If you, like us, dread the Sunday night pilgrimage to the supermarket to get your week’s worth of groceries then rejoice because you no longer have to leave the couch.
Bulk food stores, as well as being incredibly good for the environment, are also super handy and even better, many have gone digital. Yep, that means you can shop sustainability whilst vegging out in your trackies at home.
So now there’s no excuse, because no matter which corner of the country you reside in, there’s a bulk food store for you. Here are our five faves to get you started.
Forage & Gather
This newbie is already making waves thanks to its dedication to helping you live a more sustainable life. Kick off your plastic free pantry with a range of organic dry goods, from seeds (pepitas, sunflower and hemp) and spices (cinnamon, paprika and tumeric) to rolled oats, Australian almond meal, cacao powder and coconut sugar. There’s handy filters so you can narrow down your search if you're looking for GF, keto-friendly or no GMO ingredients. Cost is based on weight so simply plug in what you need and they’ll be packaged up in completely compostable packaging and sent straight to your door. They’re such legends they’ll even shout you free shipping (which is all carbon neutral FYI) on your first order anywhere in Australia.
The Source
This powerhouse of a bulk food store needs no introduction, but we’re going to give it one because the world needs to know about the smorgasbord of locally-sourced organic goodies taking up space at The Source. While they also have IRL shops scattered around Australia, if you don’t live near one then you’ll love their online store for its plethora of tasty goodies. Online you’ll find all your favourite nuts, beans, pulses, herbs, spices and superfoods backed by a zero-waste philosophy that’ll send you soaring into a way of life that doesn’t negatively impact the environment. We especially dig their bush tucker section where you can purchase wattleseed, wild Kakadu plum powder and strawberry gum. That should fire up your inner Masterchef.
Naked Foods
What started as a stall at a local farmers market in Sydney has now become one of the biggest bulk food providers in Australia. With the philosophy of unprocessed and unpolluted eating, Naked's online range is extensive. You can order big on everything from spices, pastas, beans, lentils, cereals, and grains. As well as spreads (peanut butter, honey, tahini), superfoods (spirulina powder, hemp seeds, cacao nibs) and guilt-free sweet treats. Our faves are the Aussie dried pineapple, dark chocolate honeycomb and the milk chocolate covered freeze dried raspberries. We’re drooling just thinking about them.
The Full Pantry
These guys are all about helping you live a more sustainable life and they’re doing it by offering up tasty, organic bulk food minus unnecessary, plastic packaging. The Full Pantry has loads of variety so you’ll fill your cart in no time. There’s beans, nut mixes (the salt and vinegar cashews are must buy), cereals, rice, pastas and dried fruit—and that’s just the beginning. They also just added a range of plant-based cleaning products to the store too, so you can add them to your food haul. And if you’re ever in Melbourne be sure to stop by their cafe for a seriously tasty brunch.
Naturally Hooked
The mantra at Naturally Hooked is simple, they want to provide delicious, organic ingredients at an affordable price—and that’s something we can get behind. Shop the likes of organic, locally sourced legumes, grains, muesli and a generous range of chocolate. We’re talking chocolate covered strawberries, dark chocolate ginger, as well as milk chocolate almonds, raisins and macadamia nuts. They also have a bunch of drool-worthy recipes (read: mushroom risotto) on their site using their ingredients so it’s really a one stop shop. If you’re around Brisbane they’ll do a free delivery and if you’re further afield their shipping rates are extremely easy on the wallet. That means more coin for their banana chips—they’re delish.
Wholesome Market
Founded by a busy mum and even busier millennial, Wholesome Market set out to make buying health food products easier and far more affordable. It's not a bulk food store, but on site you'll find a curated mix of pantry goods that do good by the world and by you, with options to filter by dietary requirements like gluten-free, keto, paleo and more. They also have a great membership option that lets you shop at wholesale prices.
While you're at it, check out this easy guide to going plastic-free.
Image Credit: Forage & Gather