Grocery Shopping

I know I may be the only one out there, but I actually love grocery shopping. My love for food probably perpetuates this, and now that I live away from home and control the food in my house, I love grocery shopping even more. I have shopped at a few different places, and even have gotten advice from some close friends, so I thought I’d give a little spiel on some great places to get some organic and all natural food products.

Let us start with the two places I shop. I always shop at two locations: Sprouts and Wal-Mart. I am in LOVE with Sprouts. It is relatively cheap and the produce there is phenomenal. The Sprouts brand is not organic but is all-natural and is a brand you can trust to be all-natural. When I find that I cannot afford the organic brand, I try to get the Sprouts brand instead. The great things about Sprouts products are that not only do they have organic/all natural grocery and produce sections, but they have supplements and beauty products as well! You can get organic and all natural shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, sunscreen, toothpaste, lotions, and so much more! They also have fabulous non-toxic cleaning supplies that are safe for children (and yourself) and also safe on your wallet. The cleaning supplies at Sprouts are actually cheaper than at Wal-Mart (for the natural cleaning products)! That being said, Sprouts does tend to be more expensive than Wal-Mart, so I still get some things at Wal-Mart just to save some money. Sprouts also has an organic meat selection, which I can’t afford, so I get the Sprouts brand meat which has no preservatives or growth hormones and are only minimally processed. Also, do not think you have to go to Wal-Mart to get some old fashioned normal groceries such as our favorite cereals, because they also house some of the regular groceries as well.  

Wal-Mart does have a small organic selection. There are also some all-natural brands out there, but again you are going to have to check labels to make sure that the brand is TRULY all-natural.

A place I shopped when I was single and living away from home was Fresh and Easy. I honestly was never really impressed with the produce there, but I have friends who live by it. It is a great place to go if you are only buying groceries for yourself, but I did notice that once I threw my husband into the picture, it got a little expensive for our budget. So needless to say, I only shopped there once since my husband and I have been married. They do have a large organic and all-natural selection, so if you are living on your own, I would definitely suggest checking it out. They also have a great ready to eat meal section that has a great selection of already made homemade meals (if you are feeling lazy). I used to buy these all the time. They are especially great if you are a bachelor. I lived with two college age males when I first moved out and Fresh and Easy was the place to be for them.

I have heard that Fry’s Food and Drug has a selection of organic and all-natural grocery, but I tend to not shop there, just because when I have, I always end of spending a TON of money, and it has turned me off of shopping there. If you are an avid couponer, then Fry’s might be the best bet, because a close friend of mine uses coupons and hunts for deals and she has had a lot of success at Fry’s. I, on the other hand, just don’t have time to do that and don’t have time to go to more than two stores just for groceries, so I stick to the two that have given me the best results most of the time.

Whole Foods Market advertises that they are an all-natural and organic grocery chain. This is probably true, but the prices are outrageous, so I tend to stick to Sprouts.

-Megan