Joshua ReyThe 5 Best Health Food Stores in Vancouver
We know how hard it is to commit to buying groceries that are actually good for you. Not when there’s a perfectly delicious bag of chips beside the healthy options section, right?
Well, we’re having the same problems, so we decided to change that habit. We had a lot of fun exploring these health food stores in Vancouver, and we’re here to share with you our experiences.
Vancouver’s Best Health Food Stores
These health food stores offer a wide variety of organic products, supplements, vitamins, and other health and wellness items. We also included stores with knowledgeable staff so they could explain their products to customers.
We’ve assessed these health food stores based on the criteria below:
1. The Grainry
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Variety of Products | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Presentation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Shelf Placements | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Organization | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Feedback | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
The first thing we noticed about The Grainry is that they have a lot of healthy grains. Because of this, this might be your most ideal stop if you’re looking for a wide variety of nutritious options to add to your diet.
They have quinoa, brown rice flour, sugar-free sweets, and hard-to-find spices such as mace. We found it impressive that they have what seems like hundreds of rice options and natural foods such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, and raw honey.
If you prefer cooking your healthy meals instead of ordering them pre-made, then we highly recommend this store because you can find almost anything here, from spices, herbs, and grains to fresh produce and gluten-free pasta.
However, we did notice that the store is a bit cramped so we’re not big fans of that. But we liked that they label their products clearly so that really helped us navigate around their space.
Other than that, the customers we’ve spoken to shared with us how helpful the staff are in helping them find the items they want to purchase as well as assisting clients who are buying in bulk, so that’s something we appreciate.
All in all, we think The Grainry is a pretty solid option when it comes to buying healthy ingredients for your meals. Sure it’s a bit of a small shop but hey, they don’t lack in products.
Pros
- Open 7 days a week
- Ample variety of healthy options
- Hard-to-find spices available
- Has gluten-free products
Cons
- Small store
- Doesn’t sell frozen goods
Customer Reviews
Helpful staff and ideal for buying bulk items
“The Grainry is one of my favourite places to pick up bulk food items at Granville Island. The staff is super helpful. You can buy most types of grains, seeds, nuts, spices, etc. here…” – T M.
Great spot for spice shopping
“Awesome spot for spice shopping. Aside from this and the sausage shop, I didn’t find much to interest me at Granville Island but those two totally made it worthwhile…” -Alex L.
2. Popeye’s Supplements
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Variety of Products | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Presentation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Shelf Placements | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Organization | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Feedback | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
We heard that Popeye’s Supplements is one of Canada’s largest sports nutrition stores, so we decided to head over to their Vancouver branch to check out what other health and wellness products they have.
Look, this store may seem like it’s only for gym rats, but we’re here to tell you that it’s so much more than that. They also have a wide variety of vitamins, superfoods, and snacks.
If you like snacking but want a healthy option, Popeye’s Supplements has all-natural spreads, low-sugar sweets, and no-carb protein bars.
We also liked that they have a large inventory of supplements for performance training, digestive support, and immune support, and we think you will too.
Their store down on W. Broadway is very organized as well. We noticed that they made it easy for customers to navigate, as the shelves are neatly arranged and labeled with clear signage.
Now, we weren’t necessarily happy about their prices, as they seemed a bit steep. The store also has limited street parking, so it may be difficult to find a spot during peak hours.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a health food store in Vancouver that has a huge supplement inventory, you won’t go wrong with Popeye’s Supplements.
Pros
- Canada’s largest sports nutrition store
- Wide variety of vitamins, superfoods, and snacks
- Has all-natural spreads
- Large inventory of supplements
Cons
- Relatively higher prices
- Limited parking
Customer Reviews
Knowledgeable staff
“Had an awesome experience today. The guys working were very knowledgeable and helped me get the best deal on the preworkout I was looking for..” -Tyler C.
Well-organized store and great variety of products
“Amazing customer service, great variety of supplements, best prices. The new staff is super kind and friendly. The store is clean and well organized. I highly recommend this location.” -Kimberly L.
3. Tama Organic Life
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Variety of Products | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Presentation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Shelf Placements | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Organization | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Another option worth looking into is Tama Organic Life. We have to say that this health food store impressed us, as we liked that all their products are sourced from local farmers.
What sets them apart is that they have a wide variety of healthy frozen goods, such as vegan gyoza, yam and black bean zucchini loaves, veggie bento boxes, and many more.
From what we’ve seen, this shop is also fully stocked with herbs and spices, but we liked that they have endless shelves of fresh produce that are all organized and marked with their prices.
