A comparison of the best places to buy organic food online so you can eat healthy and save money at the same time. Learn the pros and cons and top picks from each online store, plus how to get freebies and further discounts on the organic groceries you love!
I’ll never forget the first few things I bought online – a book, a new shirt, a kitchen tool. It seemed a little risky to put my credit card information out there in cyberspace – but it was also pretty exciting to be able to shop without leaving the house!
Of course now, ordering online is commonplace, and more and more of us are extending our online purchases beyond household and personal items to buying organic groceries online.
Reasons to Buy Organic Food Online
If you are not already buying organic groceries online, you might ask yourself – why should I start? The way I see it, there are a few distinct reasons why someone would want to buy organic food online instead of at the local grocery store or health food store.
Convenience – Whether you are a new mom, a busy worker-bee or have some other reason why it’s hard to get to the store, the convenience of getting organic groceries delivered is hard to beat. Personally, I use online ordering as a way to keep my pantry stocked with all the healthy, organic ingredients I need to pull off healthy meals for my family! You might start by searching for organic stores near me, but then switch to ordering online, simply for the convenience.
Availability – Living in an urban area (Minneapolis), I’m surrounded by grocery stores of all kinds, but I know that many Mindful Momma readers live in smaller towns and rural areas where organic groceries may be harder to find. Online stores are sometimes the only place to buy the healthy, organic groceries you are looking for. Another benefit to ordering food online is that you can immediately see whether or not something is in stock. It always sucks to drive to a store only to find an ingredient you need is out of stock.
Low Prices – One of the many ways to eat healthy on a budget is to find the lowest prices possible on organic ingredients and food products. It’s true, warehouses stores like Costco have some pretty low prices on organics, but you have to be willing to buy extra large quantities, which doesn’t work for everyone. And local grocery stores occasionally offer sale prices, but that can be very hit or miss. In my experience, the best way to consistently find low prices on my organic grocery staples is online.
Tips for Buying Organic Food Online
That said, I do have some tips for maximizing the value you get from ordering organic food online. If you do it well, you can find your favorite organic groceries, including pantry staples and organic meat at the lowest prices.
Plan in advance – Remember that delivery takes time – ordering organic food online is a great way to keep your pantry stocked, but obviously won’t work for last-minute ingredient needs.
Buy private label – Don’t be afraid of private label or store brands – they are often the best value and in my experience are very good quality!
Go for free shipping – Pay attention to the minimum for free shipping and wait to order until you have met the minimum. You won’t save money if you pay shipping charges.
Get free stuff – Some companies offer free products with a minimum purchase. This can be a fun way to try something new! See below for some of the freebies I have received from Thrive Market over the years!
Focus on non-perishables – Most of the organic groceries I order online are non-perishable, shelf-stable products. Purchasing produce or other perishable products is a bit trickier and I prefer to pick my fresh produce out myself. That said, I do purchase organic and sustainable meat online through both ButcherBox and Thrive Market (see below for more details).
Keep tabs on delivery dates – If you don’t work from home like I do, you’ll want to keep an eye on the delivery dates to make sure the package gets delivered safely. And especially if you are ordering perishables, make sure the packaging is sufficient to keep products cold until you arrive home.
RELATED: Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services
Top Places to Buy Organic Groceries Online
I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article. Full Disclosure
As buying food online has become more and more common, the number of companies wanting to get in on the action has skyrocketed. I’ve looked at a lot of them and frankly some are better than others. In my opinion, these are the best organic food companies to buy from online. The companies I’m sharing with you here are all companies that I have personally ordered from and have found true value in being a customer.
For the purpose of evaluation, I did cost comparisons on the organic version of some typical pantry items like rice, olive oil, coconut oil, peanut butter, honey and granola. To be honest, I found that many prices were similar among the online stores that I compared. Each company had the lowest prices in at least one of the categories and there was no clear “winner” in terms of value.
Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on the products you are looking for and your reasons for purchasing online in the first place.
Take a look at the pros and the cons of each of these organic online food stores and other places to buy organic groceries online. I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments!
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is a membership-based shopping website, selling healthy, organic food and natural products at wholesale prices. By cutting out the middle man, Thrive Market can offer thousands of products at prices that are 25 – 50% below retail. As part of Thrive Market’s mission to make healthy living easy and accessible to everyone, they sponsor free memberships for low-income American families.
Thive Market is the online organic food store that I order from most often – at least once every month!
Place an order with Thrive Market – Get 30% off plus a FREE gift worth up to $50 with your first order! (1 year and 1 month memberships available, some conditions apply)
Pros:
- Low prices on popular natural & organic brands, as well as many smaller, lesser-known brands
- High quality Thrive Market private label products at even lower prices than branded products
- Frequent discounts both side-wide or on particular product categories or brands
- Free gifts with purchase – Some of the things I’ve received for free include chocolate, coffee, skin care products, baking mix and maple syrup. Did I mention chocolate?
- Free shipping on your first order over $25 and all orders over $49
- Giving back – For every membership purchased, they donate one to a family in need.
