After visiting my naturopath Dr. Briana Sinatra, I stopped in at a new health food store that has not yet officially opened.  Almost everything in their store is organic and some is unique to the area.  It is called Antony & Sons, and is located in Elgin Corners – the corner of 32nd & 140th in South Surrey.  I recommend that you stop by if you live in the area or if you are heading out to Crescent Beach.  They have excellent prices on fresh organic produce (98c/lb for organic oranges!) and great prices on the food on the shelf.  In addition to the oranges and some basics, I bought some dried tart cherries, which I have only seen in health food stores south of the border.  They also have unpasteurized raw almonds, which are hard to find.  It is a family-run store with very knowledgeable and friendly owners.

In the grocery store I see specials on white flour, sugar and walnuts, just in time for baking season.  Consider modifying some of your holiday recipes.  What about using half whole wheat flour?  I recommend Camino sugar (at Save-on and health food stores) as a substitute for white sugar.  It is less refined and easier for your body to digest.  Be careful with walnuts – because they are so high in Omega 3 oils they go rancid quickly.   The process starts as soon as the nut is broken.  Rancid nuts are toxic in your body.  I suggest you buy them in the shell, somewhere they are purchased frequently (I like Grecos Mediterannean store near King George Hwy in Surrey), or try them before adding them to your baking.  Store all shelled nuts in the fridge or freezer for longer life.

On Saturday I went to the Westcoast Women’s Show in Abbotsford. Bremner’s juice was in the food aisle and we sampled a few of their juices. Yum! They use blueberries from Delta to make their blueberry juice and cranberries from Fort Langley to make their cranberry juice. I like that the fruit is local. The fellow pouring the juice said that some juice companies use juice-grade berries that are not suitable for selling (bruised, not ripe, overly-ripe), whereas Bremner’s uses the highest quality berries. He also mentioned a couple of anecdotes about people whose health conditions had improved by drinking a glass of their juice daily. The health value of whatever you drink or eat will depend on the quality of ingredients and the life energy of the food. My favourite was the blueberry pomegranate juice and my daughter’s favourite was the blackberry juice. Bremner’s juice is available at Save-On-Foods, London Drugs, Choices and IGA.

During the summer we often use our barbecue to grill meat for dinner.  There are many places to buy organic meat and meat without antibiotics in BC and the Vancouver area.  In addition to purchasing it in some health food stores, you can also find it in these stores:

In Surrey/Langley/White Rock:

• JD Turkey Farms – free range turkeys, turkey sausages, meatballs, soup and more.  Other healthier products such as honey and spelt flour are available in their store.  10% discount for bulk sausage purchases.
• Farmer Ken’s Meats
• Heritage Meats – organic beef, chicken, and more
• Thomas Reid Farms – Langley; organic chicken in bulk by appointment only
• Hazelmere Organics – Surrey

In Vancouver:

• Big Sky Natural Meats – beef and lamb from Lumby, BC
• The Butcher
• Tango’s Gourmet Meats – the West End
• Nature’s Prime

In Port Coquitlam/Coquitlam/Port Moody/Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge:

• Country Meadow Meats – Pitt Meadows
• Hopcott Premium Meats - Pitt Meadows
• Bruce’s Country Market – Maple Ridge
• Newport Village Meats – Port Moody

In Burnaby/New Westminster/Richmond/Ladner:

• Superior Fish Market – Ladner; fish, organic chicken and beef, bison, other organic products
• Queens Park Meat Market – New Westminster

In Abbotsford/Chilliwack/Mission:

• Sumas Mountain Farms – Abbotsford; grass-fed organic beef, free-range chicken
• Little Farmhouse Country Market – Yarrow
• Organa Farms – organic turkey and hogs

In North Vancouver/West Vancouver:

• 3P Natural & Exotic Meats
• British Butcher Shoppe
• Westlynn Meats and Seafoods
• Windsor Meats
• Queensdale Market

For other locations across Canada:

www.eatwild.com
www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca

Updated May 2011:

Health food stores are a good place to find less common foods (quinoa, spelt, tapioca flour) so that you can add variety to your diet and avoid foods you are intolerant to.  They are also a great place to buy healthier versions of some packaged foods.  Keep in mind that even though they are selling it in a health food or natural food store, it may not be healthy for you or anyone else. Read the ingredients and ask questions if you’d like to learn more.

In Surrey/Langley/White Rock:

• Choices – in South Surrey on King George Hwy just north of 32nd Ave
• Antony & Sons – in South Surrey at the corner of 32 Ave and 140th
• Natural Focus – near Scott Road and 64th, in Willoughby (Langley), and South Surrey
• Organic Grocer - near King George Hwy and 73rd Ave
• Nature’s Fare – across from Willowbrook Mall, on the southwest corner of 200th & Langley Bypass
• Country Life Health Food – in Brookswood, Langley
• Country Sun Natural Foods – Johnston Rd, White Rock

In Vancouver:

• Whole Foods/Capers (my favourite healthier deli)
• Choices  (has a rice bakery for celiacs and those with wheat sensitivities)
• Greens Organic & Natural Market - Broadway & Maple
• Drive Organics – Commercial Drive
• Stong’s Market

In Port Coquitlam/Coquitlam/Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge:

• Planet Organic  – Coquitlam – good deli
• Sunfruit Organics – Coquitlam
• Roots Natural - Maple Ridge
• Uptown Health Foods - Maple Ridge

In Burnaby/New Westminster/Richmond/Ladner:

• Choices – in Burnaby near the Queensborough bridge
• Natural Focus – in North Burnaby on Hastings
• Donald’s Market - in New Westminster, in the River Market (formerly the Quay)
• Nirvana Organics - in Richmond, Steveston area
• Parsley, Sage & Thyme in Ladner

In Abbotsford/Chilliwack/Mission:

• Sardis Health Foods in Chilliwack
• Anita’s Organic Mill in Chilliwack (flour, lentils)
• The Pantry Natural Foods on 1st in Mission

In the Okanagan:

• Nature’s Fare – Kelowna, Westbank, Penticton, Kamloops, Vernon
• Whole Foods Market - Penticton
• Lifestyles Natural Foods – Vernon
• Summerland Food Emporium – Summerland

Vancouver Island:

• Edible Island Whole Foods in Courtenay (I love this store!)
• Naked Natural Whole Foods - Parksville
• Planet Organic
• Island Natural Market - Nanaimo
• Capers – Victoria
• Grass Roots Health & Natural Foods – Brentwood Bay
• Lifestyle Markets – Victoria

 Elsewhere:

• Kootenay Co-op - Nelson

Sources of more:

HANS directory

Please let me know – what stores haven’t I included?  Which have opened up recently or closed down?

One of the best places to buy healthy food is at farmer’s markets.  If you also consider the entertainment value of the music, interesting booths and people watching, it is well worth the drive to get there.  My favourite is the White Rock Farmer’s Market, which is on Sundays from 9am-1pm.  I have bought organic cherries, spelt bread, cookies sweetened with agave syrup, unsprayed apples, honeysticks, spicy olives, and much more there.  Almost all of it has been delicious and fresh. I’ve also bought my daughters angel clings for the window and sparkly hairbands.  There are farmer’s markets in just about every city of BC. You can find produce, crafts, jewelery…  They usually open in May or June and continue until September or October.