100% Unbiased Thrive Market Review [PLUS My 150+ Item Shopping List!]
[THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.]
>>> TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR FIRST THRIVE MARKET ORDER, CLICK THROUGH ANY LINK IN THIS POST 🙂 <<<
Before I begin my official Thrive Market review, here are some things you should know…
First of all, I don’t know about you, but my dream grocery store is:
- Convenient
- Filled with healthy, high-quality, great-tasting, and diverse products
- Affordable
Before joining Thrive Market, I bounced around from Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods to Costco for all of my shopping needs.
Whole Foods has delicious, high-quality animal proteins and produce, but its items often come with a hefty price tag. (I mean, its nickname isn’t “Whole Paycheck” for nothing!)
Trader Joe’s is definitely cheaper, but the produce section is usually picked over.
Costco has great prices and and high-quality products, but I don’t always wanna buy fifty 100% grass-fed beef patties! Sometimes I just want a few!!
BTM (“Before Thrive Market“—the dark ages!), I also dabbled in other online grocery platforms like Amazon Fresh and Jet. Both are obviously convenient and offer thousands of options, but I was still paying more than I currently do on Thrive.
After having a Thrive membership for three full years, I’m ready to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly (but mostly good)!
Before I dive into the nitty gritty, you should know that I’m a brutally honest person. Thus, this review is 100% unbiased!
Here’s why Thrive Market has become my absolute fave place to shop…
My (Completely!) Unbiased Thrive Market Review
First off, the PROs…
PRO #1: Thrive Market is convenient.
You can shop on their website OR app. The app works surprisingly well compared to other retail apps I’ve used; both the website and app are intuitive and user-friendly.
As with all online shopping platforms, your order will be delivered to your doorstep. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!
Also, it ships quickly. Anytime I’ve ordered from Thrive, I’ve received the box within 3-4 days.
Once you’ve placed an order, you can easily access your order history to re-purchase your favorite items. This saves a lot of time scrolling through all of the categories and site pages again.
Finally, Thrive uses the perfect amount of packaging, which means fewer trips to the recycling bin. The #1 reason I stopped shopping on Jet.com is because they used an insane amount of boxes, bubble wrap, and ice packs. One time, I received a huge box that was loaded with plastic wrap, ice…and just one tiny package of frozen strawberries! It was so wasteful and obnoxious. Thrive packs its boxes juuuust right.
PRO #2: Thrive Market sells tons of healthy, high-quality, great-tasting products.
For a full list of what I regularly order on Thrive, scroll to the bottom of this post!
Sneak peek: I only buy packaged food items that meet the following criteria:
- “Vegetable” oil-free
- Why? “Vegetable” oils aren’t actually made from vegetables…they’re made from seeds that’ve been chemically processed! To learn more about this, read my prior post “Canola Oil vs Vegetable Oil: Which Is Healthiest?”
- Low in sugar
Thrive Market contains hundreds of products that meet the above specifications, and their inventory is growing each day. (Seriously—I can’t keep up!)
The other great news is this: The healthy items I buy from Thrive taste amazing. I’m not willing to eat something that tastes like cardboard, so I’ve been extremely impressed by the high-quality, great-tasting items they sell.
Aside from food, Thrive also sells organic wines, nontoxic detergents/cleaning products, clean makeup, and more! (Again, to see the brands/products I regularly purchase, keep scrolling!)
PRO #3: Thrive Market is oh-so affordable!
At first I was skeptical, so before I’d purchase any item on Thrive I’d compare its price on Target.com/Amazon.com and at Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s.
To my amazement, the results of my my first-hand sleuthing proved that products are almost always cheapest on Thrive! There was only the rare occasion that I’d find something at a cheaper price elsewhere.
PRO #4: Thrive Market can help you adhere to your healthy eating goals.
Since I barely shop for fridge/pantry staples in regular ol’ grocery stores anymore, I don’t spend as much time meandering down the candy/cookie/chip/cracker/you-name-it aisle anymore.
Less browsing = less buying = healthier eating!
As mentioned, Thrive’s “order history” is a fantastic feature. Once you’ve placed an order of all the good stuff, you can easily reorder the same items again and again and again and…you get the idea!
Further, Thrive breaks their products into popular diet needs, like “paleo,” “keto,” “Whole 30 approved,” “gluten-free,” etc. These optional filters make healthy shopping much easier!
PRO #5: Thrive Market gives you a FREE gift with every qualifying purchase (which is most of them).
That’s right! The free gifts rotate among categories, but they offer all types.
I’ve gotten free chips, books, nut butter, makeup, pork rinds, jerky…and more!
At checkout, just be sure to click the option for “free gift” on the site/app.
PRO #6: Thrive Market gives back.
For every paid membership, Thrive donates a membership to a low-income family, veteran, or teacher. I love that the company prioritizes affordable healthy living for everyone.
Honestly, I’m more in love with Thrive than any other online shopping platform (even Amazon…blasphemy, I know!).
