Natural Grocers is one of my favorite specialty markets to shop for real food grocery staples. It certainly isn’t the only place I shop for groceries, but the great prices and quality of products keep me coming back. All of their products have also been rigorously screened before being approved and placed on their shelves. It’s also one of our favorite places to buy vitamins and supplements, but this list will be strictly grocery related.
It can be so confusing and time consuming to shop for healthier grocery items. I mean I know reading labels and researching companies is super fun and all, but still. 😉 Today, I thought I’d share what I personally buy from Natural Grocers.
I recently became a member of Thrive Market, so there are some items I buy through them now instead of Natural Grocers. It all comes down to who has the better price at the time. Thrive Market has free shipping on orders over a certain amount and occasionally there’s free shipping without a minimum purchase amount. Love that!
Natural Grocers has several items that I can’t order through Thrive Market. They have a few dairy and meat products that I can’t get somewhere else. Or, at least not for the same price. Their sales run for about a month, which helps in deciding if I should to order a product online or buy there.
They only sell organic produce, which is great. However, it can be hit or miss, so it varies how much I buy here vs. somewhere else.
Below, is the list of what I buy from Natural Grocers. There may be some items not pictured that I also buy. This store is about a 20 minute drive during a low traffic time, so it’s not always convenient to shop here.
I’m not affiliated in any way with Natural Grocers or any of the brands mentioned. Just simply a fan of both!
Pantry Staples
Natural Grocers has the best price on Jovial Foods Einkorn flour that I’ve found locally. They also have some of the best prices on the Redmond Real Salt in a bottle or bag. The baking powder can be found at several stores, not just here.
They have a pretty good selection of regular and gluten free pastas. I like the Jovial Foods brand of gluten-free pasta. They have recently added a couple of new shapes to their line, but they didn’t have the macaroni at our store last time I checked. The texture of the Tinkyáda brand is very good when cooked. Another amazing (not gluten-free) one that I occasionally buy is the Montebello organic pasta.
I buy canned seafood here when it’s on sale. Otherwise, I’ve been either buying it through Thrive Market or whatever grocery store I’m at when I need it. The Wild Planet sardines with lemon is something I like to eat for a snack. Slap on several dashes of Tabasco and I’ll eat the whole can! Ha!
The Mediterranean Organic olives are something I buy if they are on sale. They are a little pricey and have to be used up pretty quickly after opening. The Westbrae Naturals canned beans come in BPA-free cans, and I occasionally get them when they are on sale.
I love, love, love the tomato products in glass jars from Bionaturae! Not all of their tomatoes come in glass, but the two that I buy do. The convenience of just being able to pop the lid back on the tomato paste is really nice. For all of my other canned tomato products, I buy Muir Glen. Their fire roasted tomatoes are a long time favorite of mine.
Frozen Seafood
I alternate between Trader Joe’s and Natural Grocers when buying frozen fish. The Henry & Lisa’s brand of wild-caught salmon and Orca Bay cod are two of my faves to buy here.
Dairy and Eggs
The milk we buy isn’t available at Natural Grocers, but I do get my whole milk sour cream, cottage cheese and yogurt here. Not pictured is one of my favorite brands of yogurt, Maple Hill Creamery. The price on their 100% grass-fed dairy is hands down one of the best deals out there! If you haven’t tried the Kalona Supernaturals brand of cottage cheese and sour cream, you are really missing out! Our store carries several Rumiano cheeses, and it frequently goes on sale. It’s hands down my favorite brand of organic cheese.
The brand of eggs varies based on our budget and what grocery store we are at. Whenever possible, we buy pasture-raised eggs because they are more nutritious. Natural Grocers carries a couple of different pasture-raised eggs. We usually buy a couple of cartons of the soy-free Coyote Creek Farm (Jeremiah Cunningham’s “World’s Best Eggs”) once a month. If you’re wondering about soy-free eggs, it’s for consumers who want to avoid the “overconsumption of soy”. Alfresco Farms is another brand we buy here on a regular basis. Occasionally, we will get the Organic Valley ones because they are slightly more affordable.
Meat
We buy our pasture raised chicken and some of our grass-fed beef from a local butcher, but I do get a few items here. It’s no secret to my regular readers that I’m a fan of the Teton Waters Ranch brand of sausage pictured above. All of their products are delicious and 100% grass-fed! I usually buy one package of bacon a month, and the one I’m currently buying is from Pederson Farms.
Convenience Foods
The Kraut and corn tortillas above would have to be two of my favorite items that I get at Natural Grocers. If you think you hate sauerkraut, then you need to try this brand. They have several different flavors (available options vary depending on store), but the smoked jalapeño is AMAZING. Seriously, it changed my opinion on sauerkraut. The corn tortillas are organic and the only ingredients are corn, water and lime.
The Mary’s Gone Crackers are an occasional purchase because they are pretty pricey when I can’t find a good sale on them. I love using them in my Salmon Patties recipe. I can make my own mayo, but don’t really care to because I rarely use it. The Sir Kensington’s brand of mayo is one of the better store-bought options. Natural Grocers now carries Primal Kitchens mayo, which is also good, but pricier.
To download and print your shopping list, click on the image below.
