Food Guide

You’d be surprised that the sales in-store at Whole Foods or online at Thrive Market and VitaCost are usually cheaper than my local grocery stores (Kroger/Meijer).

Every weekend, I check the sales ads for all stores and stock up on things that are deeply discounted– especially things I can freeze or keep in the pantry.

Bulk shopping is ALWAYS cheaper due to less packaging costs, etc. for the supplier.

I shop at places like Costco and Azure Standard to buy things in bulk that I don’t need every week or even month (and also check their sales adds to BOTH buy in bulk AND shop the sales!).

This one can be tricky if you live in a cold climate, but often grocery stores source from other states and will have items that are in-season elsewhere (and thus cheaper).

If you’ve never paid attention, watch organic, fresh berry prices in the winter vs. the summer months– this is where things can add up!

Here is a website that can tell you what is in-season both locally in-season and in general in the US.

Especially for things that you can’t get in-season, frozen is where it’s at! Frozen produce is frozen at it’s peak freshness which maintains its nutrient profile more than canned/preserved produce. Plus with frozen you aren’t getting exposed to heavy metals and chemicals in cans and their liners (BPA, etc.).

In the winter, I rarely buy fresh berries but we still use a ton from Costco’s frozen organic options. Frozen organic veggies are also great to have on hand for quick dinners and can save you from eating out and spending more (and eating non-organic food).

I believe this is the future of grocery shopping. We can’t rely on big chains anymore to supply our main staple foods, especially when locally they are being raised more humanely and fed more sustainably! 

Plus local farms are usually cheaper than most grocery stores. We get organic, pasture-raised eggs for $6 and the same quality at the store is over $3 more per dozen.

Joining a CSA in the summer also guarantees you fresh, in-season produce and supports local farmer

I find that buying the store-brand items are usually cheaper than name brands and often have identical ingredient lists.

This is why places like Trader Joe’s is so much cheaper when it comes to organic because they don’t have to mark up name-brands. This is also very true for your local grocery stores- compare the prices between the same item from your store vs. a brand and see the price difference!