I’ve been racking my brain for “cons,” but I can only come up with one (and it’s not even a big issue)…
The one and only con? Not everything on Thrive Market is low in sugar and “vegetable” oil-free.
In conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances, I’ll hear statements like, “I got these healthy candies from Whole Foods!” Then, I’ll look at the nutrition facts and see that they have as much sugar as a Snickers.
When shopping at any health food online/brick-n-mortar store, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking everything is nutritious. Items in those stores are likely better than any run-of-the-mill grocery store, but they’re not all the best!
So, don’t enter into a Thrive membership thinking you can buy anything on the site and be good to go. You’ll still have to read the Nutrition Facts and Ingredients List on any item before purchasing to be sure you’re buying the most amazing things.
Fortunately, Thrive makes this easy. (As I said, this isn’t even a true con!) Under every single product, Thrive clearly lists the ingredients and nutrition information. Everything is soooo transparent!
This “con” is the reason I’m providing you with a shopping list to get you started. I’ve done oodles of Thrive reconnaissance over the past year, so you can trust that all of the below are top-notch!
Thrive Market Review: The Ultimate Shopping List
Pantry/Fridge Staples
All of these items are tasty while still being “vegetable” oil-free and low in sugar!
Basically, they’re some of the healthiest brands/products out there!
Note: When you click through the links below, you may want to search to see if the brands offer new flavors/products. As I mentioned, Thrive is always adding new items, so when you’re shopping you’ll probably find even more than what’s listed below!
Just remember to check the Ingredient List and Nutrition Facts of any item not on this list before you buy it to be the most informed consumer 😉
NUT BUTTER
- Cashew Butter
- Walnut Butter
- Pecan Butter
- Crunchy Almond Butter
- Creamy Almond Butter
- Chocolate Butter (comparable to Nutella)
- 7 Nut & Seed Butter
NUTS + SEEDS
- Macadamia Nuts
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Sunflower Seeds
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds With Sea Salt
- Chia Seeds
- Flaxseeds
DARK (85% CACAO) CHOCOLATE
- Alter Eco Bar
- Thrive Market Bar
- Theo Bar
- Chocolate Chips (my favorite!)
CHIPS
- Garlic & Herb Banana Chips (just FYI, these don’t taste like bananas at all)
- Buffalo Banana Chips
- Nacho Banana Chips
- Paleo Puffs (No-Cheese “Cheesiness”)
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Red Heirloom Potato Chips
- Purple Heirloom Potato Chips
- Lime & Sea Salt Tortilla Chips
- Sea Salt Potato Chips
- Red Corn Tortilla Chips
- Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
- Lime Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Nacho Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Sea Salt Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Coconut Chips (again just FYI, these don’t taste like coconut)
- Organic Veggie Sticks
PROTEIN BALLS & BITES
HIGH-PROTEIN PANTRY STAPLES
- Italian Snacking Lupini Beans
- Organic Pinto Beans
- Organic Black Beans
- Organic Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
- Organic Kidney Beans
- Organic Split Peas
- Organic Roasted Chicken Breast
- Canned Sardines
- Canned Tuna
- Cajun Canned Tuna
- Canned Salmon
- Organic Hemp Seed Hearts
- Organic Pumpkin Seeds
- Organic Pea Protein Powder (great to add to smoothies, pancakes, or baked goods)
TRAIL MIXES
- Ranch Snack Mix
- Savory Snack Mix (you could add some of the above chocolate chips to this snack mix for some sweetness!)
NUT MILK
- Unsweetened Cashew Mylk Base
- Unsweetened Macadamia Mylk Base
- Unsweetened Coco-Nut Mylk Base
- Vanilla Nut Mylk Base
- Unsweetened Cashew Milk
- Unsweetened Walnut Milk
CRACKERS
- Whisps Parmesan Cheese Crisps
- Everything Crackers (my personal favorite! These taste like a crunchy “everything” bagel.)
- Garlic & Herb Crackers
- Chia & Hemp Crackers
- Sea Salt Crackers
- Tuscan Crackers
- Sea Salt Flax Seed Crackers
PORK RINDS
POPCORN
- Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn (they sell other flavors, too)
- Sprouted Popcorn Kernels (to pop yourself)
- Organic Ghee Popcorn
OATS + GRANOLA
- Organic Rolled Oats
- Banana Nut Butter Grain-Free Granola
- Vanilla Cinnamon Grain-Free Granola
- Superfood Oats Cup
BARS
- Banana Nut Butter Grain-Free Granola Bar
- Coconut Cashew Grain-Free Granola Bar
- Chocolate Sea Salt Grain-Free Granola Bar
- Dark Chocolate Almond Bar With Grass-Fed Collagen
BAKING SUPPLIES
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Nut Flour Blend (use it as a higher-protein replacement for white flour in most recipes!)
