Go-To Grocery Store Brands and Foods

[HelenaSusen]

I am new to Whole 30 and slightly intimidated. I want to compile a grocery list that covers all the basics, but brand specific. For instance, what is everyones' go-to, favorite brands of compliant cooking fats, bacon, spices, coconut milk, vinegars, etc? Surely by now people have consistently found compliant brands and products to stick with when cooking! Would love if you all could share!! 

[ArtFossil]

Personally, there are too many to list for some foods, and too few for others. (E.g. A million vinegars, not much bacon, which I don't bother with on Whole30.)

And, you really need to check the ingredients every time you purchase something as ingredients can change.

I shop frequently at Trader Joe's, often at a little corner market, and also shop at Whole Foods and Amazon. I spent a lot of time when I first started my Whole30 reading labels. I still do. 

[TryingOver]

Here are a few of my favorites, but as ArtFossil said ingredients can change (and can also vary by region) so you should still check labels. 

Coconut Milk: Thai Kitchen 

Vinegar: Gianni Calogiuri Fig Vincotto Balsamic Vinegar (this I buy online. I found it in a specialty shop on vacation in Pike Place Market and love it. I toss vegetables in it, make vinaigrettes with it, etc).  

Cooking fats: for coconut oil I buy store brand. Epic for duck fat. Epic has other good animal fats as well. 

Spices: Penzey's spice blends are a go-to around here (whether or not we're on Whole30) however some of them have added sugar. I like their fajita seasoning, Arizona Dreaming and Northwoods blends the most. Their barbecue 3000 blend is compliant (but 3001 has added sugar). I like to sprinkle that over chicken for barbecue flavor without the sugar-filled sauce. 

With spices, I'll add the caveat that other than the few I listed above, I make most of my spice blends myself. I started doing this a while ago because a lot of the store bought blends are loaded with salt and MSG for flavor and have less of the actual spices. When I make it myself, I get to control the ratios and how much salt is in it. Ex: Chili Powder: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper (powder), ancho or chipotle chili (powder), paprika, and cumin. Cajun seasoning: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme (really good on shrimp or fish). 

 

[Lizabeet]

Anyone have recommendations for broths that I can pick up at the store? 

[ArtFossil]

30 minutes ago, Lizabeet said:

Anyone have recommendations for broths that I can pick up at the store? 

I only found one chicken broth that was compliant.* 

You must hone your label reading skills and be prepared to make your own. This is one of the Whole30 NSVs!

*Imagine Organic Free Range. But don't trust this information as it could change. Treat your shopping trips to each store as science expeditions and read the labels of every item you purchase and don't be surprised if the cheap store brand of something is the compliant one  

 

[ladyshanny]

1 hour ago, Lizabeet said:

Anyone have recommendations for broths that I can pick up at the store? 

If you can't find one, do consider making your own. For one thing, it's nearly free and dead easy and for another, you get myriad health benefits from home-simmered bone broth than you do from something processed in a carton. 

You can google how to do this but it's so dead easy I'll put it here: put bones in a large pot (leftovers from chickens, steaks etc or bones you get from your butcher). Add veggie scraps  or rough chop an onion, some carrot and some celery. Put in a little palm full of diamond salt, same of peppercorns, a good splash of apple cider vinegar and then cover the pot contents with water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam or scum that arises, reduce heat to a very gentle simmer and walk away for 12-24 hours. You can stir occassionally and add water as the water is simmered off. Strain it into mason jars and freeze.

How it's free to make: I keep a bag in my freezer and put all my veggie scraps in for use in bone broth...........my last broth the veggies were cranberries, eggplant, lime leaves, carrot peelings and turmeric. I keep a second bag in the freezer for all the bones we end up with when I roast chickens or make ribs. When the bone bag is full, I make broth.

There are other things you can do if you want to get tricky. First, you could roast your bones first to give a "browner" flavour to the finished broth. I never do this but people do (I find that cooking the broth for 36-48 hours will give that brown, cooked flavour). Second, you could save some egg shells and throw those in to add calcium to your broth. I always throw in fresh turmeric for its healing properties and I usually throw in a couple sticks of kombu for iodine.

[Lizabeet]

Having trouble finding tuna (canned or prepackaged) that does not contain soy. Does anyone know of any store brands that are compliant?

[ArtFossil]

4 minutes ago, Lizabeet said:

Having trouble finding tuna (canned or prepackaged) that does not contain soy. Does anyone know of any store brands that are compliant?

Wild Planet Skipjack tuna in water is one that I love. I order it in quantity from Amazon. But again, check the labels every time. 

[ArtFossil]

1 hour ago, ladyshanny said:

If you can't find one, do consider making your own. For one thing, it's nearly free and dead easy and for another, you get myriad health benefits from home-simmered bone broth than you do from something processed in a carton. 

You can google how to do this but it's so dead easy I'll put it here: put bones in a large pot (leftovers from chickens, steaks etc or bones you get from your butcher). Add veggie scraps  or rough chop an onion, some carrot and some celery. Put in a little palm full of diamond salt, same of peppercorns, a good splash of apple cider vinegar and then cover the pot contents with water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam or scum that arises, reduce heat to a very gentle simmer and walk away for 12-24 hours. You can stir occassionally and add water as the water is simmered off. Strain it into mason jars and freeze.

