Health-Food Stores & Organic Eating in Prague

Many an expat health nut has, upon arrival in Prague, found herself at least a little daunted by the Czech national cuisine´s heavy reliance on meats, cream sauces, and carb-laden side dishes. But while traditional Czech food may be notorious for its high fat content, it would be false to say that no part of the Western trend towards health-conscious eating has made its way across national borders.

In fact, Prague is now positively littered with health food stores selling everything from organic produce to environmentally friendly dish soap, and even some of the larger grocery store chains have begun stocking organic goods. Locally, the organic farming industry has seen an enormous boom: in 1989, the Czech Republic was home to only two designated organic farms; now it boasts 836, or more than six percent of its total agricultural land. The Ministry of Agriculture´s 2004 organic action plan cites a goal of increasing that figure to ten percent by 2010.

The word for “organic” here is bio – but to be assured that a product actually contains all-organic ingredients, look for the official green Bio label on the packaging. Each EU country has its own labeling system, so the certifications on imported goods may be different from the one used here.

If you´re looking for organic meat products, large stores such as Delvita and Tesco carry organic beef (and occasionally organic pork and lamb). But organic chicken, because of its high production cost, isn´t farmed in the Czech Republic, and is therefore more difficult to find. Perhaps the only outlet is health-food store Albio, which carries organic chicken that has been imported. Otherwise, for free-range chicken, the brand Vodnany, available at many supermarkets, produces chicken labeled as “corn-fed” (kukuřičné, also referred to as farmářské or zlaté kuře). Eggs from free-range chickens are usually called vejce od slepic chovaných na podestýlce – eggs from hens raised “on hay” (as opposed to in cages).

And if you´re keen on feeding your littlest ones all-organically, try baby food brands Hipp and Sunval, available in both health-food stores and traditional supermarkets.

Finally, a tip for those who like to know as much as they can about their meat: biohovezi.cz has a function that allows you to determine exactly where your beef originated. Just type in your organic meat´s serial number (on the package) next to where it says “Identify your steak.” Dobrou chut´!

One of the major health food chains in Prague, offering an assortment of organic goods, including produce, dairy products, breads and cosmetics, plus various organic meats. Albio stocks a variety of sandwiches and to go meals, as well as homemade sweets that replace refined sugar with healthier sweeteners such as fruit juices, maple syrup, and grain sweeteners. They´ll even make you a whole sugarfree cake if you order in advance.

This friendly store in Vinohrady has a standard selection of health-store goods, plus organic wines, freshly ground spelt coffee, and various Japanese cooking ingredients. They also carry organic bath and body products – such as lavender shampoo and kids´ body lotion – from Danish company Urtekram.

The first post-revolution health food wholesalers in the Czech Republic are still going strong. Country Life´s dry goods can be found in many supermarkets, as well as in their own health food shops, which also sell produce, groceries, cosmetics, and eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Be sure to check out their yummy home-made healthy cookies, made from different wheats such as whole-grain and spelt, and flavored with dates, figs, and nuts.

This recent addition to Prague´s health food scene quickly became a favorite for its good selection of organic fruits and vegetables, cow and goat dairy products, and teas. They deliver purchases over 800 CZK for free, and have a fairly easy-to-navigate shopping website (in Czech).