Meet All of Your Organic Food Needs at Three Triangle Area Groceries

Shopping for natural and organic foods in the North Carolina Triangle Area is easy since the green movement has gained so much momentum. For me, all of my grocery shopping needs are met by three stores: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter. Each one has its perks and I rely on all three to stock my refrigerator and shelves with yummy organic groceries. See below for a general description of each store and why I choose to shop there.

1. Whole Foods - http://wholefoodsmarket.com (Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill)

General Description
Whole Foods is a chain based in Austin, Texas and is one of the more well-known organic chains in the United States. It can be on the pricey side but the selection is more varied than most stores with organics available. They do have newsletters with coupons and promotions and their 360 brand is often reasonably priced. My local Whole Foods stores feature a bakery, fresh fish and meat market, flowers, wine, bulk grains and nuts, olive bar, hot bar, salad bar, pizza, etc. They also often stock produce from local farmers and the store is almost exclusively organic.

Why I Shop There
I like to shop at Whole Foods for my bulk Items, such as whole grains, granola, nuts, dried fruit and even fresh nut butters. The Whole Food brand, 360, offers delicious, more affordable options but I typically go in for something specific. The store itself has a large selection which can be overwhelming. The produce section offers local choices, organic choices and conventional choices, and sometimes offers unique produce items that are difficult to find elsewhere. I most frequently find myself in Whole Foods for their AMAZING salad bar and hot bar which never disappoints, offering something for everyone from meat lovers to vegans.

2. Trader Joe's - http://www.traderjoes.com (Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill)

General Description
Trader Joe's is a specialty chain based in Monrovia, California with a more intimate, neighborhood store feel than many of the bigger chains. It is a smaller store with very specialized products, with well over half of the products carrying their own brand names. Many of their brand products center on global cuisine styles including Italian, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, etc. They have a focus on wine selection and frozen foods and their bread selection is quite varied. Trader Joe's never uses coupons or sales but their prices generally tend to be affordable. They focus on natural foods with as few ingredients and additives as possible.

Why I Shop There
I usually go in to Trader Joe's for very specific specialty Items and Trader Joe's brand name items, which tend to be cheaper or worth the extra cost. I like their emphasis on fewer ingredients so I get many of my staples there. Their frozen foods selection offers lots of interesting quick meal choices with few ingredients. Their produce selection is smaller than other stores and often includes more packaging than I would prefer but sometimes they have great prices on fruit and they offer several organic produce choices. Plus the atmosphere is fun, it is always full of local people but it never takes long to check out and the cashiers never fail to be notably friendly and cheerful.

3. Harris Teeter - http://www.harristeeter.com (Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill)

General Description
Harris Teeter is a chain based in Matthews, North Carolina and it feels more upscale than other mainstream chains like Kroger and Food Lion. Though prices can be a little higher, with your VIC card, you can catch items on sale weekly. They have a store brand line called Harris Teeter Naturals that offers organic choices throughout the store. It features a bakery, deli, fresh fish and meat market, pizza, olive bar, salad bar, warm chicken meals, large gluten-free selection, flowers, wine, etc. Many Harris Teeters even feature a Suntrust bank and Redbox movie rentals. They always have produce from local farmers available and the stores closest to me have milk and milk products from our local dairy farm and bread from our local downtown bakery.

Why I Shop There
Honestly, one of the main reasons I do most of my shopping at Harris Teeter is because it is open 24 hours. I will run to the organic and specialty stores for specific items but I get many of my staples at Harris Teeter because I prefer to do big shopping trips in the evening when stores are significantly less crowded and I can be more leisurely. Thankfully, the Harris Teeter Naturals brand is featured throughout the store and there is an increasingly large selection of great organic options in nearly every section. The open, clean-cut atmosphere makes it easy to navigate and, to me, is worth extra pennies over the other mainstream stores. Plus, the self check-out gets you in and out in a snap, especially for quick trips.