Natural and Organic Health Food Stores in BC

Updated February 2019

Sometimes I am asked, “Where can I find organic and gluten-free food?” I have listed some of the stores in Surrey, Vancouver and other communities in BC below. When I was dealing with food intolerances in 2003, many of these stores did not exist. Now you can find organic vegetables, gluten-free bread, coconut oil, chia seeds, and more at many local Save-on-Foods, Independent Stores, Superstores, Thrifty’s, IGAs, Safeways and Costco. London Drugs carries many good products for people with wheat-intolerance now as well. But the biggest variety is often at natural health food stores.

Health food stores are a good place to find less common foods (quinoa pasta, spelt flour, 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.  Some of the stores below (like Choices, Stong’s and Donald’s Market) are regular grocery stores that have a large selection of organic goods on the shelf and a variety of organic fruit and vegetables.

In Surrey/Langley/White Rock:

• Nature’s Fare – on 200th near Willowbrook Mall and near Johnston Rd in 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
• Organic Grocer – near King George Hwy and 73rd Ave
• Natural Focus – near Scott Road and 64th
• Rustic Roots (formerly Country Life) – on 200th in Brookswood, Langley
• Country Sun Natural Foods – Johnston Rd, White Rock

In Vancouver:

• Whole Foods (my favourite healthier deli) 4th Ave, Cambie, Robson
• Choices   W 16th, W 57th, Cambie, Commercial (formerly Drive Organics), Yaletown
• Greens Organic & Natural Market – Broadway & Maple
• Stong’s Market – Dunbar & King Edward
• Donald’s Market – East Hastings
• Organic Acres Market – Main Street
• Garden Health  – Davie St
• Sweet Cherubim – Commercial (includes a yummy vegan bakery)

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

• Pomme Natural Market  – Lougheed Hwy,  Port Coquitlam (replaced Planet Organic & expanded; good deli)
• Roots Natural – Maple Ridge

In Burnaby/New Westminster/Richmond/Ladner:

• Whole Foods – North Burnaby
• Choices – on Tenth Ave or Marine Way near Boundary in Burnaby
• Donald’s Market – in New Westminster, in the River Market (formerly the Quay)
• Parsley, Sage & Thyme in Ladner

In North Vancouver/West Vancouver/Squamish/Whistler:

• Whole Foods – in West Van, I love stopping here after taking the ferry back from the Island, and in North Van near Lonsdale and 13th
• Nourish Market – Lynn Valley
• Choices – Marine Dr in North Van
• Stong’s Market – Dollarton Hwy in North Van

In Abbotsford/Chilliwack/Mission:

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

In the Okanagan:

• Nature’s Fare – Kelowna, West Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops, Vernon
• Choices – Kelowna, Kamloops & Penticton

Vancouver Island:

• Edible Island Whole Foods in Courtenay (I love this store!)
• Naked Natural Whole Foods – Parksville, Qualicum Beach
• Planet Organic – Victoria
• Pomme Natural Market  – Nanaimo (formerly Island Natural)
• Lifestyle Markets – on Douglas in Victoria
• Whole Foods on Blanshard St in Victoria
• Planet Organic  – on Quadra in Victoria
• Sidney Natural Foods in Sidney

Elsewhere:

• Kootenay Co-op – Nelson
• Evergreen Natural Foods – Crescent Valley
• Salt Spring Nature Works – on Lower Ganges in Saltspring Island

Please let me know – what stores haven’t I included?  Which have opened up recently or closed down? I don’t include supplement stores on this list unless they also sell lots of food.