Get Healthier » Buying healthy food

Healthier Holiday Baking

Brenda — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:43:50 +0000

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.

Quality of Berries in Juice

Brenda — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:27:08 +0000

Bremner's blueberry, bluepom and cherry juices

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.

Healthier Meats for Carnivores

Brenda — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:43:17 +0000

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

Natural Health Food Stores in BC

Brenda — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:16:18 +0000

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
Natural Focus – near Scott Road and 64th, in Willoughby (Langley), and South Surrey
Organic Grocer - near King George Hwy and 73rd Ave
Country Life Health Food – in Brookswood, Langley
Country Sun Natural Foods – Johnston Rd, White Rock

In Vancouver:

Whole Foods (my favourite healthier deli)
Capers
Choices (has a rice bakery for celiacs and those with wheat sensitivities)
Stong’s Market
Drive Organics

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

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

In Burnaby/New Westminster/Richmond/Ladner:

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 - Penticton

Vancouver Island:

Edible Island Whole Foods in Courtenay (I love this store!)
Planet Organic

Sources of more:

HANS directory
Happy frog

Farmer’s Markets

Brenda — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:01:07 +0000

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.