I love the Fruit Pedallers. It is a little bit like a little rabbit warren with lots of nooks and…read morecrannies to find yummy tidbits of organic produce. It can be hard to find exactly what you need if you are after something specific, as the shop is not laid out in a methodical manner, but for me this makes the shopping experience all the more enjoyable. Sometimes I think the staff at the Fruit Pedallers must think I'm a little fruity myself, when I spend hours browsing the shop only to come up to the counter with a bottle of milk and a cucumber, for example. Up until recently their fresh fruit and veg have been very very expensive. But with a recent change to their buying strategy, they have dropped prices significantly. Yay! Now we can all eat more organic food. Who knows I may even come up to the counter with a cucumber and a head of brocolli. They also have naturopaths on staff - where you can get some free advice (as long as you buy their awful tasting herbal mixtures of course) on your lingering cold etc.

The Fruit Pedallers is a ditty little health food shop on Westgarth's High Street selling all…read moremanner of organic whole foods alongside natural therapies such as naturopathy, homeopathy, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, kinesiology, art therapy, acupuncture and more besides. In foodie slash health conscious Melbourne, where organic food stores are ostensibly a dime a dozen, The Fruit Pedallers is notable for its friendliness and excellent range of herbs and vitamins alongside fresh organic fruit and vegetables and a ruddy good selection of organic and fair trade chocolate. Its staff are helpful and extremely knowledgeable and although The Fruit Pedallers can be a little dearer than its competitors, this little Westgarth health food haunt is a local favourite, and with good reason. The Fruit Pedallers is a particularly good health food store to visit if you're in the market for vitamins or supplements and don't quite know what you're looking for. Excellent all round.

This is a one-stop superstore for the organically and healthy minded. There is a great selection…read moreof fruit and vegetables in front and a couple of isles full of vitamins, supplements, milks, breads, oats, cereals and other groceries down back. There is a decent selection of meats and dairy as well. They stock informative books and magazines and even cater those with a sweet tooth with a great selection of chocolate. The prices are pretty good too if you start to compare with other organic retailers. Some of their prices are even the same as the mega chain supermarket just down the road. Situated on Smith St and servicing the healthy for the last 20 years, this family owned business is a pleasure to come and shop in. There is a very earthy feel with passive staff and smiles and positivity all around. If you can't make it down, they also have an online shop and even do home delivery.

Firstly, a confession…read more Although I occasionally brought organic produce, I had not signed on to the organic way of life. I thought it would be too expensive, boring, and not flexible enough for my student life. How wrong I was. I discovered Organic Wholefoods on Smith Street a couple of weeks before, and am now prepared to make weekly migrations to stock up on fruit and vegetables and a few other products as well. Organic Wholefoods boasts some beautiful regional produce (juicy oranges, enormous mushrooms and free range eggs) as well as an enormous range of cereals, flour, tea, nuts and more. I was particularly impressed with the wide range of tea and coffee, and had to get my hands on some of the Mount Zero Extra Virgin Olive Oil (under $20!). I was surprised to see that the produce was pretty reasonable (a couple of dollars here and there more than Coles of Safeway) but after buying and trying out the food I could definitely tell the difference. Although I may not have the budget to buy organic for everything, visiting and trying the produce stocked at Organic Wholefoods was an eye-opening and enjoyable decision.

I absolutely love this place in Fitzroy! It has a very nice atmosphere and it's a peaceful place to…read moretake some relax in the city. The food is awesom and you can also buy something to take home. Imprescidible for veggie lovers!! ;)

Yes, Friends of the Earth sounds hippie and alternative. It is but it's great!…read more It's a cafe/organic food store where they focus on helping the environment and educating people on organic produce. Locally grown, seasonal produce, organic meals and fair trade teas are what Friends of the Earth are all about. This is a growing mentality that I support and feel like after visiting a place like this you understand why people are so passionate about it. There really is nothing better than the really fresh, organically grown foods they have on offer where it's guilt free and makes you feel fuzzy that you've helped the "little guys" and the environment. It's fantastic to wander through and look at the fresh products where the cafe idea is great and their coffee is amazing so it's definitely worth stopping by!

Vitamin Crazy does what it says on the clichéd tin; stocking a range of vitamins and minerals…read morealongside organic skin and haircare products at discount prices. This is a great little shop located within the Northcote shopping centre just opposite Kmart, and a definite must to add to your alternative medicine Melbourne hitlist. With prices often cheaper than neighbouring Coles for vitamins and supplements, Vitamin Crazy's staff are friendly and well informed, its selection of vitamins mind boggling, and you can often get premium organic skincare brands such as Trilogy, A'kin and the like even cheaper than you can find online. Particularly notable is Vitamin Crazy's selection of natural hairdyes by brands such as Naturtint for around 30% off RRP. Not the most exciting little place perhaps but Vitamin Crazy is an incredibly useful shop.

