Our Wellness Partners

Where We Shop

Suzie and I are huge fans of great quality, local providers of food because it tastes so amazing, is better for your health, supports our local economy and producers, and is better for the environment. The emphasis for all of your food needs to be all natural every time, local where possible, and organic where possible. I find that if you shop to find the best sources, you can eat local and organic for very similar cost to non local non organic from the grocery store.

After shopping around a lot to find the best quality and price, here are the best!

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

1. I often mention Urban Harvest as our top choice all year round.  www.urbanharvest.ca Their normal service is delivery of the best produce to your door which is amazing and convenient!  If you have the time or want to make a family trip of it every week like we do, every Saturday morning they sell off their un-delivered produce at reduced prices. The sale happens from 9-1 on Saturdays at 806 Crowley Ave. Check out their website for a list of what they have that week. They sell boxes of local fruits when in season for great prices as well. Nature’s Fare and Abaco Health are good sources of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.

2. The Farmer’s Market. www.kelownafarmersandcraftersmarket.com Here are our favorite organic booths. Forbes Farms from Oliver has amazing quality and earlier season but it is slightly more costly. Sproule and Sons is great as well and it is from Winfield so you can get your favorite fruit a little later in the season. Both the above booths sell by the box for about half the cost per pound. If you don’t mind some bruises you can get seconds for half the price of normal! Buy peaches, berries, melons, etc. and freeze them for healthy local, organic fruit all year round for far less than the cost of non-organic fruits in winter. Stepney Hills Farms, Greencroft, gardens, Sunshine farms, and Quails Farms are great growers of organic veggies.

GRAINS (not necessary for health, but OK occasionally and better if whole or freshly milled into flour)

1. Wolfgangs and Quails Farms. www.wolfgangsgrainandflourmills.ca Both these people are dedicated to growing their own organic grains and milling it into flour. Buy rolled oats days after being rolled, wheat flour, fresh spelt flour to replace wheat flour, etc… Both are at the farmer’s market and Wolfgangs is at the Urban Harvest Warehouse sale.

HEALTHY MEATS and FISH

1. The only healthy red meats are grass fed beef, bison, and wild meat. This is available fresh and well priced at Johnny’s Fresh Meats and Deli in Rutland or at KLO and Benvoulin. It is available frozen from Vale Farms www.valefarms.com  through the Farmer’s Market, Nature’s Fare www.naturesfare.com , and Abaco Health www.abacohealth.com  but buying it by the piece is quite expensive. The most cost effective way to eat this type of meat is to buy a half, quarter or eighth of a grass fed cow from Johnny’s or Vail Farms and freeze it or find friends who hunt elk, moose or deer.

2. Wild salmon is a great source of essential fats and protein but can be high in mercury. Choosing pink, chum or sockeye salmon ensures it is less toxic as they feed on plankton not other fish. Buying it by the fillet is fairly expensive, especially when it is not in season. The alternative is to stock up on salmon when it is in season and freeze it. When it is in season you can buy the whole fish for a fraction of the cost per pound of a fillet (around $7 / lb!). Fish shops like Codfathers www.codfathers.ca or Hooked On Seafood will even fillet it into meal size portions, vacuum pack it and freeze it for no extra cost!  They offer eco friendly fish options as well.

DAIRY

1. Jerseyland Organics www.jerseylandorganics.com  is a great local source of grass fed, raw milk dairy cheeses, yogurts, etc. Available at Nature’s Fare, Abaco, Urban Harvest and the Farmer’s Market. I would not make any dairy a staple in your diet but this is the best we have found.

NUTS AND SEEDS

1. Walnuts and macadamians are the best nuts to eat regularly. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are good in moderation. Real Raw Food is the best place to buy these. Order online from www.realrawfood.com or see them at Urban Harvest the3^rd Sat. of each month.

EATING OUT

I avoid chains where possible as they usually produce the food in a huge centre, freeze it and ship it so you are getting reheated food. Cabana Bar and Grill www.cabanagrille.com is my favorite restaurant in town that is family friendly and makes everything from scratch with all natural ingredients. It is on Cook Rd at the lakeshore end. Kid’s eat free Monday to Wednesday in the winter! Raudz restaurant (formerly Fresco) www.raudz.com  is also all natural, very local and organic and now has less expensive meals (grass fed beef burger, baked fish and chips, etc..) as well as high end meals. For fast food there is not much to choose from but Burrito stands such as Chipotle in the US are the most healthy but no chain in Canada is as healthy yet. The Chopped Leaf  www.choppedleaf.ca  in Orchard Plaza is awesome for creative healthy salads and wraps. Jugo Juice  www.jugojuice.com  on Banks rd or in the H2O has very healthy smoothies (made with fruit not sorbet like booster juice).