The best eco-friendly grocery stores in Lexington

Since I’m not vegan or vegetarian, I am always finding other ways to make my life a little eco-friendlier. The best way I have found to do this is by going to more eco-friendly grocery stores.

Living in Lexington, it’s a lot harder to find good places to go to since we don’t have access to a lot of no packaging-based bulk stores. I am a grocery store fanatic, especially with that being one of the only things you can do during COVID-19, so I have visited a lot. Here are a few of my favorites.

Whole Foods

Whole Foods is one of the more obvious options when it comes to eco-friendly grocery stores but for good reason. They are known for their large variety of natural/organic foods and “healthy living” lifestyles surrounding the brand. I love whole foods for that reason. They have probably the widest selection of meat and dairy alternatives in Lexington. Before the meat alternative started becoming more popular, this was the only place I could find it.

Whole Foods is a good middle ground. You can for sure find your fair share of junk food there, but the amount of healthy food will make you feel better about your shopping choices. I do find Whole Foods to be a bit more expensive than other grocery stores, but if you are looking to fully make the transition it’s a great place to go.

Trader Joes

My absolute FAVORITE place to shop! Trader Joes gives you all of the eco-friendly products that you want at a much better price than Whole Foods. Trader Joes offers a lot of home brand products that make it so unique. I am very much the type of person who doesn’t really know how to cook but I want to feel like I can. TJ has a great frozen food section that features things like cacio e pepe pasta or fried rice that you just heat up a bit and serve. You can feel like Gordon Ramsey in your studio apartment. They also offer a lot of organic options and little ingredients in their products to make your food a bit cleaner.

Good Foods Co-Op

Good Foods Co-Op has been a place for Lexington locals to grocery shop since 1972. Good Foods is probably the best place in Lexington to shop if you’re looking for an eco-friendlier lifestyle. They offer a wide assortment of meat and dairy alternatives along with a lot of locally sourced products. There are a lot of Kentucky Proud options like eggs and milk and other products that are grown and sourced here in Kentucky. Good Foods is also one of the only places in Kentucky that has package-free bulk shopping.

It’s good to downsize your meat or dairy intake or stop buying products that have a lot of plastic. You also need to think of where your food is coming from. Being from Kentucky, I love supporting local farmers and giving back to the community.