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| - The Big Carrot is one of my favourite places to go in Toronto. They are tucked in the back of a little interlock courtyard in east Toronto called Carrot Common - other establishments that make up Carrot Common are The Big Carrot's dispensary and juice bar, as well as a health clinic and Book City.
The Big Carrot specializes in "health," which covers food, health and beauty products as well as books. They have bulk foods, fresh baked goods, frozen foods, produce, convenience foods, boxed foods, plus a really great hot foods cafe. All the items from the cafe have the ingredients listed plus a different coloured tag for "Made without Gluten" and "Made without Dairy" so it's easy to spot if you are into those things.
Their beauty section has the traditional hippie products you would expect to find in a health food store (Dr. Bronner's anyone?) but also really great newer brands of makeup, nail polish and fragrance that are free of traditional chemicals packed into drugstore brands.
In the grocery section, you can find pretty much any type of specialty health food. If you are looking for raw gluten-free vegan, soy-free nut-free, organic free-range, local, or any type of food that you need to be free of something, chances are you will find it here. Although they have a large section of veggie options and don't offer any meat at their cafe, they are not an exclusively vegetarian store and they do carry a wide variety of meat - they have lots of local and organic options. Some stuff is a little pricey, but like anything it pays to shop around. There are definitely items that are cheaper here than other places in the city (I always make sure to pick up their maple syrup, a big container for not a lot of money).
The juice bar can make any of their smoothies non-dairy and soy-free. I have a tragic weakness for the Hippie Hemp Shake with Maple, plus their seasonal smoothie flavours like Pumpkin Pie. You can also get salads, wraps and sandwiches if you are looking for a quick lunch.
On Thursdays there is a free lecture series (upstairs above Book City) with speakers that have been sourced by the store's head nutritionist, and cover topics like Eastern Medical Approaches to Depression, Warming Foods for Winter and even movie screenings and round-table discussions. They have cooking classes offered and you can sign up for nutritional consultations, where one of the store's team of nutritionists will meet with you about your needs and then actually shop around the store with you and make recommendations.
The Big Carrot has covered every angle of being a health food store, and while I am sure they do edit their selection they have great options for people who may otherwise feel that healthy eating and living requires them to edit (rather than expand) their grocery list.
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