How it's free to make: I keep a bag in my freezer and put all my veggie scraps in for use in bone broth...........my last broth the veggies were cranberries, eggplant, lime leaves, carrot peelings and turmeric. I keep a second bag in the freezer for all the bones we end up with when I roast chickens or make ribs. When the bone bag is full, I make broth.

There are other things you can do if you want to get tricky. First, you could roast your bones first to give a "browner" flavour to the finished broth. I never do this but people do (I find that cooking the broth for 36-48 hours will give that brown, cooked flavour). Second, you could save some egg shells and throw those in to add calcium to your broth. I always throw in fresh turmeric for its healing properties and I usually throw in a couple sticks of kombu for iodine.

And bone broth is a true no-brainer in the Instant Pot. 

[EmilyAnne]

Not sure where y'all are from, but in my region we have Kroger stores. A friend of mine on the Whole30 tipped me off that the Kroger store brand of bacon is compliant, so I checked it out...and it's true!

However, it's only the "Lower Sodium Bacon" that's compliant. I'm not complaining because I probably do need to watch my salt intake. I'm going to whip some up with dinner tonight and see how it tastes! 

[cristinamt]

@Lizabeet Safe Catch tuna is compliant.

[jmcbn]

7 hours ago, cristinamt said:

@Lizabeet Safe Catch tuna is compliant.

But as always please check the labels as ingredients can and do vary from month to month, region to region....... 

[cristinamt]

Noted. Thanks for the heads up.

[WholeCourtney]

On 3/30/2017 at 10:54 AM, ladyshanny said:

If you can't find one, do consider making your own. For one thing, it's nearly free and dead easy and for another, you get myriad health benefits from home-simmered bone broth than you do from something processed in a carton. 

You can google how to do this but it's so dead easy I'll put it here: put bones in a large pot (leftovers from chickens, steaks etc or bones you get from your butcher). Add veggie scraps  or rough chop an onion, some carrot and some celery. Put in a little palm full of diamond salt, same of peppercorns, a good splash of apple cider vinegar and then cover the pot contents with water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam or scum that arises, reduce heat to a very gentle simmer and walk away for 12-24 hours. You can stir occassionally and add water as the water is simmered off. Strain it into mason jars and freeze.

How it's free to make: I keep a bag in my freezer and put all my veggie scraps in for use in bone broth...........my last broth the veggies were cranberries, eggplant, lime leaves, carrot peelings and turmeric. I keep a second bag in the freezer for all the bones we end up with when I roast chickens or make ribs. When the bone bag is full, I make broth.

There are other things you can do if you want to get tricky. First, you could roast your bones first to give a "browner" flavour to the finished broth. I never do this but people do (I find that cooking the broth for 36-48 hours will give that brown, cooked flavour). Second, you could save some egg shells and throw those in to add calcium to your broth. I always throw in fresh turmeric for its healing properties and I usually throw in a couple sticks of kombu for iodine.

Love the idea of the veggie scrap and bone bag in the freezer! Do you thaw the veggies and bones or just start the broth as is?

[SugarcubeOD]

11 minutes ago, WholeCourtney said:

Love the idea of the veggie scrap and bone bag in the freezer! Do you thaw the veggies and bones or just start the broth as is?

I'm not @ladyshanny but I think she does the same as me and just throws it all in frozen... when I do if it's in a chunk, the water I put in the pot to fill it up is hot tap water to help break up the clump of veggies and melt any frost

[WholeCourtney]

Thanks @SugarcubeOD!

[ladyshanny]

30 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

I'm not @ladyshanny but I think she does the same as me and just throws it all in frozen... 

Yep! ^^

[True Primal]

Pederson's Natural Farms has a sugar-free bacon with an actual Whole30 logo on it, and is excellent.

[Toralora]

Whole Foods 365 organic marinara sauce is compliant, which is great if I don't have the chance to make real sauce.  

They also carry Brat Hans chicken sausage - the organic bratwurst is compliant, and I believe the organic chicken apple sausage is as well (not sure because there's some fruit juice in it).  I haven't checked the non-organic varieties yet.

 

[True Primal]

Speaking of sausage, pretty sure Wellshire's Smoked Andouille Sausage is compliant. It does have the mysterious ingredient known as "spices" though.

[kirbz]

I had a surprisingly good experience shopping at Costco. I went for an air mattress and then thought I might as well see if they had anything Whole30 compliant... They had a lot! It was AMAZING!

Here's what I got (in case you want to go look for it too): 

• Kirkland Signature Smoked Pulled Pork (just boil the package for 12-15 minutes and it's ready to go)
• Aidells Chicken and Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage
• Parma Prosciutto di Parma
• Farmhouse Culture Classic Caraway Kraut 
• True Story Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Snack Packs (can you say post-workout meal anyone?)

They had lots of other stuff too! Avocado oil, spice blends, guacamole, etc.! Go check it out, you might be surprised what you find! 

[kirbz]

Oh, and I totally recommend the @whole30approved Instagram feed for all sorts of store-bough stuff that is compliant. You don't see those items often in regular grocery stores but you can find much of them in whole foods stores and online.