I have been going to Essence of Life for years - literally probably 16 years at this point. Which…read moreis crazy! They have never lost their Kensington vibe or decent prices! You can always find a ton of products in here that are better priced then other health food stores. Staff are always lovely. I stop in here all the time even when I don't need anything. They have everything from fresh veggies, to dairy (and vegan dairy), meats (and vegan meats), drinks, snacks, oils, bulk pantry items, household cleaning and toiletries, and a large supplement section. It's amazing that they can fit all of this in one seemingly small store!

I randomly was looking for rosemary oil because I saw a trending video by a dermatologist that…read morerosemary oil is effective for hair growth?! (do your own research). A natural way to promote more hair growth? I'm down to try. I am amazed this little store in Kensington has so many essential to trendy natural products at such reasonable prices. You'll find anything from natural deodorant to vegan nail polish, essential oils, natural beauty products, cleaning supplies, and a grocery at the back. Wow! I can see why they are so busy. It can be tricky to find things you need through all the aisles of products, but the staff knows where everything is when you ask. Purchased Neem oil 100ml (Unbranded) $5.99 Rosemary oil organic 30ml (Now brand) $17.99 Their Dr. Bronner's Castile soap is a great price compared to buying online through Amazon. It's always a great bonus to save money while supporting local.

Great store with a variety of products. They have most supplements i need/have wanted over the…read moreyears.

The worst power tripping store manager YASMAN and worst customer service you can find at this…read moreHealthy Planet Yonge & Dundas location. We shop at this location numerous times and never have problems when it comes to price matching online sale price vs in-store price. I came today and bought items here that were on sale online and when I was paying for my purchases, the cashier/store manager YASMAN said that she can't give me the online price. I told her that I shop at this store all the time and they always match the online price. This is the first time it happened that they didn't honor the online price so in the end I still paid for the regular price. Later on I realized that I should just buy it online coz it's much cheaper. Since I'm still shopping and in the vicinity, I returned back to the store and return the items I have bought. Now here's another kicker - the same cashier/store manager is saying that she can only give me a store credit since one of the item's plastic seal was broken. I told her that it was sold like that to me and I just bought it from her. And it's not even like more than 2 hrs since I left their store. Yasman the store manager was so rude, unprofessional and not helpful. She was adamant that it was the store policy and she has to issue a store credit if the item seal was broken. I told her then you shouldn't be selling back to customer items with broken seal. When I went to back to check, I saw some item on the shelf (see photo) which doesn't have the plastic seal and still being sold by this store. So BUYERS BEWARE: make sure that you check that you're not buying a broken item seal otherwise when you decide to get a refund you will not get your money back but will instead be issued a store credit. This unpleasant and negative experience cemented the fact that I will not patronize going forward this business and all Healthy Planet location!

Friendly, knowledgeable owner. Lots of stuff in this tiny shop. Reasonable prices. Parking…read moreavailable!

Great selection at really reasonable prices - my favourite health food store in Toronto!read more

More expensive than you'll find the same products at No Frills or Walmart, but far more obscure…read morevitamins and food products than you'll find at your average grocery store or pharmacy. Better priced then say, The Big Carrot, or smaller health food stores. Staff and friendly and keep the place clean and well organized but they can give little by way of recommendation for vitamin brands.

Hands down one of my fav stores in the city. Amazing selection of natural health products,…read moreeverything from vitamins to organic groceries and beauty products. The prices are very competitive, often lower than on amazon. You can often find great deals on gluten free items as well, make sure to visit the back of the store for grocery items.

I was looking for a health store close to my office and saw A1 Nutrition on my way to the GO Train…read moreone day. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable. They carry a great selection of St. Francis products like virgin coconut oil. The prices are on par with other stores in the area. I think I've have found my go to place! I just wish they had a working website.

If you work along the Toronto path downtown, and if you need some herbal, health and nutritional…read morefood. It is in standard life center. I love their service. The staff quite know where the product is. Lots of staff to help for a small store. They have comprehensive brand even with the rare product I want. They even have a holistic doctor (I guess) to answer your question. They have a royalty card for 10% off and 20 %. For price, I just really surprise that they are a bit cheaper than other chain nutritional food store. So, I definitely will go there again if I need some vitamin and herbal stuff and etc.

Tip: The tiramisu is awesome!…read more The first Whole Foods Market that I ever visited was this one in Yorkville. It's kind of funny to me that I had a couple of job interviews in the area and then decided to grab lunch at a supermarket that doesn't exactly scream discounts. I need a job to support my love for organic avocados and croissants! Before I got my current job, I was looking for work. I had interviews that spanned a couple of months. I drove down to Yorkville both times and parked in a lot. I went to each interview. Afterwards, I was hungry and hit this Whole Foods. The salad bar had my name all over it. There was also tiramisu and I got a box for my rectangular slab. I then went to pay for everything. For some reason, I didn't dine there. I ate in my car instead, which has been my usual thing for years. I remember how happy I was that the interview was over and I could indulge in fresh mixed greens, some salad dressing that had the best citrusy flavours, crispy cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn kernels. I also remember stuffing by face with the best tiramisu. The mascarpone was heavenly with the lady fingers, cocoa, and more. I was so happy. I should have bought an entire tray of it just for me. I returned after my second interview and had an egg salad sandwich. Simple. Yummy. Perfect. The bread was seedy. It was so good. It hit the spot. I haven't been back here since I landed my current job. It may be a good thing. I still love Whole Foods. Markham has been graced with its own and I frequent it often. Coincidentally, I was there this evening. I'm glad that this store is still alive and kicking. It'll always have fond memories of post-interviews and yummy eats. (462)

