Goodwin’s Organics: Honest to Goodness Organic

Oct 5, 2010 | Stacy Matson | Best of Best
Goodwin’s Organics: Honest to Goodness Organic

image by: Marco Verch

Finding healthy food is easier today than for your parents. But what about finding a 100% organic grocery store that has a lot of choices and still is in business!

Being from California I feel a bit spoiled. I really don’t have to worry too much about finding good healthy food for my family - it’s everywhere. There’s a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or any number of small mom and pop health food stores on nearly every corner. However, the problem with these stores is that they are usually expensive and they’re not 100% organic. This seems a bit odd to me, especially in California. We’re practically the organic food capital of the world.

Like most people I try to make sure that what I eat is nutritious, delicious, and healthy.  Every week I make a trip to my local farmer’s market to see what looks interesting and stock up. However, the problems with farmer’s markets are; most products aren't organic, not everyone lives near a farmers' market and, and it’s difficult to remember to go to them. They’re just not very practical for busy people. Who has time to go to a farmer’s market and several other stores to do their shopping every week?  I want to get it all done at once. 

So, I set out to see if I could find an honest to goodness 100% organic store where I could get all my shopping done in one location.  It wasn’t easy, but I found one in Riverside, CA.  Yes, Riverside.  Come to find out there is actually more than smog, mullets, and Camaros in Riverside.  There’s also an amazing, family owned, 100% organic grocery store called Goodwin’s Organics.  Goodwin’s is located in the neighborhood just behind UC Riverside.  Yes, they really do have a University in Riverside.   

OK, location aside, what makes Goodwin’s so great?

How can a store be so awesome that you’d drive 30 miles out of your way to shop there?  Is it great customer service?  Is it the amazing smells coming from the coffee bar, the bakery or the deli?  Is it the large selection of hard to find organic foods? Or, is it finding everything you need in one location?  I believe it is all of these things. 

On my first visit I was a bit skeptical because it doesn’t look that big. I thought the selection would be limited and it is to some extent. It’s nowhere near the size of Whole Foods, but that’s ok. The first thing I noticed as I walked in was the coffee bar, one whiff and I was a goner.  I am a HUGE coffee drinker and their coffee is great. It’s on the level of San Francisco’s hipster coffee houses. Rich, flavorful, and made on a kind of reverse French Press vacuum.  Very cool.  

So, I get my coffee and wander over to the small bakery section. It is full of locally made specialty breads and treats, many of which are gluten free –a rarity itself. They offered an assortment of fresh baked baguettes, whole wheat loaves, olive breads, cookies and pastries, as well as gluten free bagels, breads and brownies.  It all looked amazing.   

I wandered through their produce section and they had everything from organic figs and avocadoes to leeks and rapini.  They also have every form of snack food, frozen food and shelf stable food you can imagine. 

As far as prices go they’re somewhere between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.  Example: I saw a 1 lb. bag of dried organic pinto beans for $1.29.  Not bad. 

They also have a convenient ready-made food bar where you can get anything from cheesy breakfast burritos, lemon chicken, wood fired pizza, or tofu stirfry with quinoa.  And to round out your meal they have a beautiful salad bar with a few daily soup choices.  So, after you’ve spent a few minutes drooling over the yummy offerings you can take your food to go. Or, if you’re a Goodwin’s member, you can sit in their lounge, use their free WIFI, and watch a cooking demonstration on their television.  Nice touch. 

Aside from the practical get-it-all-done-at-once side of me, they also appeal to the food geek in me. While shopping, I saw a flyer touting the benefits of Chia seeds.  I didn’t know you could eat Chia seeds.  I thought they were only good for growing a Chia pet… When I mentioned that to the guy working there, he gave me a small sample and a bunch of recipes from a demonstration they had done the week before.  I love free stuff.   

I also love cheese and finding good organic cheese is difficult.  But they have a decent selection as well.  How does shitake smoked Monterey Jack cheese sound?  I know! It was delicious.  We ate the whole thing in one sitting.  

Goodwin’s promises a lot and they don’t disappoint. They provide you with the comfort of knowing that no matter what you purchase from their store you’re getting only the purest organic foods, drinks, and personal care items available in the state, if not the country. 

Here is the lowdown:

Pros

  • 100% Organic
  • Locally grown produce
  • Antibiotic free
  • Hormone free
  • Very friendly staff (The cashier gave me the member discount when I wasn’t yet a member.)
  • Foods for every type of diet – vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, kosher, gluten-free, etc…
  • Bi-weekly farmers market in the parking lot
  • Cooking classes featuring a different seasonal ingredient – usually free
  • 20% discount to members
  • Free WiFi and lounge for members
  • Ready made foods to go

Cons 

  • A bit small
  • A slightly weird location
  • Membership fee of $25.00/year

The Bottom Line

Goodwin’s Organics is the first 100% organic food store in California and maybe the west coast. As you can see Goodwin’s is so much more that just a grocery store. It’s a community for people looking to make positive changes in their diet, a community where healthy eating is easy, and a community where “organic” isn’t a four letter word. 

Published October 5, 2010, updated July 31, 2012


Stacy Matson is a health enthusiast from Southern California and regularly blogs on Celebrity Health for A Healthier World.

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