Obviously not everyone lives in a town with a Whole Foods or Earth Fare down the street. Readers actually write in quite 
frequently saying they only have access to stores like Walmart or Food Lion, which can make finding all the “real food” items on their list challenging at times. So whether your health food supermarket is just too much of a hike or you don’t have one at all…this list is for you. And, as always, leave any additional tips in the comments below!
- You’ve heard it before and it’s true…shop around the perimeter of the store. There are a few exceptions like whole-wheat flour, brown rice, and 3-ingredient crackers, but other than that most fresh “whole foods” like produce and dairy are located around the perimeter of the store.
- When shopping for produce buy organic whenever possible, especially if the item is on the dirty dozen list. If your store does not offer any organic fruits or veggies then check to see if a local farmers’ market or C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) program might offer produce that hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. Remember that not all local farms can afford to be “certified organic” so just ask how they grow/treat their crops.
- If you can’t find much in the way of fresh organic produce then check out the frozen section for produce instead. As Michael Pollan says, “There is nothing wrong and actually a lot right about frozen produce” because it is picked and frozen at the peak of freshness.
- When selecting seafood choose wild-caught over farmed. You never know what farm-raised fish are being fed, and animals that eat the most natural diet possible are not only the healthiest animals, but also the healthiest for you. This is why wild animals are a great source of nutrition!
- If it is available, buy grass-fed humanely raised beef. Organic beef is certainly a good choice, but that could just mean the cows were fed organic corn. Cows are designed by evolution to eat grass and just like in the case of fish, the healthiest cows are going to provide you with the most nutrition. Your local farmers would be another great resource for finding good meat products.
- Avoid items that list “wheat” or “enriched wheat” as a top ingredient and instead go for 100% whole-grain or whole-wheat products. Good-tasting sandwich bread that’s made with 100% whole-wheat (and not a lot of unnecessary additives) is one of the hardest “real food” products to find in a mainstream supermarket, so this might be an area where you want to consider making your own bread or trying to find it through a local bakery instead.
- Avoid products “that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients” according to Michael Pollan. And don’t be fooled if you don’t see the word “sugar” on the list. Sweeteners come in many different forms from brown rice syrup to molasses to cane juice to honey.
- According to Pollan, “Avoid food products that make health claims” because chances are if they are trying to shout out to you that the product is “high in fiber” or “contains whole grains” there might be some sort of catch. Only trust what you find in the ingredient list because there is no other way to truly know what’s in your food. And don’t overlook the apples in produce that aren’t working as hard to get your attention.
- Speaking of the ingredient list buy products that either don’t have a list (because they are a 1-ingredient whole food) or that display a short list of ingredients that you can easily pronounce and understand.
- If your local store simply doesn’t carry ingredients like organic brown rice, raw nuts, whole-grain flours, coconut oil, or organic dried fruit then consider ordering those in bulk online. It could actually be cheaper than buying them from a health food store anyway.
- Whether it is from your supermarket or a local farmers’ market, when you find something good do not be afraid to stock up so you can preserve it for later.
- When all else fails consider growing your own produce. You don’t need an elaborate garden to get started…a pot, some soil, a bag of organic fertilizer and a few seeds will do.
For some specific brands of “real food” products that you might be able to find at mainstream supermarkets check out these posts…
If a grocery store does not carry something you want, they are often willing to order it especially for you.
Great tips! I just discovered a Earth Fare that recently opened within driving distance of me and I was wondering if it was going to be worth the trip or not.
Do you have any tips for affordable online stores for bulk nuts and dried fruit?
Honeyvillegrain.com, beprepared.com, and even samscub.com has some items available to be shipped. There are lots of places out there. Just search “buy food storage”. Also Amazon.com may have what your looking for. Hope this helps!!
I actually don’t shop online much (since we have good options in town) so I don’t have any personal recommendations. If you want to post the question on my facebook page others might have an answer for you: http://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood
Walmart is actually getting better and better at carrying less processed options and real food; you just have to know where to look for it. Meijer (which I think is a Michigan thing) carries great options as well! They have a store brand that’s really affordable but with natural and/or organic choices!
I love your tips but I would suggest making #12 more of a priority than as a last resort. Even if you don’t have room for a big garden you can put a tomato plant in your planter or anyone can grow herbs in a pot. You can potentially save a lot over buying organic and it doesn’t get any fresher.
I love this blog post! it is very hard for some people to get their hands on organic products. i also wanted to add, anything that is not “certified organic” may contain Genetically Modified/Engineered Organisms. It is not yet mandatory for companies to label their food with whether it has these in it or not, but some high end health food chains still do. Look out for these because they can cause serious health issues and ecological issues. Organic isn’t only better for our families, it’s better for the whole world!
Great Post!!I would suggest checking your locally owned supermarkets. I live in a small town where I get most of my bulk foods items from a locally owned store. The manager there is a great guy who created a health food and organic food section and it’s actually cheaper to get stuff like rice and legumes from there. You just need to do your homework.
There’s a great website — Local Harvest — where anyone can put in their zip code and find fresh, locally-grown produce, meats, and dairy products. The site also links to CSA programs where people can buy community-supported agriculture boxes of fresh, in-season fruits & veggies. http://www.localharvest.org/
If you buy Grass Fed Beef your meals would have a better flavor. Do you know where to get any in your area.
And wherever you shop, read labels. I just bought “Artisan Whole Wheat Bread” from the bakery at Earth Fare. Whole wheat flour was the last ingredient, even AFTER yeast! I read the label before purchasing the bread, so I knew that I wasn’t buying 100% whole wheat. Still, to call it whole wheat bread seems deceptive. Tasty bread though.
There are some great online providers….amazon is one as well as wilderness family naturals, Tropical Traditions, and Vitacost. I always start with amazon and go from there. We buy lots of things this way….we also have a food co op it is UNFI if you check out their web site they have lists of local co ops in your area, UNFI is the company that the grocery stores buy from so you can get case and bulk prices on most all things natural and organic…beans, nuts, dried fruit, ect. it is always worth checking into
Great post! I have lived in all around the country and some areas pose more of a challenge than others when trying to get real food for our family. I definitely support trying to grow something (anything!) on your own and I have had success ordering bulk items online through Amazon when I can’t get it locally.
I’ve gone for five months now with no processed foods or refined sugars and have stamina and mental sharpness that I haven’t had for a long time. It feels so good to be eating foods that I know are nourishing my body, not destroying it. I can relate to not having access to places with good, healthy, nutrient-dense foods. I actually live in an area with many good choices for shopping, but am traveling for the week of Thanksgiving. I just went online to try and find a store near the area we’ll be staying that would have some of the staples I’d like to have while I’m there…not much luck! I’ll be packing some things! If any of you happen to live in an area where it’s difficult to get access to good, healthy organic foods, I have just found out about a company by Jordan Rubin called Beyond Organic that is offering to deliver 100% organic foods and whole food cultured dairy beverages to your doorstep. If you’re interested in finding out more, take a look at the website below. http://kasgian.mybeyondorganic.com/Web/us/en/index.dhtml
Good tips. More about trying to buy organic from the grocery store. I try to give feedback, positive and otherwise, to the produce and customer service folks at the store. If I see they are trying to expand the organic selections, I make a point to buy something there. If there’s something (like organic potatoes) that I would like to buy regularly, I mention it politely to them. I’d rather see a few popular, fresh organic items be available rather than see some wilting on the shelf because there’s not a consistent demand for it.
This is a great list that I am sharing! The double coupon deals at Harris Teeter have been really helpful for me. For example, the $1 off Cascadian Farms frozen vegetables & fruits, as well as the $1 off Organic Valley for milk.
Find stores that buy as locally as possible. One of our local supermarkets, Remke, buys local produce, bakery items, eggs, milk, cheeses and meats to sell. They don’t cost much more than the big “commercial” sellers and since they are local they are fresher. For example, they have eggs that are locally gathered and are from chickens that are never fed antibiotics or growth hormones. They taste as good as Egglands Best and they are $1.25 less a dozen. I shop with Remke a lot now that I know how much they support our local growers and farmers.
Thanks for this! Your blog has given me some great reminders of how to eat healthier buying from large chains. I snatched up a box of Triscuits last night, and it is staggering to see only 3 ingredients! Love it!
We live overseas (military) in South Korea and I am finding it VERY difficult to live on “Real” foods. Here, the only access to real food we get is at the Commissary and they do NOT have a very large selection of, well… anything. I found the easy cheesy cracker recipe, and think that it is perfect for my 3 and 6 year old children! Thank you and KEEP POSTING NEW RECIPES! I think that it is so important for us to get out of this processed food addiction we are in and GET HEALTHY!
I was also stationed in S. Korea and you need to get off base to shop at the korean/local supermarkets and stores to get that fresh produce. I did! The prices are very reasonable and the selection is top notch. You’ll also be introduced to exotic foods you might have never tried before. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed!
I have just found your site and passed it along to a friend this week. Thank you, thank you. As a mom of 7 children, working on a budget with REAL FOOD is always a struggle. Summertime when their are many local farmer’s markets makes the process easier. I dabbled with canning this past fall and next summer/fall I think canning full force will help the real food budget further. Thanks for the recipes and inspiration!
[...] Lisa Leake helped me on this adventure through her 100 Days of Real Food blog. [...]
I was shopping in Walmart, in the produce section (the perimeter) and they had buckets of chocolate peanut butter cups in with the apples! It was disgusting to think of someone trying to start a healthy lifestyle, shop the healthy perimeter and find chocolate peanut butter cups in amongst the fruit! I hope that Walmart will change it’s ways and support healthy living.
Love the practical advice you provide on this blog. And, your banana bread recipe is the best! Just one thing I’d like to point out. The other day there was an ad for McDonalds on your site. I think it was an ad by ifood.ca. I found this very odd….
Talk to your local farmers market. It takes {at least} 5 years and a lot of money to be “Certified Organic” We live by a local farm that has all organic stuff but they haven’t yet been certified by the government. So just ask.
8 – nice tip. It’s true that oftentimes manufacturers put something like “good for you”, “rich in fiber” or something similar on the package and when you look at ingredients yes, you’ll see that it’s rich in fiber, but it’s also rich in sugar, salt, hydrogenated vegetable oil and other crappy chemicals. Best to keep eating natural food and avoid everything that’s packaged.