Can I Get Health Food At A Regular Grocery Store For Less Than At A Health Food Store? Where?
08.25.2009 by My health diary - 3 CommentsPosted in health food
I am a total health nut, but being a health nut, means that I want the best quality I can get that doesn’t have all those dyes, high fructose corn syrup, growth hormones, etc… But the problem is, is that health food stores can go way out of bugget for me. Where are some cheaper places for me to get good, healthy food for less?
UK supermarkets are really getting on board with the health food. They are doing lots more dairy, wheat and gluten free products and they are always set apart from the ‘normal’ stuff so you don’t get confused. I have found that unless you are looking for something specialist, larger supermarkets are definitely worth going to first as they are a) convenient and take major credit cards b.)can be cheaper as they can absorb costs better than a smaller store. Staff have virtually no knowledge of the products though so you really need to weigh up the pros and cons.
Impish Jerome is perfectly correct though, not all health foods are good for you as they often contain a lot of fat and sugar to make them a bit tastier so always check the label.
Trader Joe’s, if you have them in your area, typically carries organic produce for less than the ubiquitous Whole Foods. I live in New York City, though, and I have to say that TJ’s produce section is pathetic compared to Whole Foods’.
Also consider local farmers’ markets (or better yet, farmers directly), or food co-ops (once again, usually in urban areas).
Finally, you could subscribe to a CSA (community-support agriculture) which typically provides ample produce at a reasonable price – although you do have to pay a larger sum up front. Find a local CSA here: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
I’ve seen some of the Red Mill products at Kroger’s.
Here in the mid-Louisiana area, (Lafayette, La) we have Vitamin Plus and some other scattered locations. Nice prices. I believe one of the reasons they have reasonable prices is because (1) they don’t accept credit cards and pass that savings (no credit card trasaction fees) onto the customers (2) they don’t have a scanning system at the register.
Note – NOT all foods at the health food store is healthy for you either.