A Guide to Healthy Eats in the Asbury Park Area

With the summer season approaching, finding a restaurant with healthy food options is necessary. Asbury Park is the place to go, as the restaurant scene has grown over the years to include restaurants that aim to provide customers with delicious and nutritious indulgences. Whether it is a smoothie for a quick midday refreshment, a fun take on a salad, or a secretly healthy treat, the Asbury Park area has all the healthy cravings covered. Read more for a list of takeout and dine-in restaurants located close to Asbury Park that have healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Cameo Love Market  | 1213 Main Street, Asbury Park

Cameo Love Market is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and cafe with features such as a tapas brunch, a farm-to-table menu, and vegan-friendly options. Its menu includes fresh bread, salads, and sandwiches that locals love because it is reminiscent of the European diet, rooted in whole foods and fresh vegetables. JSG recommends that health enthusiasts ask about the daily specials and try the Kombucha on tap. At the back of the restaurant is a cute market containing imported European and local gourmet groceries including seasonal produce. The rotational grocery menu will typically include cheeses, meats, marinated vegetables, homemade hummus, and salads for those who want to take the wholesome European culinary experience home. 

Read More: A Guide to the Coffee Shops in the Asbury Park Area 

Cavé Bistro  |  515 Sylvania Avenue, Avon-by the-Sea

 

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Cavé Bistro, located just minutes from Asbury Park in Avon-by-the-Sea, has a gluten-free, farm-to-table menu ​​featuring organic produce and grass-fed proteins. After overcoming his health conflicts by shifting to a gluten-free diet Chef Doug Stehle, owner of Cavé Bistro, is passionate about serving meals made with nutritious ingredients. The spring menu at this restaurant has small plates like grass-fed beef meatballs and large plates like organic chicken thighs that can be topped off with a side of parmesan potato gratin or braised collard greens with bacon. Salads, bowls, and burgers are also made to make all customers feel good. If not dining in, Cavé Bistro also has weekly prepared ready-to-eat meals that can be ordered online and picked up on Sundays or Mondays.  

Crust + Crumble |  633 Lake Avenue

Crust + Crumble veers itself away from an ordinary pizzeria with its gluten-free + vegan pizza, salad, soup, sandwich, and pasta options. The vegan veggie burgers here can come with a side salad, and the gluten-free pizzas can be topped with veggies like artichoke hearts, broccoli, and spinach. For anyone looking to indulge in something sweet, there is also a rotating selection of vegan or gluten-free treats, like cakes, cookies, brownies + cupcakes. FYI: the $12  lunch combos are available Monday to Friday, 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, for takeout or dine-in.  

Dale + Dollops  | 69 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove

Dale + Dollops is a vegan restaurant in Ocean Grove, next door to Asbury Park, with a healthy interpretation of classic diner food favorites. Its menu includes breakfast items like avocado toast and scrambled tofu. For lunch or dinner, there are fun yet nutritious options like the Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich or the Portobello + Mozzarella Wrap. Dale + Dollops also has salads, burritos, tacos, and veggie burgers. JSG loves the smoothies made with cashew milk and the variety of sides that can be added to any order, like marinated kale or avocado.  

Greens and Grains   |  1861 NJ-35 Unit 105, Wall Township

Greens + Grains is a plant-based chain restaurant outside Asbury Park, in Wall Township. Its menu has smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juices, and smoothies available for pick up or delivery. Greens + Grains has breakfast items like a scramble bowl, avocado toast, or breakfast tacos + pitas. It has many healthy sandwich options, such as pitas, paninis, wraps, and subs. As for the salads, choose one on the menu or build one that starts with kale or spinach and continues with a choice of toppings or plant-based proteins like smoked tofu, crispy chicken, or vegan meatballs. Quinoa or brown rice bowls can be personalized with a favorite housemade topping such as avocado. 

Greens Natural Foods  | 1119 NJ-35, Ocean Township

Greens Natural Foods, located in Ocean Township, is an organic grocery store that sells 100% organic produce and non-GMO products. Besides functioning as a grocery store, Greens Natural Foods also has a fresh foods department that customers can order for delivery via Uber Eats or pick up at the store. The chef at Green Natural Foods makes entrees, wraps, and salads (mixed with homemade dressing) prepared in the scratch kitchen daily that can quickly be taken for an on-the-go healthy meal. Greens Natural Foods has a juice bar featuring fresh fruit smoothies, protein shakes, pressed juices, and wellness shots. 

