Maybe you’ve decided to shift to a healthier diet, or you’re just curious where the “health buffs” get their food, especially when there are all sorts of fast food joints at every corner. Healthy, clean, or green eating is becoming more than just a trend nowadays, with more and more people following the lifestyle.
And for all the benefits you get out of it, we’re more surprised why everyone isn’t eating healthy yet. To get you started, here are some groceries and stores from around the metro and online that can help you stock up your pantry.
South
Echostore
Salcedo Village, Makati
ECHOstore Serendra
ECHOstore Glorietta
They also have branches in the north:
ECHOstore Podium
ECHOstore Centris Walk
Standing for Environment, Community, Hope, and Organization, ECHOstore is one of the forerunners of creating one-stop shops for organic products, having started in 2008. The ECHO “brand” already has a number of branches under it, from the store, to the ECHOcafe, ECHOmarket, ECHOfarm and ECHOsi (sustainable initiatives) foundation. ECHOstore carries organic, locally-produced items from food to body care, and even cleaning supplies.
Some of the products they offer include coconut flour, pickled fruits and vegetables, coconut butter, fruit jams, and coffee beans.
Ritual
2nd Floor, Languages International Bldg., 926 Arnaiz Ave., Makati
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Green living goes beyond just what you eat, it should also be integrated into your entire lifestyle. This is what Ritual advocates: aside from offering local, organic products, they also promote an eco-friendly, sustainable business. Plastic in all forms are not used at Ritual, even in packaging and shipping items.
Ritual offers a range of food, body care, and cleaning products, such as spices, cacao nibs and coffee beans, deodorizers, laundry bars, to bath salts, lip balms, and massage oils. They also sell home products like mats (made of pandan), hats, and even substitutes for plastic like stainless steel straws.
Real Food
Molito Lifestyle Mall, Muntinlupa City
True to its name, Real Food has, at the heart of its store in Molito, a selection of freshly harvested produce. These are delivered straight to the store from farms in Tagaytay and Cavite. Their shelves are also stocked with various healthy products, such as gluten-free baked goods, honey, spreads, herbs, dairy, coffee, tea, and even frozen vegetarian meals. Real Food also sells garden and seedling kits for those who want to try their hand at growing their own vegetables or flowers.
North
Urban Pantry
Unit 115C, Greenhills Promenade 3, San Juan
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Curated by Clarisse Ong-Tiu and Carina Ong, Urban Pantry carries a selection of natural and healthy products. Most of the brands they carry are local, with products that are ready-to-eat or cook. They also produce their own line of products, including healthy peanut butter, vanilla-infused almond butter, and Philippine berry jam.
Earth Origins
GF Wilson Bldg., 226 Wilson St. Brgy. West Greenhills, San Juan
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Formerly Sugarleaf, this organic grocery renovated and rebranded in 2015 into Earth Origins. Their store in Greenhills still houses their selection of organic products, both in the form of fresh produce and in packed products. The design of the store makes use of wooden crates and green plants, giving it a rustic, natural feel. Earth Origin’s products are free from chemicals, pesticides, and preservatives. Aside from vegetables and other produce, Earth Origins also sells organic beef, pork, and chicken.
Online
The Green Grocer
Buying produce at the market or supermarket is always a challenge. You have to really inspect the fruits and vegetables you’re buying to be sure that they’re the best quality. Sometimes the items left on the shelves or in your suki’s stall are just that: leftovers, already picked from by dozens, maybe even hundreds, of shoppers before you. As response to that problem, Nikki Herrera-Bharwani established The Green Grocer, where you can order organic produce and have them delivered straight to your home.
The Green Grocer gets their produce from farms in Tagaytay, Laguna, Batangas, Benguet, Negros, and Bukidnon. They deliver to homes thrice a week.
Holy Carabao
Born from a desire to provide delicious, healthy, and chemical-free food to her family, Hindy Weber Tantoco’s Holy Carabao Holistic Farms started out in 2007 as a small organic garden in her backyard. It has since then grown into a group of family farms, practicing organic and biodynamic farming. Some of their products include chemical-free vegetables and fruits, grass-fed beef and pork, wild honey, raw sugar, artisanal ice cream, culinary and medicinal herbs, and toxin-free household products. Orders for these products can be made through their site, and delivered to your home. They also offer educational farm tours.
The Superfood Grocer
The Superfood Grocer advocates for a healthier diet not only because it keeps us away from diseases, but because it also contributes to our strength and energy. They sell green smoothie packs, which include powdered versions of berries and vegetables like malunggay and camu camu, as well as other ingredients needed for cooking, like quinoa and flax seeds. The Superfood Grocer also produces vegan ice cream, called Super Scoops, and vegan and gluten-free cookies.
Take Root
Best known for their kale chips, Take Root produces a variety of whole food snacks. Their products use simple, organic ingredients, and are packed with flavor, with the aim to make healthy eating as stress-free and as enjoyable as possible. Their kale chips come in different flavors, ranging from cheese, sour cream and chive, to margherita pizza and even to blackstrap barbecue. They also offer broccoli chicharon, granola, fruit chewies, and cocoroons.
Also available in stores in Manila, Davao, Cebu, and Iloilo.
Honest Junk
For those who are just starting out on the path to healthier eating, or those who’d like the “cheat” their diets (sort of), there’s another fun alternative for snacks. Honest Junk offers those seemingly sinful treats like gummies and cookies, but made with ingredients that are still, at its core, good for you. Their cookies, called Zooper Cookies, are dairy and gluten free, have low sodium and sugar content, and contains superfoods. It comes in three flavors (and in lots of fun shapes): malunggay, cinnamon, and green tea. Their gummies, on the other hand, are made with natural fruit juices.
Writer: PAULINE MIRANDA
