Before we cook we need to go food shopping. Here I provide you with a simple list of stores that have the ingredients we need to prepare quick, healthy meals. It is always great to get your fruits and veggies from the freshest sources. No single store seems to cover the gamut for everything we need. Online retailers can be an option for hard to find items. I pay careful attention to both price and quality everywhere I shop.
This is always the best choice for locally grown fruits and vegetables. The choices are generally fresher because they skip the middle man and come straight from the farmer. You can also find frozen meats, seafood, baked goods and nuts at most of these markets. Becoming a regular at your local farmer’s market also encourages relationships to form with growers, bakers, farmers, etc. A great way to build community!
This chain of markets is great for bulk items, fresh fruits and veggies, meats some dairy and seafood. If cost is not an issue then you can cover most bases in Whole Foods, if it is then other sources need to be tapped. Whole Foods is a great choice for organics and natural foods.
This store is excellent for frozen fruits and veggies, boxed cereals, healthy snacks, dairy, meats, chicken and seafood. They pay great attention to value and cost of goods. They have economical, tasty, frozen wild fish choices. They are the best choice for nuts and dried fruits as they aren’t as expensive as other stores and the quality and variety is great. TJ’s has great organic choices in most categories. Of note is their fat free strained greek yogurt. We go through about 10 containers a week!
Online Stores
I will provide links and options for these ingredients as the come up in recipe posts. You might find it is easier to source certain items online if you do not have access to the above mentioned stores.
