Healthy eating while in college can be very difficult, especially while living on a budget. While meal prepping and planning healthy meals can be a great option, it can also be very time consuming and cost a lot of money. However, there are plenty of healthy and affordable options across Monmouth County.
If breakfast is what you are looking for, places such as Bagel Guys, Turning Point, Amy’s Omelette House, Toast, and Offshore Coffee Co all offer a variety of healthy food items. Their menus consist of healthy options that have the added benefit of being budget-friendly. They are also all located within a close radius of Monmouth campus, Toast being the furthest drive of only eight minutes. Bagel Guys, a very well-known spot for Monmouth students, has a pleasantly surprising amount of healthy options.
Lily Hoffman, a former Bagel Guys employee and Monmouth University alumna, shared, “Bagel Guys Deli is a great healthy option for students looking for something to eat off campus. Their Monmouth discount is 10 percent off and is valid on weekdays. What’s great about Bagel Guys is that they have an entire section of the menu dedicated to healthy breakfast and lunch dishes.”
If you are looking for lunch options, try Art of Salad, Playa Bowls, Good Karma Cafe, or The Speakeatery. Art of Salad, located in Pier Village, is a great option if you are looking for something you can customize for your specific taste. They have plenty of healthy toppings, dressings, and more that you can use to create your perfect salad. If salads aren’t your thing, they also have other options such as sandwiches, wraps, and even pressed juices.
You may not have heard of Good Karma Cafe or The Speakeatery, as they are located a bit further from Monmouth University, but they are worth the trip; they come very highly recommended for their healthy and tasty food. Good Karma Cafe is located in Red Bank and offers smoothies and a range of vegan options, while The Speakeatery is located in Asbury Park and offers a vast selection of sandwiches and salads. Both restaurants are perfect sit-down places to eat and have very reasonable prices.
Some other sit-down restaurants that offer a pleasant dining experience include Kaya’s Kitchen, a vegan restaurant located in Belmar, and KITCH Organic, an all-organic restaurant located in Red Bank.
If you are looking for dinner, try Taka, Hummus Republic, Greens, and Grains Shrewsbury, Simply Greek, or Fresh Kitchen of Point Pleasant. Taka is a well-known sushi restaurant in Asbury Park that, though at first glance may not seem like it, offers a great number of healthy options. Their vast selection of sushi options is overall on the healthy side and the dinner atmosphere of the restaurant is great if you are looking for a nice evening out.
Hummus Republic is more of a quick bite establishment rather than a sit-down-and-eat restaurant, but it nonetheless serves delicious, healthy food. Similar to Art of Salad, Hummus Republic offers a create-your-own wrap, pita, or bowl where you can choose to customize your meal with a variety of delicious Mediterranean food that comes out to about 13 dollars each time.
