Stroll down any grocery store today, and you’ll find more shelves decked out in organic food than ever before. You’ll even see organic products make a splash on the menus of trendy restaurants and play a starring role in your daily skincare routine.

You know just as well as the next foodie that organic produce contains fewer pesticides and herbicides and keeps toxins out of the air we breathe and the water we drink. But the buzz goes beyond just clean ingredients. It’s a movement that does the community good and feels even more fulfilling.

Buying organic preserves natural resources, supports animal health and welfare, and avoids synthetic materials, promoting healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. Not to mention, it supports local business – those same mom and pop shops that make your home something to talk about.

Check out Locate Local’s picks of the top 7 organic grocery markets in Calgary.

Community Natural Foods

When you think of a health food store in Calgary, this is the first that comes to mind. Community serves up some of the best organic market experiences across three convenient locations. You can find just about anything here, from locally sourced produce, meat, and supplements to personal care products, baked goods, and pantry basics.

Choose from a diverse range of healthy options, even for the trickiest of palettes or food restrictions, including anti-inflammatory, dairy-free, and gluten-free products. Better yet, make a pit stop at their impressive bulk bins and load up on lentils, beans, and quinoa for that ultimate weekday dish that takeout can’t beat.

What’s more, Community has a deli counter with grab-and-go goods and a coffee bar for your daily pick-me-up. So it’s no surprise that Calgarians have loved this organic market since 1977. Plus, who doesn’t love it when your grocer works with local farmers and producers to strengthen Calgary’s economy and reduce the footprint of the products they carry? We know we sure do.

Locations: Crowfoot Market (850 Crowfoot Cres NW), 10 Ave Market (1304 10 Ave SW), and Chinook Market (202 61 Ave SW).

Blush Lane Organic Market

Head down to this trendy gem in one of its four Calgary locations for high-quality natural groceries. You can find a great selection of ethically sourced meats and seafood, farm-direct produce, gluten-free, vegan, and organic dairy products. But like with most organic markets, that’s just scratching the surface.

Blush Lane is the market you go out of your way for to snag those specialty items that you just can’t find at a big box store. They carry local Canadian brands such as Spread ‘Em Kitchen’s chives and garlic cashew cream cheese from B.C. And if there’s one new thing you want to try to switch up your routine, go for their green fair trade skin care products like Alaffia’s Everyday Shea Body Lotion that will leave you feeling silky smooth every time.

Locations: Marda Loop (2044 33 Ave SW), Bridgeland (617 Meredith Rd NE), Aspen Woods (#3000 – 10 Aspen Stone Blvd SW), and Farmer’s Market (510 – 77 Ave SE).

Amaranth Foods

There’s no question that Amaranth makes the podium for one of the best organic shops in town. This family-run business carries the vision of a new frontier to help Albertans make healthier choices in their food, wellness, and lifestyles. But while their cause is homegrown, their impact is global.

Recognizing that most people overlook the toxins they bring into their homes, Amaranth offers their own line of cleaning products and personal care items that actually work. Those stubborn grease stains on your stovetop? Gone like magic, with their all-natural multi-purpose cleaners, which are made from essential oils. They’re good for the people and good for the planet.

Locations: Calgary NW (7 Arbour Lake Drive NW) and Calgary Central (1407 4th St. SW)

Sunterra Market

Sunterra has long been helping busy people enjoy wholesome meals, with nine market locations in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. Unlike the usual health food stores, Sunterra offers casual food in a beautiful upscale setting alongside a boutique grocery market.

Here you’ll find tons of fresh options to top off your fridge that are made in-house, from their signature farm fresh meats to market baked goods, fresh pasta, and of course, their chef-prepared meals that are perfect for on the go.

While not everything they sell is exclusively organic, Sunterra does stock their shelves with plenty of organic products to attract health-conscious folks, including organic salmon fillets, nut butters, coconut milk, salad dressings, and more. And when the summer sun hits especially hard, you can help yourself to their freshly squeezed juice, smoothie, and salad bar to cool down.

Locations: Keynote (200 12 Ave SE), Kensington (2536 Kensington Rd NW), Britannia Plaza (803 49 Ave SW), West Market Square (1851 Sirocco Dr NW). Bankers Hall and TC Energy locations are temporarily closed.

Calgary Farmers’ Market

Nestled just off Heritage Drive and Blackfoot Trail, the Calgary Farmers’ Market is the dynamic destination for family fun. Home to over 75 incredible local vendors (many of which are organic), it offers a unique shopping and eating experience that makes a worthy weekend outing.

This market truly has it all, from wine, beer, and spirits to artisan-crafted gifts, flowers, clothing, and produce. It’s a one-stop-shop to grab a quick bite to eat, fill up the pantry and fridge, and pick up local gifts for loved ones. What’s more, you can count on the finest in-season products grown and bred by local farmers, who the vendors are extremely in touch with, so you can learn how they make, bake, and grow their products in Alberta.

But that’s not all. Calgary’s favourite shopping destination gets better. A second market location is slated for Greenwich, arriving in 2022 to serve up 50,000 sq. ft. of delicious local food and products for Calgarians.

Locations: 510 77 Ave SE and Northwest Calgary location coming soon.

Light Cellar

Think health food boutique meets a plant-based dispensary, and that’s what you get at Light Cellar. They tout the largest range of superfoods in Canada to nourish bodies from the inside out. This family-owned business (now going on more than 10 years) provides insanely delicious elixirs, mushrooms, ferments, and more.

No matter your health journey or where your ideal state is, the staff at Light Cellar know their stuff. You can count on them to always welcome you warmly and treat you with the utmost care, paying attention to your health goals and where you’d like to take them next. They’ll devise a plan to help you craft your own food and medicine to nourish your mind and body.

What sets this store apart from the rest is hands down, its elixir bar. From housemade teas and medicinal Chaga mushrooms, they’ve got just about everything to kick your health into gear. Plus, they support ethical and local businesses by carrying luxurious organic skin and body care brands. We recommend giving their heirloom chocolates a try as well as their Tumeric Tune-Up elixir. They don’t disappoint!

Location: 6531 Bowness Rd NW

Spud.ca

No one makes sustainable food easier than Spud, an exclusively online market dedicated to delivering local and organic goods to your doorstep. They save you time and money by directly cultivating relationships with local farmers, ranchers, fishers, bakers, and artisans to offer you the freshest ingredients, simply through a click of a button.

Browse their online store for certified organic and natural grocery products made from 15 local farms and 205 local suppliers, including Calgary favourites, Fiasco Gelato, Routine, The Village Flatbread Company, Cru Juice, and dozens more. And if you like what you’ve got, simply hit the reorder button without having to start your grocery list from scratch every week.

Pro tip: You can even find the best organic pet food and supplies on Spud, and field your search by dietary and lifestyle goals such as plant-based, GMO-free, and grain-free products for your fur babies.

Eat what’s right and wholesome, closer to home

Living an organic lifestyle has never been easier, thanks to several great organic markets in Calgary. Not only do organic farming practices reduce your environmental footprint, but every superfood and item you add to your cart supports a local farmer, artisan or business, which celebrates a worthwhile cause.

Driving social change starts with you but can be felt by your entire community. Locate Local is a socially driven marketplace and community that matches your social interests and values-based shopping with local vendors to make supporting local that much more rewarding.

Join our waitlist to be the first to connect with local vendors on what matters to you most.