Really helpful staff who actually listen to your questions and try to provide cost-effective…read moresolutions. I shop here regularly because I know they wont try to up sell me.

I don't know how I stumbled across this lunch delivery but I'm certainly glad I did. While there…read moreare so many options for healthy lunches in the city, I feel that a good, tasty, inexpensive salad is more of a hidden gem. The menu goes up a few days before and orders close on the Monday, for delivery on the Wednesday. Jacq comes and delivers it to your workplace and it looks like she's getting busier and busier, with this week's menu being sold out before I got a chance to order. She's definitely come up with a great idea for lunches with the focus on making healthy packages that she would want to eat. ie stuff from her 'nonno's garden'. When I first saw the lunch, I thought it was small, but my eyes were obviously too big for my stomach. Our lunch was the: TRIPLE DECKER BLISS SALAD QUINOA CRUMBED EGGPLANT - TOP layer #1 MIXED MEGA SALAD - MIDDLE layer #2 MIDDLE EASTERN RICE - BOTTOM layer #3 I couldn't get through it all, not because it wasn't tasty (it definitely was 'freakin good') but because it fills you up pretty quickly. I ended up saving some for my afternoon snack and it tasted just as good. Good Freakin Food is already on my email contact list, ready to place the orders quick smart when the menu for next week comes out.

Freakin yum, that's what! If it weren't for Jacq and her amazing lunch time deliveries, I think I…read morewould have died of scurvy by now. Well maybe not died, but I know I wouldn't be as well nourished as I am. On weeks that I get a salad delivery my boyfriend and I eat those MASSIVE lunch boxes two days in a row and my body is super happy. I love the variety - from rice balls to noodle salads, loads of mixed fresh organic veggies and usually a piece of fruit thrown in, it's always delicious and incredibly filling. Often I have to eat half for lunch and the other half a few hours later because they're so choc-ful. At $12 per salad it's an absolute bargain too, with the $20 lunchbox offering the best value. As well as the salad you get a seasonal juice and a healthy ball thing that's loaded with nuts and coconut and deliciousness.

Water2Go should be your final destination when you are looking for an excellent water supply…read moreservice in Melbourne. Thanks a lot guys!

Spelt Quinoa, named after two ancient grains, one an old variety of wheat and the other one…read morepronounced (kee-wa, don't get it wrong or they'll kick you out of the shop!), is a lovely little organic and super foods bulk store. I was expecting it to be quite expensive considering its small size and 'gourmet' look, as it's just a logical conclusion. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that Spelt Quinoa is actually very reasonably priced - at least cheap for organic superfoods, which are naturally expensive commodities no matter where you go. My favourite thing about this place is the fact that they do some very expensive superfood powders, such as Maca, Lucuma, Spirulina, Acai, in bulk - which allows you to buy the amount you want instead of forking out $30+ to get a large packet. The staff are also very knowledgeable about stuff like gluten free baking, fad diets, grains and legumes. that is if you can't find the information you need from the very helpful hand written cards they have stuck scattered throughout the store.

This place is a hippie heaven... Seriously, if a legume variety exists on this planet, you can get…read moreit at Spelt Quinoa. Until I visited this shop I had no idea that black-eyed peas were an actual food! They also have grains, flour, dried fruit, nuts, health drinks and even some chocolate. If you suffer from allergies, gluten intolerance or just prefer to eat wholefoods, then this shop will have something for you. The shop fit out is really simple, with produce is displayed in cute sacks and buckets, and you use caterer's scoops to fill brown paper bags with the amounts you need. It definably beats buying plastic packaged lentils from the supermarket that come in set quantities. In many cases, the price is better than at the supermarket too - plus there is a much bigger range, including certified organic varieties. I did notice that a number of things were grown in Europe, which is not ideal from a carbon perspective if you're trying to eat ethically. However, in most cases there are local alternatives available. I found the staff really helpful and willing to accept suggestions on new products to stock. Plus, it's so close to the Johnston St Coles it's easily incorporated into a regular grocery shopping trip!

This hidden organic store is always quiet, despite having a varied selection of items…read more The staff are so friendly and adorable, that I can't help but keep going back. In fact, it was after one especially chatty session with the owner that I realised I should transition to mostly organic. Don't get me wrong, there was no pressure or guilt or judgement from her. Rather we talked about general health and her own journey to health, and it inspired me! They have fruit and veg, health products, beauty products, teas, etc..All the usually findings and are quite willing to order in something specific you might want. Also the knowledgeable staff are helpful, without that pushy feeling of trying to up-sell to you This is a ma and pa type operation and one that I think is worth supporting.