Health food stores

Hello!
I am fairly new to this, as I am not even in Munich yet, (but have posted a few things on TT already) and will be moving there in a few weeks. So any help would be greatly appriciated. This next question of mine is in regards to grocry stores in Munich. I know, i know, san francisco, the hippie-granola-crunchin'-haight-ashbury-kinda town. Think what you may but we have some great health food stores here (with prices far from what an average granola hippie can afford!) Any good natural health stores in Munich?

I am trying to figure out if there are any major grocry stores that any of you might recomend that carry food supplements, vitamins and various products not involving yeast, sugar, glutein, meats? Why is it that i am getting nervous writing this? from what remarks i have seen on TT i can already anticipate biting comments in the theme of why move to a pretzel-and-beer city...so only serious suggestions please!!!
THANKS!!

There is a chain of stores called ReformHaus, and they are supposedly all natural food, still cannot get soycheese, but they do have a good selection of soy milks and meats for the veggies. But there are Bio shops/ladens all over the place. So no worries. Even most smaller towns have a shop.

if you're going to be living in Schwabing, these spots might be convenient for you:

- the bio markt on schleissheimerstrasse [between herzogstrasse and hohenzollernstrasse]. it's the closest thing i've found in munich to a whole foods/ trader joe's. it's huge and they have lots of tofu, soy, vegitarian, preservative/sugar/chemical/genetically modified/ name your nasty food ingredient-free stuff

- there's an asian grocer on hohenzollernstrasse [on the left if you're coming from schleissheimerstrasse driving in the direction of leopoldstrasse] that has a nice assortment of healthy asian fare as well.

- also on hohenzollern is a miniMAL which is a great grocery store by german standards.

i love san fran, nice to have another one of ya'll in munich... loosen this place up a bit

I particularly like the Stemmerhof in Sendling, at the top of the Lindwurmstr. Again, it's organic stuff and I'm not sure to what extent they do soya products, but they certainly have a wide range of healthy type foods...
Soya milk and yogurt is widely available in German supermarkets...

Supermarkets carry very little in the way of supplements, at most a multi-vitamin tablet you mix with water or vitamin B stuff and similar. The ReformHaus will have all sorts of supplements, but I suggest you find out the German words for yeast, gluten, animal protein. Most pharmacists (Apotheke) will probably also be able to help you with supplements.

Otherwise, nearly every part of town in Munich has at least one organic food store, of varying sizes. Schwabing has quite a few, as does Sendling, but there are plenty around. Most regular grocery stores stock small amounts of what's called "bio" food as well. You might find the selection to be smaller than what you are used to but Munich is a smaller city as well.

Not biting but isn't it more fun to explore all these things (whole foods, artsy neigborhoods etc) after you move here? You do not know the city yet so there is no point in us telling you that such and such thing is available on such and such street. To me it seems like you are trying to find San Francisco in Munich. Not gonna happen. If you gonna move here anyway then leave SF behind and try to enjoy Munich for what Munich is.

My two rubles for you.

There is another basic bio markt near Isartor
http://www.basic-ag.de/basic_ag/basic-ag.html ("Die Märkte")

Hey Katja,

A Pre-welcome to Munich. I too am a vitamin popping, no sugar, no milk eating gal.

You can get so-so vitamins at most drugstores, although, compared to the States, yes, you'll be paying an arm/leg. Plus, I haven't found any vegetable based products here. Better stock up while you're home.

I'm highly satisified with the selection on bio/natural foods out there. Loads of organic produce (the weekend markets are wonderful for that). You can also get glutien-free breads from most bakery chains. Plenty of oils, grains and nuts can be found. Pro-biotic mixes and drinks too (Japanese-Cult drink Yakult is avail.)! My only miss is sugar-free Silky Soymilk ... yummy!! Stay away from grocery store Soya products, nothing but sugar!

Thankfully, most products are labelled ...

Why not stock up on the things you love the most while you're still in the States, just in case you can't find them here.

