How do you shop? What do you buy and where AND what do you grow?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Whitney on August 17, 2009 at 2:35pm

Fabulous Question!

1) As much as possible. I go there first for fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, dried everything, and other random things. After the local place I go to Fresh Market followed by Whole Foods. If all else fails, I hit up Kroger.

2) Most of what I get at my local co-op comes from the local farmers.

3) I just bought a basil plant!

4) Not yet.

5) I try to not go above 300.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ArugulaBugula on August 17, 2009 at 2:57pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?
Pretty much everything when it is not Farmers' Market season here. When it IS market season (and I get most produce from farmers market) I buy more pantry items like nuts, seeds, tahini, nama shoyu, dates, olives, spices, lemons/citrus, etc. This is all at the food co-op. For seaweeds, exotic fruit and certain herbs I go to the Asian market.

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?
Whatever is in season! During the summer months when everything is in season I shop it up. My last run I bought red bell peppers, zucchini, onions, garlic, pounds upon pounds of heirloom tomatoes, melon, basil, dill, parsley, corn, mushrooms, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, baby red oak lettuce, red leaf lettuce, arugula, oh my.

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?
It is my dream to have a garden. Right now though I am in a tiny city apartment that does not even have a balcony. I would love to learn how to grow sprouts though since I can do that on my countertop. Maybe I will look into that today...

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs
Thanks to the excellent recommendation on the "New to this lifestyle" thread, I recently bought some of the herbal coffee online. I am trying to knock off my coffee habit. And it IS a habit for me, not an addiction. Other than that occasionally teas but nothing else. I might look into seaweed online.

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?
A ton but I don't mind. Grocery shopping/food shopping and preparation is my favorite activity. seriously.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ArugulaBugula on August 19, 2009 at 4:57pm

That is a good idea. Then I could make tiny batches because it takes me forEV to go through a jar.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charles on August 17, 2009 at 11:47pm

I'm not hollering at any boys.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tierra on August 18, 2009 at 10:03am

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?
don´t have one here! But do buy fruits from the local market- chirimoyas, tangelos, coconuts, almonds, peaches- all national produce.

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?
Everything- from the weekly organic farmers market. All greens- alfalfa, arugula, spinach, collards, watercress, spiky lettuce. Root vegetables - yucca, carrots, yellow potatoes, olluco, beets (these I steam). Vine veg- squash, peas, haba beans. Dairy- yogurt, cottage cheese, (cow) and goat cheese. Eggs. Fuits- bannanas, strawberries, lucuma and others that I forget the names. Honey and maca. Dried apples. Flax seeds, dried beans. whole cacao beans.

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?
mint and cilantro. I used to grow sprouts but they aren´t agreeing with me recently.

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs
never! luckily I can get all teas like chuchuwasi and boldo and foods like maca produced locally. I think the only food I eat that is imported are cashews from Brazil, and even that is not too far away.

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?
About $130 at the organic market a month, and maybe another $40 at general markets, and maybe $30 eating out-? its a guesstimate.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by meganthevegan on August 18, 2009 at 4:21pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?
I usually buy the things I can't get from the farmers markets where I live...like bananas, pineapples, sometimes avocados
if the price is better than the farmers market price. I also buy bulk sunflower seeds, things like that...

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?
All that I can! I buy stuff for green smoothies...spinach, apples....
Also whatever fruit is seasonal. This weekend I bought figs, yellow nectarines, white nectarines, cherry tomatoes, emerald pluots, avocados and dates
I also buy cilantro, basil, green onions, romaine, almonds...amongst other things

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?
I have some basil growing. I just moved into an apartment with a yard, so I plan on growing my own food.

