I'm so impressed with the butcher/deli I've been going to, I wanted to share...
I've been buying all my meat recently at Heringer's in Steveston (Richmond, on One road past moncton) . Besides the regular run of the mill meats, they have many marinated meats ready to take away and gourmet sausages. MANY are Atkins friendly with no fillers, bread or sugar. They also have an incredible-looking pork tenderloin roast, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with (a little) marinara sauce and sausage. It would be the perfect splurge or entree to cook when having guests. I can't wait to try it.
Ask any of the staff which marinades have sugar or other no-no's in it and they will help you out. The owner (I believe it was the owner) and his wife who work there have been Atkins devotees which makes it so much easier to trust their recommendations.
They also have beautiful cheeses, pates and deli meat. They'll steer you clear of the nitrates if you're trying to avoid them. I've always avoided doing my shopping there, assuming it was much more expensive but it's not. I've really found it to be quite competitive.
I Phone 604-274-MEAT (pretty hard to forget that number) and have them get my order ready so I can pick it up on my way home. They close at 5PM so it's a bit of a rush to get there before closing. Having it ready to go makes it so much easier.
The only thing that would make this place better, is if they started carrying other low-carb products like bread, bbq sauce and other condiments (things that naturally go with the meat and cheeses). The shelves are filled with gorgeous gourmet foods and chocolates, so why can't some of them be low-carb?
If you go in there make sure they know you are on the Atkins and want some low carb products. Maybe in numbers we can make it happen!
Cheers.