Good Luck and let me know if you need where to go tips in the future!
Cheri

great suggestion about the bio shops. the whole bio/eco food here is quite spendy though, but if it's what you're after (and with that €76k salary), then you´ll do fine. a pal of mine is a die hard vegetarian and german too and he looks younger than his 40 years!

but as a warning, bio labelling can also be misleading. perhaps in the states there were some scandals there too, but there is a big thing here about buying free range chicken eggs (which i gladly paid a pretty sum for). apparently they had higher dioxin levels than "laid in a 1x1 pen" chickens eggs. and dioxins are cancer agents. sort of depressing when you now don`t know if you can trust "bio" labelling.

also, check out AllNatura. i don`t know of a shop in munich, but they sell a little assortment of their products at dm markt (drug store chain). i buy their dinkel (don`t know the word in english) muesli.

re: statement below --> that is correct J. i do try to buy free range bio/öko eggs.

@ elfenstar - as far as I know free range does not necessarily mean Bio/Öko
free range chicken can still be fed with conventional products

Just to echo what has already been said... in Munich, the closest thing to a Whoe Foods is Basic Biomarkt (the link was already provided). The Reformhouses (Vitalia is the major brand in Munich) are more like the Real Foods.

I am not sure how this reply will post, since it isn't direct usually. But Roots, this is for you buddy! I am not attempting to create sf here, wow, you actually have managed to participate in all of my posts so far! quite the TT shark! i have been sort of sick for a while and hence have been put on a bizzare diet and therefore wondering about the weird grocery stores. i am a big fan of a juicy, raw, medium-rare stake dripping with blood, accompanied by a semi-dry red wine, i usually love to eat it wearing red lipstick, stalkings, lace and velvet - makes me feel like a set of 19th century vampire novel. but now i have to put a lid on it. and so i greatly appriciate all the people putting up their advice here. so what if i don't know the streets yet, i will. and thanks for the russky reference...priceless, but cool it.
ciao

Well said, Katja.
My name is Johnny and I will be your bartender.
Ciao.

It's all a matter of personal choice. In all, Bavarians do eat a lot healthier than most Americans, except without it having to be labelled "trendy".

I doubt you will have any problem finding your basic foods here. Selection, well that's another story ...

What products are you looking for?

Who isn't? Every man that I know of is.


Stop it, you are killing me

Hai I want to buy Multi-vitamins, I see lot of brads here, I'm not quite sure which one is good. Anyone please help me out here. Thanks in advance.

Topics merged by admin

I am looking for a multi vitamin for my toddler as he will hardly eat anything. Can someone recommend a good multi vitamin in liquid form?
thanks

Topics merged by admin

@hockeywidow:

We are having the same problem! My daughter Savannah (18 months) pretty much refuses to eat anything besides the odd pretzel or chip! We have been supplimenting her with the Alete "trinkmahlzeit" as it has lots of vitamins and tastes like a thick milk.

I should also note: they are pre-made and located in the baby food section.

I don't think anybody has yet mentioned the very good/well-stocked chain of 'DROGERIE' STORES called simply
'DM'.

Where I live - in ERDING - they even have 2 stores.
There is an extensive selection of vitamins and supplements, including a wide range manufacture in their own brand-name - which means prices are the best. Lots of soya products for the ladies who need to begin to worry a bit...

Also a good selection of health food is found there.

Does anyone have a good link to a website directory of all health food shops / organic shops in Munich, regardless of the chain?

I know of Basic and Vital for example (but can't find the Basic website.. the link above doesn't work). Basically I'd just like to find an organic shop near to where I work, near to where I live, and see where the others are, so a directory of addresses of any health food shop would be great.

Basic Bio Laden
Find your nearest Reformhaus*

*list not exhaustive

Thanks, it's a start!

A good cost effective liquid form of multi-vit is soup! If you are unable to digest meat, just leave out the ham shank or brisket.

Anyone know a place to get proper medical-strength herbs and remedies in central Munich. Need a good selection, not just your usual salbei bonbons or whatever...