How One Thrive Market Mom Stocks Her Pantry With Allergy-Friendly Foods

Growing up in California’s Bay Area, Thrive Market member Christina was exposed to healthy eating at a young age. “I used to go to a co-op called Rainbow Grocery,” she told us. “It was a warehouse of natural foods before the farmers’ market trend started.”

When she moved to Indiana for college, the first challenge was sticking to her vegetarian diet. “I lived on hummus and lentils because it was a food desert,” she recalled. After suddenly developing eczema—a dry, itchy rash—Christina returned to Rainbow Grocery, and discovered books on its shelves about how food affects your body. After months of research and testing, Christina discovered that removing dairy, eggs, and nightshade veggies (like tomatoes) from her diet gradually improved her symptoms.

Now, living in Los Angeles with her partner and young daughter, Christina has stopped driving around town to shop at different natural foods stores. “It’s hard to get groceries with a toddler. With Thrive, I can be at work, place an order, and a box will arrive a few days later. That’s definitely a plus!”

To support her diet, she orders fish oil supplements and probiotics. In the same order, she always stocks up on household essentials like toothpaste, too. Christina loves the browsing the site for new products, then adds them to her favorites list for upcoming orders. “Being able to sort by values is my way of looking at the grocery store shelves. It helps us find our staples but also discover new things.”