No Meat March Survival Guide

by Shannon Blankenship
Ever wanted a reason to try the whole “vegetarian thing” out? You’ve probably heard
about the health benefits of being vegetarian or have been curious about what to do with
quinoa and lentils. Maybe you’ve always wondered what your grocery store bill would be like
without the pricey meat. Truth is, unless you go all in, one meal here or there won’t give you
the insight you want.
No Meat March is a challenge. It is a pledge to go without meat for 31 days and be able
to honestly say whether or not you have ever tried being a vegetarian. You will be able to answer
for yourself questions like, “Does it make you feel better?”, “Does removing the meat course
from your lunch and dinner entrée leave you hungry, or surprisingly satisfied?”, “What is your
grocery bill like?” and “What meat do you miss most, or not at all?”
Take the pledge with the Girls Gone Green this month at www.nomeatmarch.com and
click on the Jacksonville tab for a full schedule of events in our area. Find out if you can
handle the challenge. Worst case scenario, your favorite lunch spot gets the boot for 31
days. Best case scenario, you’ve been missing out on better food, a healthier lifestyle, more
affordable cooking for your family, and you’ve added a few years on to your life. The benefits
may just outweigh the cost. Give it a try on March 1st, and use this Survival Guide to help get
you through the next 31 days.
Know where to shop & Go Local !
Locate your area farmers’ markets and all natural grocery
stores in order to stock up on fresh seasonal items each
week. After talking with the experts you won’t run out of
ideas to make great healthy foods all month long.
Riverside & Downtown
Riverside Arts Market Every Saturday under I-95, 715
Riverside Ave., 10 am-4 pm
King Street Farmers Market Every Wednesday at King
and Forbes St., 10 am-2 pm
Jacksonville Farmers Market 365 days a year, 1810 W.
Beaver St., dawn-dusk
Grassroots Natural Market 2007 Park St., www.
thegrassrootsmarket.com
Southside & Suburban
Areas
Native Sun 10000 San Jose Blvd. and 11030
Baymeadows Rd., www.nativesunjax.com
Whole Foods 10601 San Jose Blvd., www.
wholefoodsmarket.com
Fresh Market 12795 San Jose Blvd., www.
thefreshmarket.com
Jacksonville Beaches·
Beaches Green Market Every Saturday, 301 Florida
Blvd., Neptune Beach, 2-5 pm
BioMax Natural Foods 299 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach
Fresh Market 13493 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville Beach,
www.thefreshmarket.com
For a great list of Vegan recipes, check out the Girls
Gone Green website, www.thegirlsgonegreen.com,
or my personal favorite, the Post Punk Kitchen, www.
theppk.com, created by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, for all
you need to know about cooking and eating during No
Meat March.
make your pledge known!
Eating is very social, so the more people surrounding you who participate in No Meat March, the more fun you’ll have. Let your friends and family know you are taking the challenge, and see who will try it with you. Here are some ideas to make NMM fun for groups.
Sunday Vegetarian Potluck Potlucks are a great way to try out new recipes and to see what other people are cooking. Make it all vegetarian friendly so that you can sample and try everything. This is a great way to expand your palate.
Lunch Dates See what office co-workers and friends are participating in NMM and start utilizing the NMM restaurant guide to try some new lunch spots. Share your favorite meals with friends, so we all know where to go.
Use Social Media Let us know how you feel. No Meat March is a challenge, so spread the word about your accomplishment. Yes, post your food pictures, and tell us about them. It is a journey, so there will be highs and lows, but it is worth sharing!
try new menu items using this
restaurant guide
The following restaurants will make it easy to stick with the No Meat March pledge. They offer
a variety of vegan and vegetarian choices, likely items you have declined in the past. Here’s
the time to expand your palate! *NMM – The following restaurants offer a special No Meat
March menu. *V – The following restaurants/café’s are 100% vegetarian or vegan.
Riverside / Avondal e
Harpoon Louie’s 4070 Herschel St., www.harpoonlouies.net *NMM
Sweet Theory Baking Co. 1243 King St., 387-1001*V
Mossfire Grill 1537 Margaret St., www.mossfire.com
O’Brothers Irish Pub 1521 Margaret St., www.obrothersirishpub.com
Bagel Love 4114 Herschel St., www.bagellovejax.com
Sun-Ray Cinemas 1028 Park St., www.sunraycinema.com
European Street Café 2753 Park St., www.europeanstreet.com
San marco
San Marco Deli 1965 San Marco Blvd., www.sanmarcodeli.com
High Tide Burrito 1538 Hendricks Ave., www.hightideburrito.com
European Street Café 1704 San Marco Blvd., www.europeanstreet.com
Green Erth Bistro 1520 Hendricks Ave., www.green-erth-bistro.com
downtown / Springfield
Chamblin’s Uptown Café 215 N. Laura St., www.chamblinbookmine.com
Burrito Gallery 21 E. Adams St., www.burritogallery.com
Indochine 21 E. Adams St., www.indochinejax.com
Pho- A Noodle Bar 117 W. Adams St., www.phoanoodlebar.com
Uptown Market 1303 N. Main St., www.uptownmarketjax.com
Sabor Do Brasil 100 E. Forsyth St., 633-9028
Jacksonville beaches
Roy’s Restaurant 2400-101 3rd St. S., Jax Beach, www.roysrestaurant.com *NMM
Buddah’s Thai Bistro 301 10th Ave. N., Jax Beach, www.buddhathaibistro.com *NMM
Mellow Mushroom 1018-2 3rd St. N., Jax Beach, www.mellowmushroom.com
Delicomb 1131 3rd St. N., Jax Beach, www.delicomb.com
Taco Lu 1183 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, www.tacolu.com
European Street Café 5500 Beach Blvd. and 992 Beach Blvd., www.europeanstreet.com
Soup’s On 645 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, www.soupsonjax.com
st. augustine
Present Moment Café & Market 224 W. King St., www.thepresentmomentcafe.com *V
The Floridian 39 Cordova Street, www.thefloridianstaug.com
The Manatee Café 525 Florida 16 #106, www.manateecafe.com
When in doubt, remember that almost every other country on earth supports a very large vegetarian population. Ethnic restaurants will never let you down when searching for a delicious vegetarian meal: Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean, and even Sushi. For a more complete restaurant guide in your part of Jacksonville, visit www.vegjax.com.
*If your favorite restaurant doesn’t have a veggie item on the menu, you should ask. Supply will meet demand, and small business owners should know that their business is being avoided for its lack of options.