by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Fast food gets a bad rap. Not everything that’s fixed quickly is laden with saturated fat and unnatural preservatives. Here are some of the local places where you can pick up a quick bite and know that you’re getting a healthy meal or snack.
Organic fast food might not be an entirely new concept on the West coast but it’s still a fairly fresh idea here in Florida. At the Healthy Way Cafe(10281 Midtown Parkway 904 642-2951) in the St. Johns Town Center and the newest location inside the Gold’s Gym downtown (109 W. Forsyth St.) you’ll find an emphasis on organics and simple recipes. Though they have sauces on hand to pump up the flavor of their wraps, you’ll find that they aren’t necessary. When the basic ingredients are this good—why cover it up?
The majority of the menu features items that most of us are used to eating: wraps and salads. Taste something as simple and straight forward as a Chicken Caesar wrap and you’ll get to experience how dramatically using organic ingredients can boost the taste of a simple meal.
The café’s patrons range from health conscious weight lifters to moms looking for a healthy meal for themselves and their toddlers or vegetarians looking for a place that respects their needs.
Ever had an organic banana? Until I plunged a fork into Healthy Way’s fruit salad I never had. It was so full of life and flavor that regular bananas will be forever ruined for me.
Salmon-lovers simply must try the Healthy Way Wrap, a delicious combination of wild salmon, organic romaine, lettuce, tomatoes and spouts.
You can also take advantage of their web to go. Just go to their website, healthywaycafe.com, where you can order and pay for your food online then receive a time for pick up and the food will be waiting for you.
Native Sun, is of course, my hands-down favorite source of organic and natural produce. The location in Mandarin (10000 San Jose Boulevard 904-260-6950) is smaller than the huge place they’ve got at Baymeadows and 9A (11030 Baymeadows Rd 904-519-2997), so if you haven’t gone down to take a gander at their newer locale, it might be time to do so.
Both Native Suns in the area have a good deli, but the one at Baymeadows and 9A is fantastic, proving that healthy food can sometimes be more delectable than the stuff that’s bad for you. Every item is made fresh in the store by the Native Sun staff using only all-natural and organic ingredients to ensure their foods are as healthy as they are delicious.
Most people take their food to-go, but there is a sit-down area at the front of the store. If you’re on your way home and looking to feed your family, head to the hot bar section and pick up one of their rotisserie chickens.
While you can feed an army with their organic goodness, I like to go there to pick up lunch for myself. I adore their wraps and their rye berry and raisin salad. They’ve introduced new health friendly “burst” sandwiches that are small, compact and come with the same amount of fillings as their regular wraps and fresh made to order sandwiches like Ruebens, clubs, melts and more - including quesadillas! Sometimes I pick up something from their bakery for later, such as zucchini or banana date muffins. There are single servings of desserts available, so you can make sure you don’t gorge on their carrot cake or delish raspberry bars.
Turtle Island Natural Foods (363 Atlantic Blvd. Atlantic Beach 904-247-6400) is a favorite to-go place for health conscious beachgoers. It’s a small health food and organic market, but it buzzes with folks at lunchtime, ordering from their deli case. They serve fabulous sandwiches with creative names, all of which seem to come from songs. There’s Blue Sky, made with roast beef and boursin-style cheese with lettuce tomato and onion on sourdough bread. Also a favorite is Whole Lotta Love, made with fresh veggies, avocado, apple and almonds with sharp cheddar and Djion mustard on organic whole wheat bread. My personal favorite is the Mayport shrimp salad sandwich: Come Sail Away.
Patrons range from workers in on Atlantic Boulevard that want a quick, healthy and tasty lunch to old hippies, the body conscious and the earth conscious.
Vegetarians and vegans have their own separate case, so if meat turns your stomach, you won’t have to look at it as you try to make your selection. Similarly, if you’re avoiding meat, it’s convenient to have those selections in a separate case.
If you’re into the sweeter things in life, do not miss their dessert case. It’s always changing. From strawberry lemon tarts to chocolate decadence, their desserts not only look fabulous, they also taste fabulous.
In St. Augustine, you can find The Manatee Café (525 S.R. 16 #106 Westgate Plaza, St. Augustine 904-826-0210), a favorite spot for vegetarians and the otherwise health conscious in the area. They serve a Veggie bugger, Veggie omelet and tofu chili, among other tasty selections on their menu.
Breakfast is very popular. Besides the omelets, you can also get a waffle made with Spelt flour, get a breakfast burrito or scrambled tofu. Lots of people get health conscious food to go here, but they have a large sit down area. Café patrons range from tourists hungry for healthy stuff to local vegetarians who are regulars. Think of it as a healthy diner. There is also a very small market, but the emphasis is on the food area.
Article Published in the April 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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