox” diets. Another found that people tended to eventually gain weight after Juicing or detox diets.

Not to mention the possible blood sugar swings, microbiome disruption, and nutrient deficiencies, especially with longer cleanses. No thank you.

Smoothies

Smoothies, or “smoothiis” at Freshii, are better. They have fibre! Some have protein! Albeit still high in sugar. Think of them as a nutritious dessert.

Strictly for heart health, your best bet would be the Freshii Green, made by blending pineapple, banana, kale, avocado, and oat milk. The small (12 oz / 336 mL) has a respectable 6 grams of protein and 8 grams (29%) of fibre! It’s still 20 grams of sugar, but as desserts go, not bad.

At the other end is Strawberrii Banana, which delivers 40 grams of sugar in just a small. That’s about the same as a can of pop! A large (24 oz / 670 mL) will have 79 grams, equivalent to more than a third of a cup of sugar!

(For context, the daily value for all sugars is 100 grams, so that’s a sizeable chunk of it.)

If you’re not a green smoothie person, the other options aren’t bad:

• Mixed Berrii – blueberry, strawberry, banana, and orange juice – Delivers antioxidants but there’s not much fibre (2.5 g) or protein (1 g). Sugar is 17 grams.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter – banana, peanuts, cocoa powder, frozen yogurt – On the high end for sugar, with 38 grams (it’s the frozen yogurt), but it’s also got an amazing 20 grams of protein and 6 g (22%) of fibre.
• Tropical Mango – mango, pineapple, banana, honey, turmeric, coconut milk – On the high side for saturated fat (12 g or 60%), due to the coconut milk. And 27 grams of sugar — still a lot.

(Those numbers are all for the snack size, which is 12 ounces or 1.5 cups.)

5. Other sugar bombs

The liquid sugars (above) are the sugar nuclear bombs, but added sugar sneaks into a few entrees too. Of course, it’s a combination of natural sugars, say from strawberries in a salad, and added sugars, like teriyaki sauce. Hard to know how much is added sugar, but a look at the ingredient list gives us a clue.

Here’s a list of entrees with more than 15 grams of sugar (15% of the daily value), and the likely sources of added sugar:

• Berrii Crunchii Salad – 25 g – dried cranberries, balsamic vinaigrette
• Berrii Crunchii Wrap – 25 g – dried cranberries, balsamic vinaigrette
• Kale Caesar Salad – 17 g – Greek yogurt caesar dressing
• Buddha’s Satay Bowl – 24 g – Spicy peanut sauce
• Oaxaca Bowl – 26 g – Spicy yogurt sauce
• Oaxaca Burrito – 18 g – Spicy yogurt sauce
• Teriyaki Twiist Bowl – 18 g – Teriyaki sauce
• Salmon Poke Bowl – 19 g – furikake, sriracha mayo, teriyaki sauce
• Tofu Poke Bowl – 19 g – furikake, sriracha mayo, teriyaki sauce

Also, watch the “Fiery BBQ Sauce“, with 18 g of sugar per serving!

What does that leave you?

There are still plenty of great ingredients and combos at Freshii! The menu is always changing, but from the current offerings, based on ingredients and the 2025 nutrition guide, I like the look of these:

• Fiiesta Salad and Wrap – Romaine lettuce, field greens, corn, black beans, aged cheddar, avocado, crispy wontons, salsa fresca, and cilantro lime vinaigrette – 9 and 13 grams of fibre respectively. Awesome!
• Chiipotle Cheddar Burrito – Whole wheat tortilla, Brown rice, aged cheddar, black beans, tomatoes, corn, cabbage, carrots, green onions, creamy chipotle dressing.
• Teriyaki Twiist Burrito – Whole wheat tortilla, Brown rice, edamame, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, green onions, crispy wontons, sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce.

Or you can create your own combo, as described above.

If you feel like finishing with something sweet, the Pumpkin Spice, Cocoa Energii, and Peanut Butter Energii Bites look good, as does the Chia Pudding. They have cardioprotective ingredients like whole grains (oats), fruit (mango, strawberries), seeds (chia or sunflower seed butter), or nuts (peanut butter)

Or do a snack sized smoothie if they’re hard to resist. (They are.)

Bottom line

In a perfect world, we’d cook everything from scratch at home. In reality, sometimes you’re shopping or travelling, and you need a quick meal. Freshii is one of the best places you can end up!

If you want to make it heart-healthy(ier):

• Go for whole grains – quinoa, brown rice, or a tortilla
• Load it up with veggies and other plant-based “add-ins” like legumes (crispy chickpeas, black beans, edamame), nuts (peanuts, walnuts), and/or seeds (hemp, chia, sesame)
• Add a heart-healthy protein – tofu, sushi-grade salmon or tuna, chicken, or hard-boiled eggs
• Ask to skip the rice in a burrito or wrap
• Top it with Creamy Chipotle, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, Lemon Za’atar Vinaigrette, Greek Yogurt Ranch, Salsa Fresca, Spicy Lemongrass, plain olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
• And if you feel like something sweet at the end, go for something you can hold in your hand.

And enjoy! 😋

Related: 5 Great Alternatives to Typical Fast Food

(This is on a seasonal menu, so no nutrition information provided. Looks good though!)

Appendix

Estimated protein content of toppings

These are estimates (based on the calories listed when building a “Create Your Own” meal here) to give you a general idea.

• Bacon (7 g)
• Crispy Chickpeas (7 g)
• Hard Boiled Egg (6 g)
• Parmesan (6 g)
• Feta Cheese (5 g)
• Aged Cheddar (5 grams)
• Hot Black Beans (4 g)
• Edamame (3 g)
• Hemp seeds (3 g)
• Walnuts (2 g)
• Peanuts and chia seeds (2 g each — estimated assuming you get 1 tablespoon of them — no calorie information provided)
• Black Beans (2 g) (not the hot ones)
• Sesame seeds (1 g)

Data sources

Freshii menu

2025 nutrition info: https://freshii.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Freshii-N_A-Guide-2025-V2.2-EN.pdf

2023 nutrition info: https://freshii.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NA-Guide-EN_compressed.pdf

Other nutrition info (not dated): https://catedraalimentacioninstitucional.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/15.pdf (used only for items not listed elsewhere)

Poke bowl nutrition info: https://freshii.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/POKE-N_A-Guide-ENG.pdf