I’ve been listening to entrepreneur and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang talk for the last hour about how we are in the “third inning of the greatest economic and technological transformation in the history of our country” and the automated, robotic future feels bleak. We can all attest to the changing retail climate; the closing of major brick and mortar retailers. Empty, vacant buildings in neighborhoods that once flourished. The cause? We are purchasing the vast majority of our goods online. Straight and simple.

Yet I’m not here to tell you NOT to do that. I think progress is inevitable and online business gives us options that many would never have access to without it. While I still will tell you to buy local and support small businesses whenever possible, it would be a disservice to you, our trusted and true community, to not support you in making the best online choices possible when it comes to buying your groceries.

We’re HUGE advocates of Farmer’s Markets. They are truly one of the best resources for purchasing local produce, supporting small business, connecting with community and much, much more. And, sometimes, when you’re on a special diet, like gluten-free or AIP, finding a market that meets your needs isn’t an option. To that end, here is a list of our top five special-diet online grocery stores to support you in getting the best of the best!

TOP 5 SPECIAL-DIET ONLINE GROCERY STORES

1. Thrive Market – Think of Thrive as a curated store for only the healthiest, highest quality items. It’s an awesome resource where you can get high quality, grass-fed, pastured, wild and humanely-raised meats and seafood along with everyday items delivered to your door. Their ordering system is easy and their prices are excellent. They constantly provide discounts (in fact, you can save 25% on your first order here), their customer service is exceptional and the product options are the best of the best. In fact, there are a few products that you can’t get elsewhere, like Epic’s Beef Liver Bites (a great way to get liver into your diet and they taste great!)
2. Amazon Prime Now – You can’t beat the options of Amazon. Now that Amazon owns Whole Foods, it’s even easier to get healthy groceries delivered to your home. If you’re a Prime Member, this service is included in your annual fee. Plus, as a Prime Member, if you do make it to a Whole Foods store, you get a 10% discount off of many of their items.
3. Your local grocery store + delivery service – Almost every large chain grocery store has partnered with a delivery service to enable customers to order their groceries online. From Instacart, Shipt, FreshDirect, Peapod, etc… you can pretty much guarantee that if you want to buy it, someone will get it for you.
4. ShopAIP – If you follow a Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, Paleo Diet or any specialty diet then this is your savior. ShopAIP only carries AIP-friendly products. That’s it! If they are selling it, then you can trust that it’s AIP approved.
5. Vitacost – Like the Amazon of health products, Vitacost carries over 45,000 different health products and goes way beyond just groceries.  If you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist!

Where are you buying YOUR groceries? Leave your comments below.