Anyone who enjoys eating healthy knows that a large amount of nutritious, organic, or “clean” products are expensive. Often times, you aren’t sure if that bar is worth three dollars, if there’s a better price somewhere else, or if there’s really a difference between organic and normal berries. Well, here’s everything you need to know about where to get the best prices for healthy items around Lake Forest, and what you should and shouldn’t spend the extra money on.

Kombucha is one of my favorite drinks. I drink one every day not only because I love the taste but also because of the amount of probiotics. However, the drink can be pricey– up to three dollars a bottle. Here are the best places to get my three favorite brands of booch!

• GT’s– At Jewel, Heinen’s, and Whole Foods. If you buy an entire case of GT’s Kombucha (12 bottles), you get a 10% discount.
• Kevita– At Fresh Market and Heinen’s. Kevita drinks are often on sale for 2 for $6.
• HealthAde– HealthAde is definitely on the pricier side, almost $5 a bottle. I wouldn’t buy it for that much. You can sometimes find it on sale at Heinen’s for 2 for $7, a much better deal than the former. 

In my opinion, kombucha is worth the extra money. You get a refreshing beverage along with a dose of probiotics. Definitely use the tips above to find the cheapest price for booch!

Bars are great to have handy for a snack at any time of day, an on-the-go breakfast, or part of your lunch. My favorites are RxBars, Fig Bars, Perfect Bars, GoMacro bars, and GoRaw bars. I also believe that the bars that are a bit pricier are worth it because they have clean ingredients. Often times, bars that are cheap are full of ingredients you can’t pronounce and don’t even know what they are. I only eat bars that I can read the every ingredient and know what it is, more or less.

• Heinen’s is the best place to buy bars. They offer the best deals– 5 bars for $10, sometimes even 10 bars for $10. They have an entire half of an aisle dedicated to countless brands, including all the ones I just listed.
• Perfect Bar is a brand of bars that needs to be refrigerated because it is made of real, whole foods. I absolutely love Perfect Bars, they taste amazing and they are perfect for a quick and easy breakfast. Fresh Market offers the lowest price for them at $2.49, but you can sometimes find them on sale at Heinen’s and Whole Foods for 2 for $4.
• If you find an expensive bar that has weird, artificial, processed ingredients, I would not recommend buying it. Stick to bars with good, whole food ingredients if you want to spend that extra dollar or two.

I absolutely love gluten-free pretzels and popcorn for when I need a salty snack. I prefer Glutino gluten-free pretzels over Snyder’s because they’re crunchier and more satisfying. However, fellow health writer Catherine Nicholson does make a good argument for Snyder’s if you’re indifferent. I also am obsessed with Buddha Bowl coconut oil popcorn, but the only place that sells it around here is Fresh Thyme in Deerfield. My mom and I also make our own popcorn at home using non-GMO Tiny but Mighty unpopped kernels and two servings of coconut oil in a big top over the stove.

I often have yogurt and muesli or granola for breakfast, along with some berries and peanut butter. My favorite brand of yogurt is Siggi’s, because of its high protein content and low sugar content. I usually have a cup of the plain flavor, which boasts 16 grams of protein with only 4 grams of sugar. I buy Siggi’s at Heinen’s or Whole Foods. Sometimes they’ll be 4 for $5 or even 10 for $10. I usually only buy Siggi’s when it’s on sale so that I have a bunch on hand in case I want it for breakfast, a snack, or for a recipe. For granola, my favorite brand is Purely Elizabeth. Fresh Market has it on sale sometimes, but it is so good, I think it’s worth the $6.99 even if it’s not. I use Bob’s Red Mill muesli, which is raw rolled oats along with raisins, nuts, and seeds. I buy mine at Fresh Market in the biggest size possible so it lasts me a while.

I also love peanut butter and other nut butters and have an entire cabinet full of them. I often have one on top of toast, in a smoothie, or mixed into a yogurt bowl. My favorite is Nuttzo, which is a blend of seven nuts and seeds. I also love Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter and Wild Friends, they have the simplest ingredients and taste the best to me!

Now, for produce. My mom and I think Mariano’s and Heinen’s are the best places to get fruits and veggies. We also follow the “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen”– lists that consist of the 15 least pesticide contaminated produce and 12 most contaminated produce. Click here to see the lists.

Finally, I recommend downloading the Whole Foods app and getting a Heinen’s card. On the Whole Foods app, you can find what’s on sale at the Deerfield store and there are also electronic coupons that are only accessible to those who have the app. Heinen’s also has electronic coupons that automatically are applied if you have a Heinen’s card.

I know shopping for healthy food can be tedious and hard to know what is worth it and what is not, but I hope this article guides you on where to shop and what to buy!