Rainbow Foods is now officially Natural Food Pantry. They were bought out and the signage has now…read morechanged. Fortunately, from what I can see, nothing else has really changed. The points system is still in place, the store looks the same, they have the same deals and markdowns and staff appear to be the same. I realize that it is early in the acquisition, so I guess time will tell. I loved Rainbow Foods, so I am hoping that nothing will change with this store and it's just the name. Anyway, my previous review from 2 years ago still stands, except for the ownership part. Oh and they stopped carrying Allegro cheese, but that happened long before Natural Food Pantry took over. If anyone in Ottawa knows where I can find Allegro cheese, please message me. Thanks! They still have the most awesome collection of fresh gluten-free breads around!

I haven't been to Rainbow Foods in a long time (since 2012), and decided that I HAD to stop by…read moresince I was in the neighborhood. The store is still tiny like I remembered it being. So a handful of people in the store, can make it appear overly crowded. That being said, they pack a lot of products in this store! I love the fact that they carry full lines of products. I hate it when grocery stores only carry two or three things from a line, so I was in vegan heaven when I hit up their freezer and fridge section. They have the biggest variety of vegan meats here, like Gusta, Gardein, Nutburg, and so on. Their snack aisle is always super intriguing. They have a large selection of chips, chocolates, and snack mixes here. It can get dangerous, pretty quickly. They have a small selection of vegan jerky from the brand Primal Strips, and they make awesome jerky! I do wish they increased their vegan jerky selection, since there is a huge market for that right now. Their produce section is meh. It's small, and the produce does not look that appealing, but I appreciate that they sell local, organic produce. I'd skip the produce here, and just hit up Farmboy next door. They also have a large selection of teas, but they were heavily overpriced compared to other retailers. That being said, know your prices. A lot of the items here are shelved at a 30-40% markup, compared to other retailers. Sometimes, they have sales that will bring items down to a more appealing price, but you really have to shop smart here. I'm still a fan of this place, and always enjoy my visits here and love checking out new products that they carry. I might have to make more trips out here in the future since they really do carry a lot of interesting vegan meats.

Healthy Planet just opened up about a month ago. This location is in the Ottawa Trainyards. It's…read morenext to Urban Barn and in the same plaza as Nordstrom Rack. Healthy Planet is a Health Food Store similar to Kardish and Natural Food Pantry. Since they are new, when I went they still had some empty shelf space, but I'm sure with time they will fill it with products. The store is big and bright and they carry a lot of items that I like at slightly lower prices than their main competitors (who I named above). They carry Vegan Rob's chips, which I absolutely love. They also carry Fiasco Gelato, as well as Mapleton's Organic ice cream! I saw lots of frozen breads, but not any fresh bread, and they don't have a bakery section :( They have a beauty section, but very limited brands of cosmetics. They have skincare, bath and body products too. They have a rewards/points system, but like their competitors it's pretty minimal. You get 1 point per dollar spent and get $5 off when you reach 500 points. So spend $500 and get $5 back. Better than nothing, I guess, lol. It's free to join the rewards program. I'm in this area a lot, so I will likely be going here often. Hopefully they have lots of sales and will have a clearance section, lol. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

Oh, BàG, how I love thee. When I moved to Gatineau from Vancouver I was a little afraid of living…read morein the suburbs without access to a decent organic health food store nearby because I don't have a vehicle, but my roomie reassured me and told me about La Boîte à Grains. It's a 20-minute walk from our house. Yay! I was AMAZED at how many vegan options they have! They carry Daiya cheese, gorgeous curly kale, Organic tofu, Earth Balance, Soy Coffee Creamers, Soy Yogurt, spices, teas, toothpaste, vitamins, Braggs, various oils, frozen stuff like Cuties bars, Tempeh, Nori Seaweed... the list goes on and on! Their shelves are absolutely packed with goodies, but I have to admit that it's expensive to shop here. Typically I pack a single grocery bag full of stuff, just one, and it costs me about $80. Yeah. I still say it's worth it because my food tastes amazing and it's healthy as heck (duh - vegan food is the BEST!) :) Also, it's not like I use up an entire jar of Agave Nectar in one sitting. Near the cash they have VitaMix Blenders, Food Processors, Juicers, Santevia water filters, etc. on display and it makes me drool every time. I haven't visited the other location, but I heard it's better in the produce department. This one really does lack in produce, but honestly I visit BàG for vegan alternatives, not for lemons or bananas.... although being able to buy my Dirty Dozen produce items from an organic health food store would be ideal. If you're looking for healthful food options or for less toxic personal care & household products, give this place a try. I swear I could spend an entire afternoon just browsing through their shelves in amazement.... and walk out flat broke. Santé!

If you are looking for environmentally-conscious, local and fresh food, look no further. Herb and…read moreSpice is an amazing place to pick up groceries, health items ( skincare, vitamines), fresh food, pastries and smoothies. I specifically go for the smoothies which are awesome. My favourite is by far the green goddess. It's 8.50$ for a smoothie but they have these point cards so you can redeem a free smoothie after a certain number of purchases. The staff are always friendly, helpful and super knowledgeable about where their products are coming from! So great!

It's challenging dealing with most of tne staff. They are not friendly and most of them speak only…read moreFrench. I saw a women there who was disabled ask for help and was rejected. She was furious. Weird vibezzz!