Juice Basin  | 805 Fourth Avenue, Asbury Park

 

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Juice Basin, Jersey’s original organic cold press, has raw snacks, wellness shots, smoothies, and juices. Juice Basin makes its juices with a purpose, using only USDA organic certified ingredients targeted to restore, detox, energize, hydrate, soothe, and nourish the body. Its signature cleanses all have a specific goal. For example, the Bridal Cleanse is meant to beautify with a curated package of juices to make the hair and skin glow. There are even snack options for those who want to curb a chocolate craving; the chocolate truffles are a must-try as they have no added sugar and contain nutritious ingredients such as cacao, date, cashew, coconut oil, and agave.   

See More: A Guide to Food Trucks in Hoboken + Jersey City

Juice Beach  | 701 Cookman Avenue + 1200 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Known for its juice cleanses, Juice Beach has shakes, cold presses, and body shots that aim to remove toxins that have entered the body. Its three-day cleanse includes three juices and shakes daily, plus a bonus weight loss shot. It can help customers lose weight by curbing unwanted cravings, increasing energy, cleaning out the liver, and improving digestion. For anyone not wanting to commit to a cleanse, customers can also grab individual shakes, packaged to go, like the Coco Protein Plush, which has unsweetened almond milk, raw almond butter, cacao powder, banana, and vegan pea protein. Juice Beach sells raw cold pressed and body shots, all aligned with its mission of helping customers maintain a healthy lifestyle. Juice Beach products are sold inside Asbury Park’s Playa Bowls or can be delivered same-day through DoorDash and Grubhub.

MacroBites | 1201 Springwood Avenue Unit 103, Asbury Park

MacroBites is a national Black-owned health food company serving to-go meals with a balanced macronutrient ratio. Customers can build their own custom Culture Box by choosing among six to fifteen meals featuring dinner, lunch, or breakfast options such as shrimp scampi, glazed portobello bowl, and protein pancakes. Those who personalize a box can pick up or get their meals delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. MacroBites’ restaurant is also available for takeout or delivery, and its menu puts a nutritious twist on favorite meals like tacos, burgers, wraps, and soups. At MacroBites, visitors can order desserts like a slushy, shake, or cake, which is full of nourishment.

Makana’s  | 609 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park

Makana’s may appear to be a recent addition to Cookman Avenue, but it plans to honor Twisted Tree’s legacy by not only taking over the same location but also developing a menu that is reminiscent of its health-conscious ingredients. Makana’s is focused on giving visitors the experience of having a quick meal that also feels like it is not skimping out on any nutritious value. This new downtown Asbury Park health spot is set to open in May. 

Playa Bowls | 701 Cookman Avenue + 1200 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Playa Bowls is an acai shop with two locations in Asbury Park, one located Downtown and the other on the boardwalk. Its mission is to help customers build a healthy lifestyle. The acai berry, the foundational ingredient of this chain restaurant, is known to have energy-boosting, cell-healing, and immune-stimulating properties. Besides acai bowls, there is also the oatmeal option, which is rich in protein and fiber. Other base selections are banana, coconut, green, pitaya, and mango. The toppings for these bowls are clean options such as fruits, nuts, and protein. Playa Bowls’ menu also includes smoothies, juices, cold brews, and cold press juices, all of which are easy takeout options.

Pulp Asbury | 516 Summerfield Avenue, Asbury Park

Pulp Asbury has smoothies, raw juices, and healthy eats, all containing plant-based ingredients, which the business prides itself on being from the ground. Its mantra, “Healthy Habits Start Here,” is backed up with organic and locally farmed spices, fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and customers can feel confident that there will never be any preservatives or added sugar to the meal. Pulp Asbury’s menu features daily toasts, salads, wraps, and oatmeal (served all day). It puts a spin on dishes like mac n’ cheese, burritos, and nachos that customers can order while still sticking to a diet. The add-ons here (called “Zings”) have options like CBD, matcha, protein, maca, flax oil, bee pollen, spirulina, and granola.  JSG tip: look out for its daily specials, which can be everything from salads to homemade soup + bread.  

Seed to Sprout  | 410 Main Street, Avon-by-the-Sea

 

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Seed to Sprout, another Avon-by-the-Sea location, is a health food restaurant with a diverse daily menu featuring plant-based, organic food. JSG recommends its bowls with base options such as marinated kale, baby greens, and rice covered with vegetables and proteins. Locals love that Seed to Sprout has its breakfast menu available all day long, and health-conscious parents love that there is a kid’s menu. Other features of Seed to Sprout include its raw food cleanse and cake shop.