In about a month or so, we’ll see a huge spike in gym memberships and talks of diets. In January, half the world decides that we ate too much over the holidays and we need a reset. But why not start now, and make it a habit to balance the outrageously decadent holiday meals with meals that will actually be good for your health? That’s where Not Your Sugar Mamas come in, with their new breakfast, lunch, and dinner offerings at their Organic Cafe in the Tisbury Marketplace in Vineyard Haven.
Starting with breakfast, they have two staple offerings (with more to come), but their Chia Seed Oatmeal ($3.95) is the perfect way to warm up on cold Vineyard mornings. Made with gluten-free oats, coconut palm sugar, sea salt, chia seeds, and coconut butter, it’s a luscious concoction that’s perfect on the go.
Lunch is where the menu really shines. The items are so flavorful and tasty, you’ll forget you’re eating vegan, organic, and gluten-free all at the same time. Served daily from 11 am until 3 pm, you can grab lunch ready to go. Can we start with the Mexican Rice Bowl ($12)? Basically, it’s a combination of all my favorite things: basmati brown rice cooked with turmeric and paprika, black beans stewed to tender perfection, smooth guacamole packed with healthy natural fats, flavorful tomato salsa, and a homemade cashew sour cream that you’ll want an extra serving of. It’s a hearty dish that instantly became a favorite.
If you’re more of a soup lover (and who isn’t when it gets cold out?), they’ll be offering a variety of soups daily, whether you want to get a cup ($5), a bowl ($7), or take a quart ($9) home. My plan is to stock up on a couple of those quarts of soup and throw them in my freezer for days when I’m too busy to cook. Their Red Lentil Dahl, made with red lentils, turmeric, coconut milk, ginger, lemon, onions, cumin, and coriander, is a culinary song of flavors. It’s rare to get Indian-inspired meals on-Island, and this dahl hits the spot when craving those flavors.
Another great offering is a Cheesy Flatbread ($14,) and it’s deeply inspiring to see how the chefs have taken so much time and effort in creating these recipes. The flatbread is grain-free, but crisp and flavorful, with no chalky flavors like in other grain-free products you find at the store. Topped with an organic marinara sauce, cashew cheese sauce, arugula, and garlic Parmesan, it’s like eating a pizza that’s healthy and good for you.
What I love about this lunch menu is that all the items are also offered until they close as a quick dinner to go. They’ve got dinner items ready to go to warm up at home or made hot to order, including their Buddha Bowl ($14) and Deconstructed Sweet Potato Lasagna ($14).
Want to stay up to date about lunch and dinner offerings? Make sure to email orders@notyoursugarmamas.com, or call 508-338-2018 so they can put you on the list or take your reservation. It’s a venture that they are trying to keep year-round, offering the community a spot to find organic, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo foods that are packed with nutrition and flavor. Because if you thought plant-based food was bland, all you need to be convinced otherwise is one bite of NYSM’s food.
This article by Marnely Murray originally appeared on mvtimes.com.
