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Power House Living Foods, Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is an exquisitely beautiful island set off the west coast of Canada. It’s popular with surfers and nature lovers who come to spot the wild black bears, Orcas and eagles. It can be reached by plane or by ferry which dock in Nanaimo on the east coast of the island. Power House Living Foods Co is the perfect place to grab a plant-based meal and then collect your Pomme Natural organic groceries at the store attached for your adventures on the island. And all just a short drive from the ferry terminal.

 

We visited the North Nanaimo branch – there’s also one in Downtown.

The space

You need a car to visit as Power House is in a car park off a highway. It’s fairly easy to find if you are coming from the ferry. Inside is a counter and several tables with shoppers passing through to the organic grocery store behind and locals coming in to order juices and smoothies.  Menus are up on the wall and blenders buzz away as you walk in. The food on offer is as raw as the landscape that awaits you when you drive through the island.

The little things that make a difference

The environment is taken very seriously on the Island and Power House uses biodegradable packaging. And they compost, recycle and re-use.

Power House also support the 100 mile diet, wildcrafting and their local farming community, plus they ensure their carbon footprint remains low.

The fresh juice test

Power House has a large selection of juices, mylkshakes and smoothies on offer.

It was very difficult to choose, so we ordered several!

We chose a Monkey Business smoothie – a mix of mango, pineapple, banana, coconut water and agave which was deliciously tropical; a Quantum Leap – a zesty mix of orange, mango, almond mylk, vanilla and agave; a Euphoria – a combo of banana, hemp mylk, cacao, maca, mint, agave and vanilla; and, finally, a Vanilla B Glow – a creamy concoction of banana, hemp mylk, cacao, maca, mint, agave and vanilla.

What we ate

We ordered a wide selection of dishes. We couldn’t resist the Hawaiian BBQ Pizza with mixed greens, marinated mushrooms, onions, peppers, & fresh garlic, topped with their signature BBQ sauce and caramelised onions, and served with fresh pineapple. Be warned that it is raw and so is served cold. Next, the Spicy Kelp Noodle Salad with kelp noodles, spinach, bell pepper, courgette, cabbage, carrot and green onion, all served with sesame dressing on leafy greens. The portions are large so you might want to ask for a takeout for what you can’t finish.

The Powerhouse Salad with organic leafy greens, sprouted lentils and beans, beets, red cabbage, apple, blueberry, raspberry, cranberries, candied pecans and the house balsamic vinaigrette is a great post-ferry option.

All were fresh and delicious!

We also couldn’t resist the Kale chips and dessert. We chose the Tiramisu made of fresh almond mylk, raw cacao, agave, extra virgin coconut oil, cashews, almonds and cold-pressed espresso.

Then we tried their version of the legendary Nanaimo Bar.

It was made with whipped organic cashews, agave, extra virgin coconut oil, topped with a raw chocolate ganache and set upon a macadamia, coconut, and organic cacao base.

What we’d go back for…

This is the perfect plant-powered pit stop after a ferry journey.  You can eat raw and fresh and then pack the car with organic groceries in the store attached, And we will never forget the kombucha tap in the store where you can fill a bottle to take on the next step of your travels.

The bill

24oz Mylkshakes  $12.50
16oz Smoothie  $10.00
Hawaiian BBQ Pizza  $15.50
Powerhouse Salad  $14.50
Spicy Kelp Noodle Salad  $14.50
Kale chips  $12.25
Tiramisu  $12.50
Nanaimo Bar  $4.50