TL;DR/The Short Version: Health Food store. Good prices, comparatively speaking. Good selection of…read moreproducts. The Long Version: I've been a fan of Healthy Planet since they opened their first Ottawa location at Trainyards. They subsequently opened a second location in the Kanata Centrum and now this location on Merivale is their third in Ottawa. It's the space that used to be a Swiss Chalet but stood vacant for quite some time. They just had their grand opening late November 2024. Healthy Planet is a health food store. They sell lots of organic foods and environmentally friendly cleaners, skincare, cosmetics, etc. They also have a vast selection of protein powders and supplements. Their prices are generally lower than other Health Food stores in Ottawa such as Kardish and Natural Food Pantry. The space is large, brightly lit and well organized. In terms of cosmetics and skincare products, their selection is greater than the location at Trainyards. Otherwise, I'd say the selection is the same. Customer service was good in that while I was wondering around, one of the employees asked me if I needed help finding something, which I didn't, so they went back to what they were doing. One thing that could have been improved is that the cash register that cashed me out had a defective point-of-sale machine, or defective wires or something because it froze during my transaction and I had to stand around and wait. The cashier said that it wasn't the first time it happened, it happened earlier that day. Other registers were fine, he said it was only his register. There were some registers that were not being used. Management should have shut down that register, moved the cashier to another register and fixed the problem. Anyway, I went shortly after their first day of opening, so I guess I'll give them time to iron out the wrinkles. Lots of free parking in the shared plaza parking lot. (216)

My first visit to a Whole Foods Market was years ago, after completing a job interview in Yorkville…read morein Toronto. I definitely remember what I got: a slice of tiramisu. At that time, it was the only Whole Foods in the greater Toronto area. Whole Foods has grown on me, likely because Markham has one and I frequent it often. I don't fit the profile of a typical Whole Foods shopper who tends to carry expensive handbags, must get everything organic, and can afford all things expensive, including tiny bottles of elixirs that extend their years on planet Earth. I like their dairy-free items. I love Carbonaut bread and the entire bakery section, including tiramisu. There are specific items that I get at this store. If I'm looking for romaine lettuce or celery, you'll likely see me at a grocery store that offers these items at normal, cheaper prices. Four years ago, I was in the Glebe and saw this Whole Foods store. I didn't go in. I had already got what I needed at a Metro. On my most recent visit, after spending a few hours exploring the area with a friend, I realized that I needed almond beverage and lemons. I had yet to set foot in any grocery store. They were good reasons to check this store out. I had parked underground. The elevator got me to this store. I exited the elevator on the main floor to hit Winners. This store has a cafe that occupies the entire floor. It was busy just before noon. People must love getting coffee and a baked good here. When I returned just past 5 pm, you could hear crickets on this floor. The cafe was closed. It was different. My local one is still open when I'm there at 7 pm. I have yet to hit the cafe at any Whole Foods location. I took the escalator up to the second floor, which is where the entire supermarket is. I immediately found almond beverage. Organic. Sugar-free. Perfect. I also found the produce area. The Rainier cherries looked good. They were also so expensive that I blocked the price out and moved on. I got a couple of lemons. You could get a bag of six. The price was the same if you calculated how much one lemon was going for, so you might as well pick your own pristine-looking lemons. I looked around. It has the usual salad and hot food bars. You pay by weight, which does add up if you aren't careful. There were lots of snacks and drinks to choose from. A can of flavoured carbonated water was going for $2.69. It makes you wonder how this store determines the prices that it sets. It was enjoyable looking at the plants and flowers. It's a nice grocery store. I had an equally nice woman at the checkout area. I paid for my items with a debit card. I didn't need a bag. My lemons were already in one, so I carried it and my carton of almond beverage to the elevator. It was convenient taking the elevator down to the underground parking lot. I walked to my car, paid for parking, and left. The lemons and almond beverage were great. I'm glad that I got what I needed at this store. I had a fun time shopping here. It's my second Whole Foods that I've been to where it has two floors. We'll see if I return in another four years. Maybe I'll try the cafe... haha! (262)

I mean it overhyped in my opinion! It's pricey and in this economy who ca affort 10& strawberries!read more

Had a lot of vegan options and the staff was very friendly. It also has a lot of Multivitamin and…read moreother health items. So really like it.

I like going to Kardish - they have a lot of natural products and vegan food I can't find anywhere…read moreelse. The only downside is that it can be expensive, but I guess that comes with most of it being vegan or organic. The employees are friendly and helpful. They didn't have a product I was looking for, so they ordered a box of it for me. So nice!

We want to thank the manager Oliver at the Stittsville location for his professional knowledgable…read moreand friendly support on many occasions. He has consistently been extremely helpful suggesting and locating products that help with various health issues ... definitely a great employee and asset to your business. Love your store! Linda and Barry G.

This Kardish is in the Stafford Shopping Centre in Bells Corners. Kardish is a natural food store…read more It's a chain and is quite popular in Ottawa. I would say it's very comparable to Natural Food Pantry. The selection is good, but the stores are not huge like Whole Foods. Prices are acceptable, but not as cheap as at Healthy Planet. They do have a clearance section of short-dated items, where you can get some good deals. They occasionally have samples of featured products. They are obviously not doing this during the current COVID-19 Pandemic, but in normal times they did. They have a points system but admittedly it takes a long time to accumulate points if you don't buy a lot of things there. I didn't know the details, but Robert from Kardish responded to my review and let me know that it's spend $350 and get $10 off and it's free to join (Thanks, Robert!). The store is bright and clean. Staff are friendly. Lots of free parking in the plaza parking lot.