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My Trip to Walgreens to Find Real Food




Yum

August 3, 2014 by Andrea Fabry 19 Comments

If I had to grab lunch from Walgreens, what would I get? After asking this question, I perused the food aisles to find out. My primary stipulation:  the food has to be real –  in its pure, natural state with no adulterations.

I also follow a grain-free, sugar-free regimen which makes Walgreens a tough sell. Not that I’m complaining about my diet.  I’m grateful to have found a way to nourish myself after years of following a low-fat, highly-refined diet.

Walgreens collage real food ITT

Here were my specifications:

  • No pasteurized dairy. If I had found plain yogurt cultured after pasteurization, I would have added it to my cart.
  • No eggs from chickens raised in CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation.)
  • No nitrates
  • No refined sugar
  • No artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, or any other chemical additive.
  • No vegetable oils

I found two foods that made the cut:

Walgreens - two foods I can eatThe applesauce is a bit of a stretch due to packaging and non-organic apples – but I would eat if needed.

I would prefer to soak and sprout the almonds for easier digestibility, and would love it if they were organic,  but with raw almonds as the only ingredient I vote this as the #1 real food at Walgreens.

Is this all the real food at Walgreens? I can’t say for sure.

Postscript: Since the publication of this post, the Walgreens in our area now offers a Fresh and Fast display with fresh fruit and salads!

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Comments

  1. Kim says

    August 3, 2014 at 5:28 pm

    I thought about this on a recent (rare) trip to CVS…there is just nothing there for us. So many pesticides on apples–I don’t like when people give those applesauce cups to my kids! Definitely would rather fast if these drug stores are the only option for food. We always pack plenty of snacks while on the road just in case we can’t find a good grocery store.

    Reply
    • Becky says

      August 4, 2014 at 9:43 pm

      Funny, I’ve been thinking about this, too, and noticing the shortage of real food in convenience stores. Same thing happens at airports, hotels, hospitals, and other places where one has to spend some time. Also concerning is the amount of faux food filling the shelves in actual grocery stores. I’m impressed that you found some real food at Walgreens! It’s a little sad to have to pack food EVERYWHERE we go, but there it is.

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    August 4, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    I ran into a similar situation the other day. We were out of town camping and the little town close by had very little food options to choose from, I was left eating prepackaged chicken (which we usually only eat organic), dried non organic apples and pre-made salad. Far from what we are use to eating and really a shame.

    Reply
  3. MrsD says

    August 4, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    Ha Ha! This is so sad/scary/funny…… This company steam pasteurizes their almonds and doesn’t use PPO, so Yay! I am constantly in awe at the supermarket since my real food conversion. I see people with NOTHING healthy in their carts. It’s so sad that some of this stuff is even allowed to be called food these days.

    Reply
  4. Brittney Minor says

    August 4, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    That is crazy! It makes sense, but I never really asked myself if places like that had real food.

    Reply
  5. Annie says

    August 5, 2014 at 5:05 am

    Wow, that’s fascinating that there were so few things that were even close to real food in the whole store!!

    Reply
  6. Stephanie @Good Girl Gone Green says

    August 6, 2014 at 6:32 am

    Not surprised. We are surround by crappy food everywhere. 🙁

    Reply
  7. Sasha says

    August 6, 2014 at 9:52 am

    What a cool challenge to do. It is sad that a pharmacy doesn’t have better options for people. Everything is always about what is easy and appealing…or impulse buys!

    Reply
  8. Becca says

    August 6, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    I find it amusing to read about your tragic inability to find real food at Walgreens. Yeesh. Talk about first world problems.

    Reply
  9. Renee Kohley says

    August 7, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    Blah. How SAD 🙁

    Reply
  10. Jessica says

    August 7, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    That is actually scary!

    Reply
  11. The Food Hunter says

    August 7, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    interesting

    Reply
  12. linda spiker says

    August 7, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Yep…slim pickins!

    Reply
  13. Rachel @ Grok Grub says

    August 7, 2014 at 5:29 pm

    You should make this a series!

    Reply
  14. Susanne Runion says

    August 7, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    It is quite shocking how little real food there is in these types of convenience stores. Sometimes I will go with jerky, coconut water, fresh fruit or Kind Bars (the low sugar ones) in these types of places.

    Reply
  15. SierraRose says

    August 11, 2014 at 5:25 pm

    Perhaps, it would be helpful to shop for food at a food store rather than a drug store. While stores like Walgreen and CVS may carry a few food items for the convenience of their customers, that is not their primary purpose. Go to a grocery store, especially since you are so picky about what you will eat.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      August 14, 2014 at 8:01 am

      I completely understand your perspective. Thanks for taking the time to read the article.

      Reply
  16. Jim Jacobsen says

    September 23, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    First, I really enjoy your posts. Second, concerning Walgreen’s, CVS, et. al., it’s not surprising that there is a dearth of healthy food in those places. There’s no profit in healthy people for the pharmaceutical industry and by association, drug stores. Sad but true.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      September 23, 2014 at 1:37 pm

      Thanks for the encouragement Jim! It’s always nice to find likeminded people.

      Reply

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MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

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