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!

This is the best place that I have come across, in downtown Ottawa on Bank street. I have been…read moregoing there to get my supplements for many years and they are just as good now as they were then. The gentleman/owner that is usually at the cash, is a man full of knowledge, you never go wrong when you ask him questions or advice on his products. I recommended his store to many people I have come across in my bodybuilding life and today I still recommend his store it has everything you need at your fingertips and more.

From the owner: At Nature's Care, we are passionate about helping you reach your health and wellness goals - safely…read moreand naturally. We carry vitamins, herbs, sport supplements, body care products, nutritional bars, probiotics... and much more, at competitive prices. Our on-site chartered herbalist can help you select the optimal combination of products to suite your unique nutritional needs.

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

Has everything you could ever dream of. I was able to buy food, treats and of course supplements…read more Friendly staff with beautiful Québecois and perfect English.

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.

From the owner: Healthy Planet is one of the best known & largest health food store chain in the GTA, we carry a…read morewide range of brands in health foods, supplements, sports nutrition and beauty care category with nutritionist on duty to advice you according to your healthy needs. Healthy Planet as retail chain focus on product selection, meeting the constant needs of our clients , adapting to changes, providing exceptional customer service, and above all, our commitment to providing the lowest prices to our customers. We believe in keeping prices fair, and building life-long relationships with our customers.

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!

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!

My friend and I were walking around the area. We saw Herb & Spice Shop. I'm always game checking…read moreout a grocery store that is new to me. It was also hot outside. To stop sweating buckets (more me), we headed inside to cool off. This store is small and quaint. It does cater to folks who have specific dietary needs, such as dairy-free or gluten-free products. It felt like a high-end health food store. I do mean high-end. Did you want a small carton of oat creamer for $10? You can find it here. Frankly, I loved looking at the varieties of dairy-free salad dressing. If I knew that a specific salad dressing flavour was my go-to, I'd splurge and get it here. However, I can't justify getting my usual grocery items, like fresh produce, for inflated prices when I could hit a Food Basics for much cheaper prices. I like that locals can walk to it. I just watched a news story about an area in Scarborough that saw two major supermarkets close within weeks. Locals have to take two buses and thirty minutes to get to a supermarket, which is sad. So, although pricey, you can still get your produce by walking over here. We didn't buy anything. It's the downside to being on vacation. I can't store everything that I want in a grocery store in a dinky mini fridge in my hotel room. It was fun checking out this store. If I hit the jackpot, I'd shop here every week. (284)

Herb & Spice is a small grocery store that leans to the "Health Food Store" side. I find the prices…read morereally expensive, from my assessment about 20-50% higher than at regular/chain grocery stores (like Loblaws, Metro, Food Basics, FreshCo, etc.) Even higher than other Health Food Stores that I usually go to (like Kardish and Natural Food Pantry and much higher than Healthy Planet). I personally have not found any products here that I can only get here. I think this store is good for people who live nearby and want to walk not too far to get something and can afford the higher prices. I'm all for supporting small businesses, but I'm also all for staying within my own budget. This store is in my neighbourhood, but it's actually farther from me than major grocery stores or Health Food stores, so it does not appeal to me, but it definitely serves a purpose and I can see how it appeals to other people. Street parking only.