I was visiting Toronto and came here for snacks and to buy my husband's favorite sunflower seeds…read more The store has wide, albeit strangely laid out, aisles. The products are not intuitively arranged together and it as difficult to find certain things. However, the store was clean and as with most Whole Foods locations, there was a lot to choose from. I forgot how much I used to enjoy shopping at WF. Check out was easy and the cashier was friendly enough. I went there twice during my visit to Toronto because I fell in love with DJ&A dried mushroom snacks.

It's great that Nature's Emporium is slowly expanding and opening new locations in the GTA, and…read morethis one downtown is certainly a welcomed addition. Everything here is organic - from the produce to ingredients in the ready-to-go meals and products. There are a wide variety of homemade soups, pizza station serving thin-crust pizza made of spelt flour (including vegan options), various salads, and more. Note that the hot food bar is only open on weekdays (to serve the office crowd), but they have other great and healthy grab-and-go options. Weekend grocery shopping here is quiet and not as crowded as in most other supermarkets, making it a pleasant experience. I love the variety of products they offer - lots of high-quality, gluten-free, organic, and vegan products and brands that are not commonly found in most other mainstream grocery stores. There are bulk nuts, tempeh, hummus, and the biggest variety of plant-based milks and nut butters I have seen in any supermarket. The bags they provide for produce are compostable. They have tables and seating areas for eating, and a gender-neutral and wheelchair-accessible washroom. Limited-time parking is available in the underground private parking lot. You can get the parking ticket validated by the cashier.

A brand new supermarket at lakeshore & york st area. You will find more healthy selections here,…read morebut it comes with a more premium price point, ouch. It is located on the 2nd level on the 1 York St corporate building, not visible from the street level. For those who do not have too much time for cooking, hey they have warm food to go too. 1 hour free parking for over $60 purchase.

GEM of a neighbourhood health food store. Stock a surprisingly broad variety in their inventory,…read moreand because they put items nearing best-before dates on sale, you can count on things being fresh. Incredibly helpful staff who are sincerely warm and friendly and willing to answer questions and give recommendations. I personally think we should take medical and nutritional advice, including on supplements, from holistic licensed professionals, but as far as alternative-health knowledge goes, the staff here are always willing to help and to share their own experience and what they've heard from customers. Prices are very reasonable for the quality items they sell. Highly recommend.

The store are okay, but the staff are very rude. The store has reasonable and acceptable prices,…read morebut some employees do not know how to deal with customers with respect

I occasionally duck into Whole Health, as it's downstairs in my work building. It's conveniently…read morelocated for sure, but a little haphazard in terms of what they stock and how the place is organised. If you can't find something, staff are more than willing to help; if they're already helping someone else though, you may not want to wait. Their range covers most things you'll find in a general health food store - supplements/vitamins, specialised health & beauty products, herbal teas, snack bars, etc. No real 'grocery' section, however. I suppose if you look long and hard enough you'll find what you need - variety of product is decent but the range of stuff within 'categories' can be limited, I suppose. Prices are a little on the steep side, as most brands aren't something you'll pick up in Shoppers/Pharma Plus etc. Good for the occasional need, but not somewhere I would do the majority of my shopping for this kind of stuff.

This is one of my favourite health product shops in Toronto…read more Their selection of protein powders is fantastic whether you are looking for plant based protein or New Zealand whey. Their prices are very competitive compared to online vendors and other larger shops in the area. They carry brands that are harder to find that I used to have to special order. The owners are knowledgeable and always happy to make a recommendation. I haven't been disappointed yet!

I like Herbie's for their amazing selection of essential oils and other such 'new age crap'. I am a…read morenew age crap artist and have been since I was 10. Therefore I enjoy this store. I am not much of a herbalist, but I do appreciate their selection of stones and supplies for making homemade cosmetics from naturally healing ingredients. What differentiates Herbie's from many other places that you can buy these things, is that they don't sell a whole lot of silly fad foods. They focus on items used in healing-- not marketing. For this, I have great admiration. Don't bother coming here if you want the latest rage in natural healing or if you're a dabbler-- you have to know your stuff before coming to Herbie's. The staff are helpful and friendly but not always familiar with some of the lesser known gems in the store. By 'gems' I mean not only rocks, but the hidden healing properties of many of their products from herbs to oils. Overall, a great stop for the new age shit that is actually old age.

The advertised flower and leaf for the herb that I ordered all I got was Stem and leaf. When I…read morebrought it up to them they said that the flower is there... there literally is one flower. at the same time that I bought from them I bought from a different company because they had sold out and from the other company I got nothing but the flower as advertised. I did not expect all flower, I expected some leaf but nowhere on the website it does not say any stems. Save your money and go with a different company. I will never shop here again.