Our local health food stores

Ok are you sitting down? 2 blog post from me in one day!!! yahooo! ok well really I wanted to talk about my recent shopping adventures. The previous post was about our love of Trader Joe's and how we have no popular chain health food stores in our area. We live in Albany, NY. We have major colleges (Union, RPI, Skidmore) all around us where students come from these cities with Trader Joes and Wholefoods, so why don't we have any yet? Anywhoo.....

This post is about my recent adventures to our local "natural food" stores as they are referred to. We do have natural food sections in our major local grocery stores, but not much of a picking.

The main store I check in time to time is called The Green Grocer. Sorry, no picture on the net, but a banner from their site below.

This store is on a main road I travel often so I think of stopping here since I pass it so much. Still though, not a big store but not small. I wouldn't go to do my normal grocery shopping here. I stop if I'm looking for something unique or feel like just browsing to see what they have. I'd give them a C+. Some unique items but alot I can find in grocery store.

Next week have a brand new store (to me anyways) called Wilde Thyme Whole Foods and Tea Co. We randomly drove by this store in a town north of us a few weeks ago, so we checked it out yesterday. I was in heaven. VERY small, but had many things I have not been able to fine. Plus had a loose spice section which I loved. I'm planning on making some granola and didn't need huge bottles of some of these spices. Perfect. I'd give them a B-. Many items I'd travel to buy were available here but only if they were a bigger store. ....

And finally, our local food co-op. Honest Weight Food Coo-p. WHY or why have I never been here? My best friend is a Vegan and shops there often. It is towards downtown Albany which I don't venture to often cause I always get lost and afraid to drive in the city. Also, you'd never know it was there. The front of the store and the parking lot is in a random kind of alley way. I had the GPS to tell me where to turn today.

As you can see from the picture below, not the most appealing store from the outside. The store in general not the cleanest but it is a co-op. I know they are going to be building a brand new store in the near future which is exciting. This place rocked. I walked in and was immediately excited but all the items I saw. So many random things I'd been looking for and couldn't find anyplace else. Plus lots of local dairy and meat and produce which I like. Then I found the bulk area! yay! so many choices. I luckily today just grabbed a hand basket and picked up one of this and that to try. I picked up a small bag of cloves, some organic chia seeds, dates, a new Greek yogurt, another type of yogurt, local drinkable orange creme dairy drink and I don't even know what else! Plus a new sling reusable bag. I was so excited leaving there today. This will be a staple and worth the drive to shop now. I just need to remember to hit it up early morning not late afternoon on a beautiful Friday!

Don't worry Trader Joe's. You are my first love and I will still drive to visit you as often as I can :-)