9 Great Health Food Stores in London, Ontario

Shopping for nutritious and affordable food can be a daunting task, especially when you aren’t sure what you are searching for — or even where to look. It doesn’t matter whether you are new to health-conscious living, or you have been eating kale and goji berries since before they were hip.  Reading ingredient labels and searching for specific brand names can be challenging (and exhausting!).  Here are my own personal favourite places to shop for healthy options in London, Ontario, where I live.

Lyn-Dys Health Foods

1016 Oxford St. E, London, ON, N5Y 3K7

A long-time London staple for everything certified organic.

This family-run business has been serving the city with locally sourced, certified organic products for over 20 years. A small but mighty health food store—Lyn-Dys offers a wide range of healthful products—from high quality fresh produce, frozen meats, and dairy, to bulk grains, nut butters, and spices, to supplements, vitamins, and minerals. I get most of my produce from Lyn-Dys.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions while you shop, these folks really know their stuff!

Quarter Master Natural Foods

176 Wortley Road, London, ON, N6C 3P7

An impressive maze of healthy and organic health food options, located in one of the most vibrant community centres in the city.

The bulk section is something to behold and reason enough to visit — Quarter Master has a giant room of incredible bulk spices that is larger than my laundry room!  Plus, you’ll find an endless selection of fresh organic produce, grocery items, meat, dairy, and household products will have you returning regularly for all your healthy-home needs. I love their natural cleaning products.  As an added bonus, Quarter Master offers free parking around back, making this an uber convenient one-stop shopping spot!

Homeopathy London

130 King Street, London ON Canada N6A 1C5

London’s best kept health secret.

Nestled inside the Covent Garden Market, right in the downtown core, Homeopathy London attracts loyal customers via word-of-mouth. Store owner Alex and his team are kind, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable about the products they carry. Superfoods, supplements, vitamins, natural deodorants, essential oils, vegan cheeses, kale chips, gluten-free pastas—they carry multiple varieties of just about everything and are more than happy to help guide you to the best-suited option. I also find Homeopathy London carries a ton of grab-and-go snacks and beverages for people working downtown.  I’ll often grab some kombucha and a bag of kale chips while on the fly!

On the Move Organics

900 King St, London, ON N5W 2X7

Organics—your way. Shop in-store or online!

Start your weekends right—head over to the Western Fair Farmer’s and Artisan’s Market on Saturday mornings for ultra-fresh organic produce and pantry staples on the main floor, then head upstairs for a fresh pressed juice or smoothie and a muffin—all from the good folks at On the Move. In addition to their market store, you can also opt-in to their food delivery program online. Shop for all your organic grocery needs—including produce, meat, dairy, and pantry staples—from the convenience of your home computer.

Good Health Naturally

Cherryhill Village Mall – 301 Oxford Street West, London, Ontario N6H 1S6

Knowledgable staff with a passion for nutrition.

A friendly and knowledgeable staff of certified nutritionists offer up information and supplements, vitamins, essential oils, hygienic, and household products to help you live a more healthful and natural life.

Globally Local

5619 Colonel Talbot Rd, London, ON N6P 1H8

London’s only vegan grocery store.

Shop in-store, or order online and have organic and vegan products delivered to your door. Globally local offers organic fruits and veggies, vegan meats and cheeses, nut milks, breads, grains, nuts, spices, desserts, snacks, and even ready-to-cook meal kits with step-by-step directions. The company’s founder, James, is a great voice for the the plant-based movement!

Jaydancin & Zoe’s Market Place Café

2454 Main St., Lambeth, Ontario, Canada

Real food. Real make-up. Real skincare. Would you believe it’s all organic?!

Living simply and naturally is what the dedicated people at Jaydancin are all about. I have known Vickie Balazs, the store owner, for years, and she is the real deal.  Having lived off the grid for many years, she learned first-hand how to hand-craft natural products and cultivate sustainable and nourishing food.  Visit their store in the small town of Lambeth (just West of London) where you’ll quickly be inspired to do adopt Jaydancin’s principles of healthy living. The store’s completely organic selection of stone-milled flours, gluten-free grocery items, free-range eggs, pasture-fed buffalo, goat and sheep cheeses, yogurts, meats, and more is well worth the trip.  Plus: You can pick up Vickie’s amazing skin care and body care products, made locally, while you are there.

Field Gate Organics

130 King Street, London, ON N6A 1C3

Certified organic meat and dairy, locally sourced.

Field Gate’s integrated network of farmers and distributors ensures the best quality in organic Ontario-grown meat, dairy, and produce. At their Covent Garden Market store-front the freezers are usually filled with discounted meats for those on a budget, and strangely enough, is also a great place to find fair-trade organic bananas!

 

While visiting the Covent Garden Market, also be sure to check out:

Doris Family Produce

Great prices, and lots of local options to be found! Check out their to-go section for a fresh selection of salads and cut-up fruit and veg.

Havaris Produce (+ Havaris Organics)

The largest selection of fresh produce in the market! They have a small grocery section and a really thorough selection of locally crafted food items like jams, sauces, syrups, honey, and their famous private label dill pickles. Their grab-and-go section featuring soups, salads, sandwiches, and squeezed juices is ideal for busy professionals looking for a light lunch option downtown. I absolutely adore the Havaris family — they’ve been serving the London community for decades, and are a fixture in the Market.

London Food Co-operative

621 Princess Ave, London, ON N5W 3L9

Grocery shopping for health and community spirit.

The London Food Co-operative is much more than an organic grocery store, it’s a community of like-minded people working together to access healthy and affordable food. Members can enjoy shopping at the Co-op by either donating their time in the store, or by paying a small membership fee. If you’re unsure if this type of grocery shopping experience is for you, try it out for free for 2 weeks!

Grocery Stores

London is quite fortunate to have so many specialized health food stores, but even the big-box grocery stores have healthy, local, and organic options if you know where to look.

Loblaws

Scan the produce section for Ontario-grown options, and keep your eyes peeled for the clearly labeled organic sections! Because I have a Loblaws a stone’s-throw from my house, I actually get a lot of my organic produce right there. Most Loblaws stores boast pretty robust health food aisles, and their prepared foods sections are now offering cold-pressed juices and other healthy to-go options.

Sobeys

The produce section promotes quite a few local options, the organic produce is always clearly labeled, and the fresh baked whole grain breads from the in-store bakery are affordable and tasty. Sobeys also offers a surprisingly well-rounded health food aisle.

Farm Boy

It’s not quite a health food store, but they definitely offer some healthier options than your typical grocer, like the salad bar, organic coffee bar, cold beverages to-go (including kombucha and green drinks). My mom absolutely loves Farm Boy’s organic produce sections, but these sections can be large or small, depending on the season. Pay attention to signage, and search out the organic and locally-sourced options. Also be sure to read product labels to ensure that you are purchasing only the healthful options with little or no sugar.

 

Keeping the household stocked with fresh, local, organic produce and filling the pantry with healthy staples is simple when you live in London, Ontario. With so many health-focused businesses sprouting up in the city, it’s now more convenient than ever to find affordable and accessible health foods.

Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments! I’ll do my best to keep this list up-to-date!