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs
Untoasted nori sheets

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?
$300-$500 depending

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by peanut on August 19, 2009 at 5:23am

I mostly shop the produce aisles at my local market. They carry some raw packaged products (nut butters, dried fruits) but I mainly stick to fresh. I go to the farmer's market whenever I can, once per month maybe, to see what's new and fun. I get supplements like probiotics and spirulina, sometimes hemp protein, at the health food store. I bought a juicer and a vitamix online, and once some raw organic almonds, but don't usually buy food that way. I spend about $500/month.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by April Forsythe on August 19, 2009 at 9:01pm

I live in a pretty rural area in Texas so shopping for raw food is a real challenge.

1) Our "local" natural food store is half an hour away and I shop there about 1-2 times a week for organic fruits, organic veggies, nuts, and seaweed. I will also purchase herbs and vitamins there if they are on sale. Our local grocer (H.E.B.) is 25 minutes from our house and has a semi-decent rotating assortment of mosly non-organic fruits and veggies. Once a month I make the 1.5 hour trek to Whole Foods or Central Market in search of hard to find organics.

2) My local farmers market is also 30 minutes away and it's hard to find organic. I will buy locally grown melons from a particular farmer when they are @ the market. I've been meaning to check out the Farmer's Markets in Dallas or Fort Worth for quite sometime about an hour and a half away from me.

3) We grow our own peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and an assortment of herbs. We are always sprouting beans as well.
I don't have access to a Co-op but I get my cucumbers, onions, cantelope, squash and zucchini from my in-laws garden.

4) I buy in bulk online: vitamins, herbs, hemp seeds, chia seeds, kombucha tea, noni powder, wheat grass powder, green powder, goji berries, and chocolate.

5) Currently we spend about 600-800 monthly,

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Katrina Ward on August 20, 2009 at 12:26pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?

Almost everything, cause I worked at one and loved the discount. Produce, Supplements, Cleaning and house supplies, even raw desserts when I needed to treat myself.

2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?

Produce, Honey, Bee Pollen

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?

Herbs (Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Sage) Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples, Cucumber, Zucchini, Squash, Kale, Lettuces

4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs

Seaweed, seeds

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?

500 give or take

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Leslie on August 20, 2009 at 11:13pm

i buy as much greens, fruits & veg's at the local grower's markets (organic)
we are very fortunate in Ashland, Oregon to have one of the best co-ops in the country, love it!
and another fav. store of mine is shop-n-kart, lots of organic food, good prices.

I don't buy too much online, once a year maybe, a case of various superfoods at iherb.com

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by shaptavajra on August 23, 2009 at 5:39pm

1) What do you buy at your local natural foods store?
I go to trader joes for raw nuts, organic carrots, avocados, fruits, lemons salad etc.. I go to High Vibe or a local health food stor for coconut oil, braggs, org. produce I cant find elsewhere, treats.


2) What do you buy from your local farmers market?
Whatever is organic that looks good. Lately, CORN. I Love it!

3) Do you grow anything? If so what?
Just basil, mint, rosemary.Next year I'll plan on growing tomatoes and other things.
I DO however make my own kombucha and am very proud of it.
I sprout some things when I have time.
4) Do you buy anything in bulk online? Like herbs, teas, nuts, etcs
Not really, I dont have the space for it.

5) How much money do you spend on average in a month?
I haven't added it up but probably $300 or 400.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Amy on August 24, 2009 at 10:20pm

1) Local honey, ginger, lemons, limes, onions, seeds, flax. What ever is on sale that month at the coop, I stock up.

2) nothing right now, I grow so much. but I did hear that there was local celery there last weekend - ummm

3) 900sf of garden this year, all organic & heirloom. 3 types of tomatoes, beets, carrots, leeks, watermelon radishes, Kale, swiss chard, tango lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, rosemary, mint. Harvest spring water from a few miles away, make my my own kombucha & ferment or dehydrate extra veggies for winter

4) organic herbs from Mountain Rose for my teas for the herbs that don't grow wild locally, otherwise my food is as oil-free as possible. I do like chia seeds & HealthForce Vitamineral - but it last so long that I hardly ever need to order.

5) $120 including going out. Pretty much nothing. winter is a little more $$

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last