Unlock DC’s Organic Gems: Your Guide to Local Food

Healthy food may not always seem easy to find, especially when there are so many options at your conventional big box grocery stores. The typical stores like, Walmart, aldis, Safeway, and Giant, have so many options, and they don’t always have your best interests in mind. In this shopping guide I’ll give you a breakdown of some of the best natural and organic food stores in the Washington D.C metropolitan area. These stores all meet our ‘Gold Star’ foodie standards.

Defining our Gold Star Standards:

• Carry produce and products that are grown and made locally.
• The Majority of the processed and ready-to-eat foods are made with healthy and natural ingredients.
• The atmosphere is a ‘vibe’. It has a comforting environment that feels healthy, fresh, and with a sparkle of sophistication.
• Most of the labels are USDA organic certified or MSC certified.

The Scenario:

You wake up on Wednesday morning, and you realize that you need to restock your refrigerator with all your favorite foods. Not only do you need to buy food, but You also have the urge to have a little escape and experience the glamour of shopping at a farmers’ market. At your favorite farmers market the stands are filled with all your favorite fruits, vegetables, and sweet treats.

The breeze is blowing, the sun is shining, and there are people out and about walking around your favorite DC neighborhood. It’s arguably one of the best ways to make the mundane task of buying groceries, dreamy.

However, you snap back into reality and …. You’re faced with the reality that it’s Wednesday. It’s the middle of the week and there are no local farmers markets open. The next best option is an organic or natural food store that you can go to any day of the week and get some of your favorite healthy snacks and local produce.

As a healthy eater, it is important to consider not only what you eat, but where you buy. A lot of the big stores also have big providers that bring foods from faraway lands. Not to say that foods that come from other countries can’t be healthy or good- however – the problem is that a lot of the times they don’t worry about providing local products. On top of that, big stores tend to have a larger selection of conventional/unhealthy foods compared to the healthier options.

Without further adieu and listed in no particular order, here are our top picks!

Roots Market

16800 Georgia Ave, Olney, MD 20832

Roots market is a market that specializes in organic, fair trade and minimally processed natural foods. The Onley based market, is large and spacious and holds a variety of products. From fresh produce to household products, you can purchase just about anything related to cooking and personal care.

The market also produces their own recipes on a daily basis where you can enjoy ready-to-eat foods like sushi, salads, soups, grilled quesadillas, salads, and so much more. If you have a sweet tooth, they have you covered! The market as a wide variety of baked goods and pastries that are made fresh every day.

Have pets? Roots also has a variety of pet care products that include toys, food, treats, and even supplements for health support. Roots is without a doubt a great place to find foods that the whole family will enjoy during anytime of year.

Roots also has a great community *feel*to it. They host a variety of different fundraisers to help local missions develop programs for those in need. Before you exist the store, you will notice boxes where you can show your support and select the fundraiser that you want to sow into. Truly makes the local shopping experience revolutionary. On top of all that, you can also shop online from the connivence of your home and get you groceries delivered to your home or pick them up at curbside.

Moms

5566 Randolph Rd, Rockville, MD 20852

Mom’s market was born in Rockville, Maryland and now has locations throughout the East Coast. Their Locations spam from Virginia all the way North to Massachusetts. Established in 1987, our favorite location is located right off the center of Rockville pike. Unlike Roots Market, Moms has more of a small town feel to it. Its store is neat, cozy, and has shelves lined with a variety of organic and natural brands.

Their stores’ most extensive department has to be the supplement and personal care section. They have a variety of dietary supplements, and products that are healthy for your body and made with the planet in mind. Towards the back of the store, they also have a bakery where they have fresh bread delivered every morning of the week! So, you’ll be able to enjoy the feel of REAL bread with your favorite avocado toasts, sandwiches, and more.  

Moms is the perfect place if you want to splurge and treat yourself to a cute outing outside of the city. Not only is it catered with health and sustainability in mind, as DMVers we can be excited to support a local business that started through humble roots and has been able to grow as much as it has.

In the DMV, Moms has 10 Locations in Maryland, 5 Locations in Virginia, and 1 Location in D.C!

Fresh Market

1649 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852

Fresh Market is a national grocery store mostly located throughout the East Coast and the South. The market mimics a European style grocery store, with its design, and selection of food. The store is large and has a lot of enough space for shoppers to feel comfortable hauling around shopping carts. Their produce section carries almost everything you might need to create your favorite healthy recipes, and even has an impressive flowers/ plant section perpendicular to the fruits.

Their most impressive department is the read-to eat foods. They have a variety of recipes that you can try from all types of salads to sushi’s, to SO much More. For those hosting parties and events, they even have catering services for all your large-scale food needs.

Lastly, if you are looking to shop quickly but you want to make sure that what you are eating is healthy, they also have the option to shop online or even just browse their food selection before you shop in store. Fresh market has 4 locations in Maryland and 13 locations throughout Virginia. Including Arlington!

Dawson Market

225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD 20850

Dawson Market is another great local grocery born and raised right here in Rockville Maryland. Their store products are selected with the intention of supporting local business and also carrying the best ingredients. Their location is large and beautifully designed to feel like you are at a local farmers market. It is also located in the Rockville Town center, which makes it a great experience if you want to stroll around the town after buying your groceries.

Throughout the year, they also host many local businesses to set up tables and share their favorite products with customers. One of Dawsons mission is to source as many local products and encourage customers to choose brands that are close to home. Their mission and values are felt throughout the store, and you really do get a sense of community as you are making your way through the shelves. They buy products that make an environmental impact, support animal welfare, are safe, and sustainable.

In case things could not get any better, Dawsons market also host a variety of different classes tailored for the WHOLE Family. They have art classes for kids, cooking classes for adults, and you can learn to make some of the most kitchen classic dishes out there.

Where will you live out your farmers market crave this week?

Will you visit of these healthy natural food store? We would love to hear where you end up shopping and what you end up buying. A nice shopping experience and buying local, does not need to be reserved for the weekend farmers’ market. Instead, make your way out and enjoy your healthy foods any day of the week. Give yourself that treat not only as a luxury that you deserve, but because it is truly a better way to live, care for your body, and support community.

Check out some of recent recipes to get inspired on your next grocery store visit: