It is awesome to see a business leader call
it like it is: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/05/whole-foods-boss-junk-food. You could say that the newspaper distorted the interview, but the fact that Whole Foods had another person chime in with a different take tells me there is some truth to it.
I was a Whole Food regular for the two years
that I lived near one. I bought all kinds of “food”, like crackers, cereal,
candy, bread. Then I learned how to eat healthy and eliminated all of that “food”
from my diet. I was still purchasing a lot of fruit and vegetables there, until
I really dug into my local farmers market and learned who was selling the most healthy
produce. Now I hardly purchase produce from Whole Foods. Even before I honed my
farmer’s market skills, it bothered me that Whole Foods apples were often from
New Zealand and much of the other produce was from South America. There are some
local offerings, but it seems that most of it comes from afar. So much for
being a local foods business.
I am not completely cured of the store,
though. I purchase bananas and the occasional apples, cherries, broccoli and
green beans from the store, and it doesn’t have to be Whole Foods. The local
grocery store sells the same items, often at a lower price. I do buy dried
lentils and beans and rice from Whole Foods, along with Applegate Chicken
Hotdogs, but that is about it.
Since I hardly shop at Whole Foods, my food
bill has declined dramatically. My veggies come from a community supported
agriculture (CSA) farmer. I get enough for my family every week, the veggies
are grown in organic conditions, and the cost is only $15 a week. I do
supplement by purchasing from other farmer’s. Foods like onions, garlic,
berries and melon. I have learned to eat almost completely in season, greatly
reducing my global footprint because I very rarely purchase food that is not grown
locally or regionally.
My meats come from local farmers as well. Any
kind of meat you could want is available. For example, I pay $4.30 a pound for
beef because I split a part of a cow with friends. Before doing that my family
only ate ground beef, which is all we could afford from Whole Foods or the
farmer’s market. Now we eat all cuts of steak, roasts, stews, and ground beef (and
liver, although it still doesn’t taste good to us and I think we will give it
up). Further, I know that the animals are raised truly organic and free range,
out in the sun, eating grass and bugs, and dripping in the rain.
Because I purchase no processed food (except
the rare can of tomato sauce and the Applegate Hotdogs), my food is the
healthiest it can be, and the best tasting. My husband and I avoid restaurants because
my cooking tastes so much better and it has brought us to new levels of health.
What are the benefits of our changes versus
the costs? Benefits first: greatly increased health and vigor, reduced carbon
footprint, support for our local farmers, and greatly reduced financial cost. Costs:
time to prepare and cook the food and brain power to figure out how to do it
because we are all living busy lives.
It all boils down to priorities.
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