- Organic Sprouted Wheat Flour
- Super-Fine Almond Flour
- Organic Super Raw Honey
- Medjool Dates
- Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener
- Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
BROTH
MEAT STICKS + JERKY
- Cracked Pepper Turkey Sticks
- Beef Sticks
- Lightly Peppered Turkey Sticks
- Cracked Pepper Turkey Jerky
- Sea Salt & Pepper Beef Jerky
CONDIMENTS
- Chipotle Lime Mayo
- Coconut Oil Mayo
- Garlic Aioli Mayo
- Organic Unsweetened Ketchup
- Dijon Mustard
- Yellow Mustard
DRESSINGS + SAUCES
- Italian Vinaigrette & Marinade
- Caesar Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing & Marinade
- Balsamic Vinaigrette & Marinade
- Honey Mustard Vinaigrette & Marinade
- Ranch Dressing
- Organic Marinara (low in sugar! See pasta options below…)
- Coconut Aminos (a tasty, healthy alternative to soy sauce)
- Buffalo Sauce
- Unsweetened Cocktail Sauce
COOKING OILS + GHEE
SEASONINGS
- Redmond Real Salt
- Whole Black Peppercorns
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Chili Pepper Flakes
- Nutritional Yeast Seasoning (I love adding this to popcorn! View my recipe here.)
- Breakfast Blend Seasoning
- Adobo Seasoning
- Jerk Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Fajita Seasoning
- French Onion Seasoning (great to mix with plain yogurt or sour cream for a raw veggie dip!)
PASTA
- Cybele’s Free To Eat Superfood Pasta (great protein-packed substitute for conventional pasta. Click here for a low-sugar, organic marinara sauce.)
- Miracle Noodles (ZERO calories!)
- Thrive Market’s Wonder Noodles
- Organic Black Bean Spaghetti
WHOLE GRAINS
- Organic Sprouted Brown Rice
- Wild Rice Blend
- Organic White Basmati Rice
- Organic White Jasmine Rice
- Organic Sprouted Quinoa
PANCAKE/WAFFLE MIX
- Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Pancake & Waffle Mix
- Birch Benders Pancake & Waffle Mixes
- Kodiak Cakes Protein-Packed Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
MISCELLANEOUS
- Organic Canned Pumpkin (we like to add this to smoothies)
- Organic Coconut Milk (great in coffee or smoothies)
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Maple Flavored Monkfruit Syrup
- Organic Salsa (Smoky Chipotle)
- Organic Ginger Turmeric Tea
- Organic Balsamic Vinegar
- Green Olive Spread
- Organic Cacao Powder (great in smoothies)
Clean Makeup + Skincare
I only use makeup/skincare that rates a 0-2 on Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) Skin Deep database. To learn why, visit my prior posts “Toxic Skincare And Makeup: Are Your Products Safe?” and “Nontoxic Makeup Exists…And It’s Incredible!”
Thrive sells dozens of cost-effective, EWG-verified makeup/skincare products.Â
MAKEUP
- Click here to browse. (I selected “EWG-Verified” from the choices on the left, but you can select other filters like “Vegan,” “Cruelty-Free,” etc., to narrow your search!)
SKINCARE
- Click here to browse. (Again, I selected “EWG-Verified,” but you can choose additional or different filters.)
- My favorite brand is cocokind. Ever since I started using their products (I love them allllll!), my skin has never been better!
Nontoxic Laundry/Cleaning/Dishwashing Products
EWG also has a “Guide to Healthy Cleaning,” which I consult before purchasing any soaps.
Here are some that have an “A” rating on EWG and are sold on Thrive!
LAUNDRY
CLEANING
DISHWASHING
Nontoxic Bathroom Staples
These are all EWG-verified.
TOOTHPASTE
BODY WASH
HAND SOAP
High-Quality Animal Protein
Thrive sells boxes of grass-fed, grass-finished beef, pastured pork, organic chicken, and sustainable seafood. They ship the meat/fish frozen, so you can either cook it immediately or freeze it. Check it out by clicking here!
Organic/Natural Wine
Last but not least…Thrive now sells affordable cases of clean wine!
To learn why drinking organic/natural wine is important, read my prior post “You Buy Everything Else Organic…So Why Not Wine?”
Click here to browse Thrive‘s wine selection.
I hope this list helps you as you continue your own Health Investment journey! If you decide to join Thrive and purchase any of the above, let me know by tagging me on Instagram (@thehealthinevestment) and letting me know what you think!
Finally, if you have questions/comments about my Thrive Market review or items on my grocery list, let me know below! I love hearing from you 🙂
⇒ To optimize every aspect of your health, visit My Favorite Things! There, you’ll find links to healthy packaged foods, toxin-free products, and overall wellness boosters.
⇒ Like this post? Then you’ll LOVE these:
- “Hidden Sugar: You’re Probably Eating More Than You Think!”
- “Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Good For You? An Expert Explains.”
- “The Dirty Dozen: Produce You Should ALWAYS Buy Organic”
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