Green Tips Best Places to Buy Organic Groceries Online (Lowest Prices) – GWC Mag gwcmagMarch 5, 2024068 views A comparison of the best places to buy organic food online so you can eat healthy and save money at the same time. Learn the pros and cons and top picks from each online store, plus how to get freebies and further discounts on the organic groceries you love! “I want to feed my family healthy, organic food, but it’s expensive and can be hard to find. And who has time to shop all over town looking for the best prices?” If you can relate to this, you are not alone! I hear this from my readers ALL THE TIME. So I did some homework and tested out a bunch of different online organic food stores that deliver groceries to your door. In this post I’m sharing a summary of the top five websites that deliver organic groceries, along with tips to maximize your savings – so you can eat healthy and save money at the same time. Why you’ll love buying online and getting Organic Foods Delivered If you are not already buying organic groceries online, you might ask yourself – why should I start? The way I see it, there are a few distinct reasons why someone would want to buy organic food online instead of at the local grocery store or health food store. Convenience – Whether you are a new mom, a busy worker-bee or have some other reason why it’s hard to get to the store, the convenience of getting organic groceries delivered is hard to beat. Personally, I use online ordering as a way to keep my pantry stocked with all the healthy, organic ingredients I need to pull off healthy meals for my family! You might start by searching for organic stores near me, but then switch to ordering online, simply for the convenience. Availability – Living in an urban area (Minneapolis), I’m surrounded by grocery stores of all kinds, but I know that many Mindful Momma readers live in smaller towns and rural areas where organic groceries may be harder to find. Online stores are sometimes the only place to buy the healthy, organic groceries you are looking for. Another benefit to ordering food online is that you can immediately see whether or not something is in stock. It always sucks to drive to a store only to find an ingredient you need is out of stock. Low Prices – One of the many ways to eat healthy on a budget is to find the lowest prices possible on organic ingredients and food products. It’s true, warehouses stores like Costco have some pretty low prices on organics, but you have to be willing to buy extra large quantities, which doesn’t work for everyone. And local grocery stores occasionally offer sale prices, but that can be very hit or miss. In my experience, the best way to consistently find low prices on my organic grocery staples is online. Organic Food Stores – Online Buying Tips That said, I do have some tips for maximizing the value you get from ordering organic food online. If you do it well, you can find your favorite organic groceries, including pantry staples and organic meat at the lowest prices. Plan in advance – Remember that delivery takes time – ordering organic food online is a great way to keep your pantry stocked, but obviously won’t work for last-minute ingredient needs. Buy private label – Don’t be afraid of private label or store brands – they are often the best value and in my experience are very good quality! Go for free shipping – Pay attention to the minimum for free shipping and wait to order until you have met the minimum. You won’t save money if you pay shipping charges. Get free stuff – Some companies offer free products with a minimum purchase. This can be a fun way to try something new! See below for some of the freebies I have received from Thrive Market over the years! Focus on non-perishables – Most of the organic groceries I order online are non-perishable, shelf-stable products. Purchasing produce or other perishable products is a bit trickier and I prefer to pick my fresh produce out myself. That said, I do purchase organic and sustainable meat online through both ButcherBox and Thrive Market (see below for more details). Keep tabs on delivery dates – If you don’t work from home like I do, you’ll want to keep an eye on the delivery dates to make sure the package gets delivered safely. And especially if you are ordering perishables, make sure the packaging is sufficient to keep products cold until you arrive home. RELATED: Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services Top Health Food Store Online Options I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article. Full Disclosure As buying food online has become more and more common, the number of companies wanting to get in on the action has skyrocketed. I’ve looked at a lot of them and frankly some are better than others. In my opinion, these are the best organic food companies to buy from online. The companies I’m sharing with you here are all companies that I have personally ordered from and have found true value in being a customer. For the purpose of evaluation, I did cost comparisons on the organic version of some typical pantry items like rice, olive oil, coconut oil, peanut butter, honey and granola. To be honest, I found that many prices were similar among the online stores that I compared. Each company had the lowest prices in at least one of the categories and there was no clear “winner” in terms of value. Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on the products you are looking for and your reasons for purchasing online in the first place. Take a look at the pros and the cons of each of these organic online food stores and other places to buy organic groceries online. I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments! Thrive Market Thrive Market is a membership-based shopping website, selling healthy, organic food and natural products at wholesale prices. By cutting out the middle man, Thrive Market can offer thousands of products at prices that are 25 – 50% below retail. As part of Thrive Market’s mission to make healthy living easy and accessible to everyone, they sponsor free memberships for low-income American families. Thive Market is the online organic food store that I order from most often – at least once every month! Place an order with Thrive Market – Get 30% off plus a FREE gift worth up to $50 with your first order! (1 year and 1 month memberships available, some conditions apply) (Read my full Thrive Market review here.) Pros: Low prices on popular natural & organic brands, as well as many smaller, lesser-known brands High quality Thrive Market private label products at even lower prices than branded products Frequent discounts both side-wide or on particular product categories or brands Free gifts with purchase – Some of the things I’ve received for free include chocolate, coffee, skin care products, baking mix and maple syrup. Did I mention chocolate? Free shipping on your first order over $25 and all orders over $49 Giving back – For every membership purchased, they donate one to a family in need. More than food – Thrive Market also sells beauty & personal care, cleaning, household products, supplements, pet care and more, making it very easy to reach the minimum for free shipping. Frozen meat and seafood as well as clean wine deliveries also available. Personally, I have ordered the meat (great value!) and the wine! Get a full refund within 30 days if you are not satisfied – this allows you to try Thrive Market risk free No auto-shipping Cons: Membership fee of $59.95 per year. However, you can start with a month-to-month membership for $9.95/month if you are not ready to commit to a full year. Most people make back the fee in savings after only 2-3 orders. Favorite Thrive Market product picks: Lundberg Organic Rice Thrive Market Organic Beans (in a pouch, not a can!) Nature’s Path Organic Granola Organic Valley Ghee Barnana Banana Bites Traditional Medicinals Tea Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Thrive Market Organic Coconut Milk Thrive Market Organic Marinara Sauce Many more pantry staples Get 30% off plus a FREE gift with your first order! (1 year and 1 month memberships available) Imperfect Foods Imperfect Foods is a company on a mission to reduce food waste and build a better food system for everyone. They rescue those misshapen fruits & vegetables and packaged foods with outdated packaging, and get them into the hands of people who will eat them! At Imperfect Foods you will find imperfect (yet perfectly delicious) produce, affordable pantry items, dairy, eggs and meat. The company used to be called Imperfect Produce but have since branched out into other food categories. Products are delivered locally and are not available in every market. I get an order from Imperfect Foods about every other week. If you are looking for cheaper organic food, Imperfect Foods is a great solution! Place an order with Imperfect Foods (Get $80 off ($20 off your first four orders) when you create your first Imperfect box. Pros: Prices are 30% less than grocery store No membership fee You choose the type of box you want – I buy the medium organic box You choose the delivery schedule – I get mine every other week Suggested orders are created but are 100% customizable Free shipping on orders over $60 Giving back – Reduced cost boxes are delivered to low-income families Shipping boxes can be returned for reuse Cons: Produce is sometimes irregularly sized – For example when purchasing 1 pound of sweet potatoes, you may get a bunch of tiny sweet potatoes or 1 giant one! Not all produce is organic but they do offer a lot of organic options Not available in every city – find out if Imperfect Foods is in your area Top picks: All organic produce Organic eggs Imperfect branded packaged products are especially affordable Place an order with Imperfect Foods (Get $80 off ($20 off your first four orders) when you create your first Imperfect box. ButcherBox ButcherBox is a subscription service for organic, grass-fed and humanely raised meats. You choose from a curated selection of meats or a custom selection of the cuts that work best for you. Personally I think ButcherBox is the best place to buy organic meat and other sustainably sourced meats. I love the quality and the convenience of having healthy meat available to feed my family! Place an order with ButcherBox Check website for current specials. Pros: High-quality, ethically raised meats at a very reasonable price Boxes can be customized each month Deliveries can be adjusted to the time frame