You can also clearly see the effort they put into making their space look inviting and cozy, with warm lighting and rustic decor that adds to the overall shopping experience.
If you’re not a huge fan of cooking but want to maintain a healthy diet, Tama Organic Life also has a vegan menu that includes vegan wraps, quinoa bowls, and soups.
Overall, yeah, we’re pretty impressed with what we’ve seen so far. Given that they’re more of a grocery store, it made sense that they don’t have vitamins and supplements for sale.
However, we thought they could’ve covered that department by expanding their selections, as we noticed that there weren’t many options for other dietary needs aside from vegan.
Nevertheless, we highly recommend checking out Tama Organic Life for their fresh and healthy offerings.
Pros
- Source products from local farmers
- Wide variety of healthy frozen goods
- Great selection of fresh produce
- Cozy space
Cons
- Doesn’t sell vitamins and supplements
- Only caters to vegan diet
Customer Reviews
Good selection of vitamins, supplements, and superfood
“Charming owner. Good selection of high quality vitamins, supplements, superfoods and even soap!.” – S D.
Welcoming and very helpful staff
“Been here for few times. The ladies here are always welcome and very helpful. Knowing the products they are selling!!.” -Cici S.
4. Body Energy Club
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Variety of Products | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Presentation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Shelf Placements | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Organization | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Feedback | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
What made us include Body Energy Club on our list is that aside from the fact that they have vitamins and supplements, they also sell delicious healthy bowls and smoothies.
So we guess that makes them the ideal health food store for those coming in and out of the gym. We believe that they’re a one-stop-shop for folks who are looking to buy their food and vitamins in one place.
Speaking of vitamins, we heard that you can score rare ones at their store that are hard to find elsewhere. And we couldn’t help but agree.
It’s hard not to because, from what we’ve seen, the store has a large stock of different supplements for various health needs and goals, including vitamins, minerals, protein powders, and herbal extracts.
Perhaps our only concern is that their food bowls are a bit pricey. However, we think this is reasonable, as they put in fresh ingredients.
But maybe a bit of a price reduction can make them more appealing to a wide customer base, in our opinion.
But, hey, you can always just shop for vitamins and supplements here at the Body Energy Club, as they definitely win in that area with their wide selection.
Pros
- Sells delicious healthy bowls and smoothies
- One-stop-shop for healthy food and vitamins
- Large stock of different supplements for various health needs
Cons
- Pricey food bowls
- Doesn’t sell frozen goods
Customer Reviews
Welcoming and polite staff
“Walking in I was greeted by Stuart. He was very welcoming and polite. Stuart went above and beyond assisting me with all my nutritional needs..” -Krystina A.
Great variety of protein and other meals
“Great place for smoothies and bowls. They also have a variety of protein balls and other meals in their fridge. Great selection of products and the staff are informative and polite…” -Krista C.
5. Famous Foods
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Variety of Products | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Quality | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Presentation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Shelf Placements | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Organization | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
We noticed right away that Famous Foods has a pretty impressive selection of organic items such as non-medicated meat, natural dairy products, and a wide variety of fresh produce. It’s definitely a great spot for healthy grocery shoppers.
What we found most impressive is their meat selection, which includes conventional organic, grass-fed, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free meat, which we absolutely love.
The variety of their herbs and spices is also overwhelming, as we left with more than we went for. They have nuts, flours, spices, juices, dried fruits, and even specialty items like truffle oil and saffron, making it a one-stop shop for all your cooking needs.
It’s becoming difficult to criticize Famous Foods at this point, but we discovered that they don’t deliver, so that’s probably one downside to it. We also noticed that they only have a limited selection of vitamins and supplements.
On a whole, we felt it was important to include Famous Foods on our list of the best health food stores in Vancouver.
It offers a wide variety of organic and locally sourced produce, as well as gluten-free and vegan options, making it a one-stop shop for health-conscious people.
Pros
- Impressive selection of organic items
- Wide variety of meats
- Large store
Cons
- Doesn’t have delivery service
- Limited selection of vitamins and supplements
Customer Reviews
Great spot for organic and non-organic spices
“This local grocery store is one of my favorite for finding all the organic/ non organic spices I need to stock up on for creating my own meals…” -D M.
Good selection of healthy ingredients
“Lots of great ingredients for natural health and good nutrition. My go to grocery store!.” -Melissa K.
FAQs about Health Food Stores in Vancouver
That’s about everything we know about the best health food stores in Vancouver. We hope that you make it a habit to shop at these stores so you can start being healthier and more conscious about what you put in your body.
If you’re unsure on what your body needs, we highly recommend you check out our article of the best nutritionists in Vancouver.
