Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Where to Shop for Clean Eats on a Budget in Vancity


OK, so you don't have a bursting-at-the-seams bank account that allows you to skip feverishly through Whole Foods, Urban Fare or Choices throwing items into your cart willy-nilly without considering prices.  It's OK, one day you will :).  But right now, you need to nourish your self properly so that you've got what you need to fuel your body and work for those goals.  You CAN eat well on a budget.  It is NOT necessary to exist on Kraft dinner and Chunky soup, or pre-bagged caeser salads that have more calories and less nutritional value than the KD (OK so maybe not, but you get the point).

Since we moved to SOMA, I have had to re-familiarize myself with where to shop since there are so many options WAY up here compared to downtown ;).  It took me about a month, but I have now found all of the places where I can get good stuff for cheap.  I have mentioned before that I keep a running grocery list in my phone that I am constantly updating so that when it comes to shopping, I can look at my list and see which store I need to visit.  If there is something I can wait for that I usually buy at another store, I leave it until the next week...I DO NOT run all over town in one day picking up 1 thing here and 1 thing there.  I don't have time for that so organization is key...Know where to shop and keep your list updated.  That way, you can keep your $ spent and your time spent down and enjoy more time for cooking, reading, gardening or whatever it is you like to do :).  Here's the list!  Please feel free to leave comments below so I can update the list in the future.  I'll add to it too as summer emerges and let you know!

Whole Foods (Yes, it's good for somethings):

  • Bulk organic Chia seeds
  • Bulk organic Spelt Flakes
  • Bulk organic Quinoa
No Frills (Great for basics):
  • Canned goods (beans, tomatoes, tuna, etc)
  • Dried beans
  • Organic vegetables
  • Bulk nuts & seeds (of all kinds)
  • Frozen fruit (berries, peaches, mango etc)
  • Yogurt (I only buy bio-yogurt and they have great deals on it most of the time)
  • Cheese (all kinds)
  • Almond or soy milk
  • Eggs
Superstore (Great for just about anything):
  • Check out the natural/organic/gluten free aisle for things like gluten free bread, coconut oil, crackers, bio-yogurt in bulk, almond or soy milk, "healthy" chips :), can sugar and tons more awesome and affordable items
  • Organic vegetables
  • Frozen fruits
  • Meat
  • Dairy
  • Eggs (free-run/organic)
  • Canned goods (of all kinds)
  • Bulk organic quinoa and other bulk goods
  • Olive oil, grapeseed oil and other vegetable based oils
  • Dried goods such as rice, beans and lentils
  • Baking essentials such as baking powder, vanilla, masa harina corn flour etc.
SunRise Market (Gore and Powell-you'll find lots of neat, affordable things here)
  • In season local vegetables, fruits and herbs (I bet you get more veggies than you can carry for under 40 bucks)
  • Spices and rubs (Indian and Thai curries, cajun spice, etc)
  • Canned goods (coconut milk, water chestnuts, 
  • Tofu (of all kinds)
  • Almond or soy milk
  • Local bio yogurt
  • Lara bars, Oski bars and Dan-D-Pak snacks
  • Eggs (free-run/organic)
  • Coconut water and other healthy beverages such as Kombucha


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