that works for you Cons: Meat is frozen (not necessarily bad but some people prefer fresh) Organic and ethical meat is an investment (not cheap like most supermarket meat) but totally worth it in my opinion. Top picks: ButcherBox bacon is uncured, sugar/nitrate/hormone free, and Whole30 approved. Plus it tastes delicious! I buy their beef and pork roasts regularly as well. Love their flank steak too And don’t forget to cook this delicious meat in safe, healthy cookware! Read my full ButcherBox Review here. And don’t forget to cook this delicious meat in safe, healthy cookware! Public Goods Public Goods is committed to making healthier, planet-friendly choices easy and accessible to all – so you “don’t have to choose between sustainability and savings.” Public Goods focuses on essentials for daily life, including organic food, non-toxic cleaning supplies and personal care, and sustainable household goods. By selling products under the Public Goods brand instead of popular commercial brand names, they are able to keep prices low and quality high. Pros: Most food products are USDA Certified Organic and non-GMO Many vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free products Packaging is simple, minimalist and as eco-friendly as possible Products are ethically sourced and the majority are made in U.S. Carefully curated product selection, eliminates shopping overwhelm Free 2-week trial membership. After that, membership fee is $59 per year Shipping is free for orders over $45 Can save an extra 5% with auto-shipping (but it’s not automatic) Partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant a tree for every new member. Cons: Yearly membership fee of $79 Product selection is not huge, but focus is on the basics Top Picks: Keep your pantry stocked with organic food staples like: Ramen noodles (they have really great ramen!) Peanut butter & jam Oil & vinegar Pasta & pasta sauce Granola & oatmeal Nuts & trail mix Ketchup & mustard Chocolate!! Wine!! Plus they sell personal care products, household items and more Mindful Momma readers get 15% off your first order + a free 2 week trial, using code MINDFULPGA at checkout. Vitacost Vitacost is an established online grocery store and marketplace, selling food, supplements and household products from over 2,500 healthy, organic and natural brands. Pros: Quite a few popular organic brands available Vitacost private label is even less expensive than branded products. Free shipping over $49 Frequent sales No membership fee Cons: Pricing is hit or miss depending on current sales – Thrive Market is often cheaper No freebies offered like Thrive Market. Vitacost does not have as much of an altruistic mission Top picks: Vitacost Organic Chocolate Covered Almonds Simple Truth Organic Granola Bob’s Red Mill Organic Flour Amazon Grocery Amazon has built up its shelf-stable grocery offerings to include a lot of organic items, including many popular organic brands. Amazon Fresh delivers fresh, frozen and refrigerated groceries. Pros: Many organic brands available Whole Foods 365 brand is available online Free shipping for Prime members on shelf-stable Amazon groceries Cons: If not a Prime member, must meet $35 for free shipping on shelf-stable products Amazon Fresh requires a $50 minimum for free delivery (even for Prime members) Prices on packaged products vary a lot – sometimes higher than stores. Often have to purchase large quantities to get low pricing Brands aren’t carefully vetted for quality so you can find a lot of greenwashing and health washing. Can be confusing to navigate the different ways of ordering Top picks: Whole Foods 365 products (this is Whole Food’s store brand) – high quality products at great prices (Note: not all products are certified organic, but all are Non-GMO Project verified.) Try Amazon Prime for 30 days FREE if you don’t already have it. FAQs about Organic Food Delivery Stores Online What are the benefits of organic food for your health? Studies have shown potential health benefits of organic food over conventionally grown food. Organic produce may have higher levels of certain antioxidants and flavonoids. Organic meat, dairy and eggs have been shown to have higher concentrations of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. What are the benefits of organic food for the environment? Food grown following organic practices is better for the environment in a few ways. Organic agriculture prohibits the use of petroleum-based fertilizers, which keeps toxic run-off out of the water supply. In addition, organic practices such as composting, cover cropping, and crop rotation, help to preserve and improve soil health. What is the downside to buying organic foods? Because of the more labor intensive processes, foods grown organically can be more expensive than conventional foods. However, it is possible to find good deals by shopping wisely, purchasing organic foods in bulk and opting for organic private label groceries. More Favorites from Mindful Momma Do you buy from any online organic food stores? I’d love to find out your favorites! P.S. One more thing I love to order online is organic smoothie mix from SmoothieBox. It’s healthy, delicious and super convenient! You can read my full SmoothieBox review here!