- More than food – Thrive Market also sells beauty & personal care, cleaning, household products, supplements, pet care and more, making it very easy to reach the minimum for free shipping.
- Frozen meat and seafood as well as clean wine deliveries also available. Personally, I have ordered the meat (great value!) and the wine!
- Get a full refund within 30 days if you are not satisfied – this allows you to try Thrive Market risk free
- No auto-shipping
Cons:
- Membership fee of $59.95 per year. However, you can start with a month-to-month membership for $9.95/month if you are not ready to commit to a full year. Most people make back the fee in savings after only 2-3 orders.
Favorite Thrive Market product picks:
- Lundberg Organic Rice
- Thrive Market Organic Beans (in a pouch, not a can!)
- Nature’s Path Organic Granola
- Organic Valley Ghee
- Barnana Banana Bites
- Traditional Medicinals Tea
- Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
- Thrive Market Organic Coconut Milk
- Thrive Market Organic Marinara Sauce
- Many more pantry staples
Place an order with Thrive Market – Get 30% off plus a FREE gift with your first order! (1 year and 1 month memberships available)
Imperfect Foods
Imperfect Foods is a company on a mission to reduce food waste and build a better food system for everyone. They rescue those misshapen fruits & vegetables and packaged foods with outdated packaging, and get them into the hands of people who will eat them! At Imperfect Foods you will find imperfect (yet perfectly delicious) produce, affordable pantry items, dairy, eggs and meat. The company used to be called Imperfect Produce but have since branched out into other food categories. Products are delivered locally and are not available in every market.
I get an order from Imperfect Foods about every other week. If you are looking for cheaper organic food, Imperfect Foods is a great solution!
Place an order with Imperfect Foods (Get $80 off ($20 off your first four orders) when you create your first Imperfect box.
Pros:
- Prices are 30% less than grocery store
- No membership fee
- You choose the type of box you want – I buy the medium organic box
- You choose the delivery schedule – I get mine every other week
- Suggested orders are created but are 100% customizable
- Free shipping on orders over $60
- Giving back – Reduced cost boxes are delivered to low-income families
- Shipping boxes can be returned for reuse
Cons:
- Produce is sometimes irregularly sized – For example when purchasing 1 pound of sweet potatoes, you may get a bunch of tiny sweet potatoes or 1 giant one!
- Not all produce is organic but they do offer a lot of organic options
- Not available in every city – find out if Imperfect Foods is in your area here
Top picks:
- All organic produce
- Organic eggs
- Imperfect branded packaged products are especially affordable
Place an order with Imperfect Foods (Get $80 off ($20 off your first four orders) when you create your first Imperfect box.
ButcherBox
ButcherBox is a subscription service for organic, grass-fed and humanely raised meats. You choose from a curated selection of meats or a custom selection of the cuts that work best for you. Personally I think ButcherBox is the best place to buy organic meat and other sustainably sourced meats. I love the quality and the convenience of having healthy meat available to feed my family!
Place an order with ButcherBox Check website for current specials.
Pros:
- High-quality, ethically raised meats at a very reasonable price
- Boxes can be customized each month
- Deliveries can be adjusted to the time frame that works for you
Cons:
- Meat is frozen (not necessarily bad but some people prefer fresh)
- Organic and ethical meat is an investment (not cheap like most supermarket meat) but totally worth it in my opinion.
Top picks:
- ButcherBox bacon is uncured, sugar/nitrate/hormone free, and Whole30 approved. Plus it tastes delicious!
Place an order with ButcherBox And don’t forget to cook this delicious meat in safe, healthy cookware!
Read my full ButcherBox Review here.
Public Goods
Public Goods is committed to making healthier, planet-friendly choices easy and accessible to all – so you “don’t have to choose between sustainability and savings.” Public Goods focuses on essentials for daily life, including organic food, non-toxic cleaning supplies and personal care, and sustainable household goods. By selling products under the Public Goods brand instead of popular commercial brand names, they are able to keep prices low and quality high.
Pros:
- Most food products are USDA Certified Organic and non-GMO
- Many vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free products
- Packaging is simple, minimalist and as eco-friendly as possible
- Products are ethically sourced and the majority are made in U.S.
- Carefully curated product selection, eliminates shopping overwhelm
- Free 2-week trial membership. After that, membership fee is $59 per year
- Shipping is free for orders over $45
- No auto-shipping (just place an order when you need it)
- Partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant a tree for every new member.
Cons:
- Yearly membership fee of $59 (but it’s easy to make that money back in savings)
- Product selection is not huge, but focus is on the basics
Top Picks:
Keep your pantry stocked with organic food staples like:
- Peanut butter & jam
- Oil & vinegar
- Pasta & pasta sauce
- Granola & oatmeal
- Nuts & trail mix
- Ketchup & mustard
- Chocolate!!
Public Goods – Mindful Momma readers get 15% off your first order + a free 2 week trial, using code MINDFULPGA at checkout.
