I am so happy to finally have visited Rainbow Grocery. I felt like a kid at disney world. I would love to go back and take more detailed notes, but I was too enamored to focus.
If you've had difficulty finding anything, Rainbow probably has it. This is a list of things that stood out to me. Thankfully, I had two friends to help document our excursion Gillian and Danielle from No Need for Mars. We met almost a year ago!
beauty section:
- Activated Charcoal
- Epson Salts
- Lotion
- Shampoos
- Xylitol
- diatomaceous earth
- Washing Soda
- Laundry Detergent
- Skin Cleanser
- Shea Butter
snacks:
- Every type of dried fruit imaginable: bananas, persimmon, dates, pears, raisins, crystalized ginger, mango, blue berries, inca berries, pineapple, etc.
- Chocolate covered everything
- Ginger Snaps
- Trail Mixes
- Granola
- Pretzels
- Nuts
I was actually a little disappointed in the snack department (no cheddar whales), but I find most other bulk stores only have snacks; so, I didn't mind one bit. The most impressive part of the store is the wet good section.
wet goods:
- Kimchi
- Miso
- Salsa
- Tofu
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Molasses
- Nut Butters
- Sauerkraut
- Olives
- Olive Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Canola Oil
- Seasame Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Tahini
- Nutella
- ACV
- Liquid Aminos
- Coconut Oil
- Tamari
- Agave
My dad sent me a penguin jar filled with maple syrup for Christmas two years ago. I finally had the opportunity to refill him! Such and exciting day. I mean look at my face - sheer joy and amazement.
They built a tree where you can pump maple syrup into your own container. So. Exciting.
Rainbow has an AMAZING selection of jars to choose from incase you need one! I know you've read here several times, that I don't need anymore jars - but I was a total sucker for a large tuliped weck jar. It made it a lot easier to scoop peanut butter. As you can tell, I was struggling.
But, Rainbow has sinks by all of their sticky ingredients to clean off your hands and jar!
coffee, herbs, tea, spices:
When I'm back I will take more notes on theses sections. But, they did have bee pollen, which should help with Justin's allergies this spring.
dry goods:
- Dry Pasta: Bowtie, Macaroni, Tortellini, Spaghetti, but upfront they have freshly made raviolis! (next on my list of things to buy)
- Flours: Spelt, Rye, All-Purpose, Oat, Bread, Rice, Buckwheat, Whole Wheat, Semolina etc.
- Sugar: Sucant, Coconut, White, Brown, Powdered Sugar
- Grains: Quinoa, Brown Rice, White Rice, Farro, Millet, Grits, Sushi Rice, Barley, etc.
- Beans: Garbanzo, Pinto, Navy, Black, Fava, Cannellini, etc.
- Xanthan Gum
- Agar Agar
- Beet Root Powder
- Whey Powder
- Oats
- Dry Milk
- Salts
- Cornstarch
- Arrowroot
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
This is just the tip of the iceberg at rainbow grocery. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend you check it out.
how does it work?
There are several scales scattered throughout the store. You weigh your container *before* filling it. You can use containers you brought or purchase some from Rainbow. Fill up your container with what ever you like and take a picture of the bin number with your phone. That way you don't have to write it on a tab.
When you check out, the cashier will subtract the weight of your container. Then they'll ask what's inside, you'll give them the bin number. They'll also subtract $.05 for each container you bring!
Wasn't that easy?
You can read a more in depth article about zero waste shopping here.
If you don't have access to bulk check out my article here.
