Healthy Glow: Organic and Vegetarian Dining

Often referred to as the Garden Spot of the U.S., The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel has two growing seasons, which means lots of fresh, sun-ripened vegetables, fruits, herbs and even edible flowers. Which in turn means vegans, vegetarians and your garden-variety vegetable lovers are in luck year ’round.

For Goodness Sake in Bonita Springs serves a menu of salads, sandwiches and fruit or protein smoothies in addition to selling local honey and a wide variety of fresh, locally grown, frozen and canned organic products.

Other restaurants in the area, particularly ethnic ones, devote a section of their menu to vegetarian appetites. At Siam Hut in Cape Coral, for instance, all of its Thai noodle, curry and stir-fried dishes are available meat-free. In Fort Myers, India Palace’s menu lists more than a dozen vegetable dishes, with or without cheese, such as alu chole (curried potatoes and chick peas) and panirmasala (cubes of homemade cheese in fresh tomato sauce and Indian spices).

For vegetarian take-out and products, check out The Sandy Butler Gourmet Market on Fort Myers Beach. This inviting market, shiny as a new penny, touts itself as gourmet and downplays its organic products but does sell a good selection of produce and meat free of pesticides and hormones. The owners grow their own citrus in a pesticide-free grove in Alva.

At the deli, ready-made dishes include an assortment of veggie temptations, such as arugula and mushroom-stuffed portobello, wild rice salad, eggplant rollatini, vegetable pasta salads and broccoli rabe with whole cloves of garlic. Cheese connoisseurs will be enthralled by the store’s selection, which comes from every corner of the world. The range of gourmet products also blows the mind (not to mention the diet).

Another good source for organic produce and products is Fresh Market in Fort Myers, but like Sandy Butler, it does not sequester organic in a special section. You have to sift through the shelves to find what you’re looking for. Sweetbay stores throughout the area do keep organic products separate. Three other good sources for good-for-you groceries is Healthy Habits in Fort Myers, Healthy Gourmet in Lehigh Acres and Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel Island.

So rest assured, when you visit The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, you can return home with a healthy glow – outside and in.