Amazon – Prime Pantry
Prime Pantry is an additional benefit for Amazon Prime members, allowing them to package everyday non-perishable grocery store items into a single box for delivery. If you’ve ever looked for food on Amazon, you will notice many items are either only sold in large quantities, or the prices are higher than normal. Prime Pantry is the solution that allowed Amazon to expand its selection of individual food items at low prices as long as you meet the minimum for free shipping.
Pros:
- Favorite organic brands at low prices
- Free shipping over $35 for Prime members
- Prime Pantry also includes household, beauty and wellness products, making it easy to reach the minimum for free shipping.
Cons:
- Must be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the pricing
- Limited organic brands available
- No private label brand (other than Whole Food’s 365 brand)
- For an additional fee of $4.99 per month, Prime Pantry members can get free shipping on all orders over $10. (This may be a benefit for some, but I prefer to meet the $35 minimum and skip the extra fee.)
- Company does not give back the way that Thrive Market and Brandless do
Top picks:
- Whole Foods 365 products (this is Whole Food’s store brand) – high quality products at great prices (Note: not all products are certified organic, but all are Non-GMO Project verified.)
- Low prices on some well known organic brands like Nature’s Path, Annie’s, Muir Glen, Nutiva, Cascadian Farm and more.
Place an order with Amazon (or try Amazon Prime for 30 days FREE if you don’t already have it.)
Do you buy from any online organic food stores? I’d love to find out your favorites!
P.S. One more thing I love to order online is organic smoothie mix from SmoothieBox. It’s healthy, delicious and super convenient! You can read my full SmoothieBox review here!
Tammy Ford says
I’m ALL about Iherb for ordering health food online. They have a big selection and also some great deals on shipping at times.
Joshua Howard says
I buy organic food on Iherb or Amazon. I like to order some vegan cookies, snacks and sweets. Now I want to order something on Thrive Market. Thank you for sharing the best stores!
Rebecca says
You should give AzureStandard a try and add to your review list.
Micaela says
I’ll have to look into that!
Robi says
Yes, would love to see your reviews on Azure
Standard…I have been quite impressed with their products and prices!
Micaela says
Interesting – I have not tried them.
Savannah says
FoodtoLive is another place that is good for dry organic beans, seeds, and grains. It is cheaper to buy in bulk from them, but their quality is good. Vitacost is my usual go to for online organics. Will have to check out ButcherBox!
Micaela says
I’ve never heard of FoodtoLive but will have to check them out! Yes, ButcherBox is a great source for healthy, ethically sourced meat and seafood – definitely check them out if you can!
Linda Cuccia Levy says
I use a lot of your recommendations Thrive Mkt Butcher Box and many others and they are fast efficient and organics are available which are so important. Thanks for all your help and information as it’s so helpful. God Bless You
Micaela says
Yes those healthy food deliveries are coming in handy right now! I’ve got orders from both Thrive Market and ButcherBox on the way right now!
cc says
Thanks!
My Soul Market says
I think this is one of the best blog I have seen about the organic food. Thank you for sharing this blog with us.
Micaela says
Thanks so much! 🙂
Lindsay says
Just wanted to clear up: ButcherBox only has organic chicken…the beef is grass fed, which means that pesticides/herbicides/GMOs can be used in production. Additionally, most of Butcher Box’s meat is sourced from other countries, which has really impacted a lot of small scale American meat producers. This is a great list and thanks for taking the time to put it together! I just wanted to clear up some common misconceptions about Butcher Box’s products. They are excellent marketers, but they aren’t friends to small farmers or environmentally sustainable food.
Micaela says
Hi Lindsay – Yes, you are correct that ButcherBox has organic chicken and their beef is both grass-fed and grass-finished. There are absolutely no pesticides/herbicides or GMOs allowed in any stage of the production. Here’s a bit more about ButcherBox standards: https://bbaffiliates.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039133733-Our-Sourcing-Practices
And here’s a response from ButcherBox about why they source the majority of our beef from Australia. Why Australia? Unlike the United States, Australia has built an entire system on certifying pasture-raised meat. Australia has very high animal welfare standards as well as the climate and pastureland to allow cattle to spend their entire lives grazing.
Our cattle are 100% grass-fed and roam free on grassy pastures throughout their entire lives. These cattle are never put in concentrated animal feedlot operations (CAFOs). They eat their natural diet of grass and may receive other grasses or minerals in the winter months. Examples of grasses they eat may include (but are not limited to) annuals, perennials, bluegrass, ryegrass, and sorghum.
Cattle that eat a diet similar to the above give us a finished product that’s a source of Omega-3s, vitamins, and minerals. We believe this grass-fed, grass-finished beef is extra tender. We find it has an unmatched flavor. With great taste and added health benefits, it’s a choice our members can feel good about eating and serving their families.
Typically, cattle that are grain-fed start their lives on pasture, but they are later confined to feedlots where their diets can include grains. A grain-based diet primarily consists of processed grains like corn and soy. A grain-based diet and life in the feedlot cause animals to grow much quicker.
Hope that helps!
Sarah J says
We buy our bulk foods from Essential Organics ~ they are a small online bulk ingredient store with great prices
Mindful Momma says
Good to know – thanks!