Can I Eat Keto at Mezza

As a young woman in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I remember the first time I ate at Mezza. It is a Lebanese restaurant that started 30 years ago in a mall food court. Today, there are 13 locations across the Maritime provinces and one in Dubai. The couple who started in the food court passed their business onto their two sons in 2012, and they have made Mezza one of the largest and fastest growing Lebanese restaurant chains in Canada! So, after all that – can you eat keto at Mezza?

Why Try Eating Keto at Mezza?

The motto of this restaurant is “Eat like you’re family.” If you’ve lived in Halifax, you’ve likely taken part in a Lebanese family’s celebrations, and you feel privileged to be there. Their culture puts family at the centre of their lives and loyalty is incredibly important. Mezza ensures their food tastes like it is specifically made for you. Their ingredients are locally sourced and they prepare their spice blends and sauces in-house.

Now, honestly, I wasn’t such a huge fan in my early years. My tastes ran more on the sweet side. Lebanese food is so flavourful, but that flavour isn’t sugar – it’s spice. A few months ago, Mezza opened a restaurant pretty much outside my front door. Since I like spice now, and I don’t eat sugar, I thought maybe I’d like it a lot more. But, could I eat as Mezza while staying on keto?

The Bowl Option

I went to their bowls on their menu first, as that works for Mexican restaurants. You simply ask for lettuce instead of rice or beans. But, Mezza is not Mexican – it’s Lebanese, so there was only one bowl that would work easily for a keto diet. The chicken shawarma bowl does not have rice as a base.

The chicken shawarma has no net carbs in it. It also includes lettuce, tomato, and pickles which may have about 3 net carbs combined. It does have pickled turnips included. Many people love this delicacy – I’ve never been a fan, and it has about 5 net grams of carbs in it. You could incorporate it easily if you want a little adventure in your dinner.

Are the Plates Keto at Mezza?

Several of the plates are keto at Mezza. The chicken souvlaki plate certainly is, if you order it without the pita and rice or fries. It includes two chicken souvlaki skewers, which have about 1 gram of net carbs in them together. You can also get a Greek salad on the side. That has about 4 net carbs, if you get it with the Greek dressing and feta cheese. And, really, what is a Greek salad without those two key ingredients? That doesn’t include olives either, so if you want them included, add about a gram of net carbs. That’s a grand total of 5 or 6 grams of net carbs in your entire meal!

But the one I think will be most popular with keto folks is the mixed grill plate. You get chicken shawarma, donair meat, and a chicken souvlaki skewer as your proteins. The donair meat in this is the only one with any carbs, and it has about a gram of net carbs in it.

Then you get a side salad. Fattoush salad, with no fried pita pieces and using the house dressing, has about 4 net grams of carbs. Fattoush salad is lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and radish. Or, you can get the Greek side salad, listed above. Either way, you’re looking at about 5 grams of net carbs so far. You have the option of hummus, which has 3 net grams of carbs in it. I would skip that. But you also get your choice of 2 dipping sauces with it.

Mezza Sauces

The sauces, because they are in-house and boast a flavour other than sweetness, are pretty keto-friendly. The Tahini has 2 net grams of carbs. Tzatziki also has 2 net grams of carbs. The garlic sauce, which tends to be people’s favourite, has no net carbs in it. The hot sauce also comes in at zero.

My Options for Eating Keto at Mezza

So, I’ll likely go with the chicken souvlaki plate. Definitely add the garlic sauce! And, they can hold the olives. I don’t like chomping down on little salt blocks – although I know many of you do. But, I can almost guarantee that Bill will go with the mixed grill plate. He’ll likely get the garlic sauce and the Tahini, but he won’t get the hummus. That means, his entire meal will come in at 7 grams of net carbs. And, did I mention the flavour?

I also have to commend the company for their website. Their menu and their nutritional information is front and centre. It’s easy to find and easy to read. Great job on helping us keep healthy! Dang – I did my meal plan for the week. I may have to re-arrange it to incorporate Mezza into the mix!

Wendy