April in Boston

by Lauren, April 16, 2009 | Permalink

It is finally beginning to feel like spring!  We’ve had some glorious, sunny days in Brighton with temps reaching into the low 60s.  Even though the mercury may still dip down into the 30s at night, you can smell the change of seasons in the air.  Speaking of air, gusty winds have been blowing all sorts of allergenic particles around.  I don’t know about you, but I can feel the tell-tale signs that spring allergy season is upon us - dry eyes, sneezing and scratchy throat.   My immediate instinct is to grab a cup of tea with honey and head straight for the Whole Body department.

“Hey Joe, what do you recommend for seasonal allergies?”, I ask the Associate Whole Body Team Leader.  After running through my symptoms, he recommends “Aller-Leaf” by Gaia Herbs which are easy-to-swallow capsules containing extracts of all the key herbs like Nettles, Eyebright and Goldenseal.  One dose and I can feel the fog lifting from my head and the puffiness around my eyes abates.  Thank you Mother Nature for offering up an antidote for all the lovely - albeit noxious - plants you provide to beautify the world.

If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, make sure to stop by the Whole Body department tomorrow - April 17 - to speak with representatives from several companies which make safe & effective supplements for taming your symptoms and bringing your body back into balance.  Team Members will also be demonstrating how to use a neti pot (it really isn’t as scary as it looks).  See you then!

Or you can find out more from the comfort of your own bed, by checking out Whole Foods Market’s informative podcasts

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“Local Agriculture is Everyone’s Business”

by Lauren, April 8, 2009 | Permalink

I have to give credit for the title of this post to Appalachian Naturals, a local company out of Goshen, MA which makes salad dressings, sauces, salsas and dips using fruits and vegetables grown in Massachusetts soil.

Appalachian Naturals is so dedicated to “bridging the gap between local agriculture and packaged foods” that they make sure to let consumers know exactly which farms they work with (a list is posted on their website). If only more companies were so passionate about where their ingredients came from - rather than selecting ingredients based on convenience and price (usually the cheapest), we would have a much healthier, happier, not to mention safer, food supply.

While the local options are kinda slim in our produce department right now, customers can still eat local fruits and vegetables this time of year, when farmers are still planting their seedlings, in the form of salsas, jams and sauces. In addition to Appalachian Naturals dips, we carry products from other like-mind folks who rely on their neighbors to grow fresh ingredients and even get their hands dirty in the field themselves. Poblano Farm Salsa is made with tomatoes and peppers grown by the company’s owners in Rhode Island. Linabella’s Gourmet Garlic Farm, located in Oakham, MA, is also a family run business which grows the key ingredients - basil and garlic - for its specialty: pesto!

If you are interested in finding out more about the unique local products we sell in the Brighton store and sample some of our team members’ favorite finds, stop by on Tuesday, April 14 for our monthly “Locavore Lunch” product sampling.

Gimme 5

by Lauren, April 4, 2009 | Permalink

Ever since we rolled out the “Gimme 5″ program in partnership with Preserve (maker of really rad recycled consumer products like toothbrushes, razors and cutting boards) a few months ago, shopping for dairy products has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  If you hadn’t already noticed, most yogurt, cottage cheese and plastic hummus containers are made with #5 plastic.   Containers with the #5 symbol (or “PP” designation) are made from polypropylene which is a food-grade plastic that is somewhat stiff but not quite as hard as #1’s and #2’s used in most plastic milk and juice containers. 

I went on a little scavenger hunts of sorts in the store when I found out that we would be collecting empty #5 plastic containers to find out what other foods use the same packaging as Stonyfield yogurt (who is one of the other partners in this recycling venture).  First I headed to the dairy aisle.  Practically every single yogurt company uses #5 plastic.  If you buy cream cheese and sour cream in tubs, you’re also in luck!  Then I walked over to the deli and found out that many of our own prepackaged soups and dips come in the same sort of plastic.  If you like hummus, you’ll be happy to note that Sabra, Good Neighbors and Tribe brand products are also packaged in #5.

The other department with a large refrigerated case is the Specialty department.  I found over a dozen different cheeses and sauces packaged using polypropylene containers including Mascarpone, spreadable goat cheese, Hans’ cheese spreads and Maya Kaimal Indian simmer sauces.

For kicks, I walked the grocery aisles and was surprised by what I discovered.  If you like to bake, you can also participate in the recycling effort.  Spectrum shortening comes in a #5 plastic tub.  For those with celiac disease, the containers that Aleia’s and Gillian’s uses to package their gluten-free bread crumbs can also be deposited in our “Preserve Gimme 5″ collection bin located by the store exit.

While I try not to buy products that I don’t need just because they come in #5 plastic containers, I do get excited when I find stuff in my shopping cart with the magic number on the package. 

If you are interested in learning more about this program and other products (such as Brita water filters!) whose containers have the potential for a second life, then you’ll want to stop by the Brighton store on Earth Day!  Wednesday, April 22.  We’ll be giving away free samples of Stonyfield yogurt and granola.  You can enjoy a healthy snack and join us in giving all the empty yogurt containers a bath so they can returned to Preserve.  Representatives from Recycline will be at the store between 4pm and 7pm to answer all your burning questions