You’ve heard about the goodness of whole grains: the B vitamins, the fiber, the minerals…but where can you get this good stuff besides brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat bread? Quinoa! Pronounced “KEEN-wah,” the ancient Incas called it the Mother Grain and they were definitely on to something good.

Quinoa, which is actually a small dried seed, has been cultivated for thousands of years in South America. This little powerhouse has the highest protein content of any other grain. And since it contains all eight essential amino acids, quinoa is considered a complete protein. It also delivers fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A and E.

Quinoa’s flavor is slightly nutty with a pleasing crunchy texture. In addition to tasting great, it’s also very simple to cook and blends well with numerous other ingredients. It’s so versatile it can be substituted for rice, pasta, couscous, bulgur or millet in just about any recipe. And it’s gluten free – excellent news for anyone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity. Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Wanta sends us this video from Facatativa, Colombia where the Whole Planet Foundation team is doing a feasibility study to determine whether the foundation can support and sustain a microcredit loan program.

My wife is one tough customer. Guardian of our children’s health, keeper of the family budget, she is my culinary moral compass. My wife is what we call a “core customer” – keen to trends but rooted in natural living. So when a Whole Foods Market new item appears in our home fridge or pantry, I know we have a hit on our hands. And sitting there on the top shelf of the fridge last week was a 64 oz carton of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk. Read the rest of this entry »

Video credit: Marc Hamel and Ha Lam

Since Whole Foods Market has stores all over the U.S., as well as in Canada and the U.K., I rarely get the chance to meet the individuals that receive loans through our Local Producer Loan Program. They meet with representatives from their respective regions who visit their businesses, check out their products, and help them through the loan process. Every once in a while, though, I have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with a loan recipient, and it’s always something that reminds me what a great program it is.

So when we recently gave a loan to Progress Coffee, a café and coffee roaster located right here in Austin, Texas, of course I took the opportunity to go visit. Joshua Bingaman started the café in 2004, and Progress started selling their fair-trade, organic coffee beans to our flagship store late last year. In line with their green values, the hand-roasted coffee beans are delivered to our store on bicycle! Joshua’s going to use the loan to purchase equipment which will help them increase their volume and sell to additional customers.

Whole Foods Market joined a long list of musicians and nearly 90,000 fans from all over the world at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, last weekend.  We set up a store on the grounds of the festival in Planet Roo where we served up loads of 365 products and delicious items from our vendor partners, including Talenti Gelato, Greek Gods Yogurt, O.N.E. Natural Experience, QBell all natural chocolates, and Lifeway Foods.  Check out what some of our customers had to say over the course of the weekend in Planet Roo!

Just about everyone loves those kid-classic chewy, gooey rice treats, right? Well, one thing you may not love about them is the nutritional profile of the ingredients- margarine or butter, marshmallows and conventional white rice cereal. Jennifer, a Whole Story reader, sent us a request to make a more nutritious rice treat. With summertime upon us and kids out of school, it’s a great time to tackle a new version of this recipe.

In short, we replaced some of the usual suspects with healthier versions like almond butter, brown rice crisps and raisins. Check out our improved Crispy Rice Treats and head to the kitchen with your kids…but leave the guilt at the door!

Want to know how we did it and why? Here’s a quick rundown:

• We substituted brown rice crisps for conventional white rice cereal. Since whole grains are naturally higher in B vitamins, fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and iron than processed grains, this was a simple but very effective fix. One cup of brown rice cereal has about 2 grams more of fiber, 25 mg magnesium and 45 mg potassium when compared with a cup of the white stuff.
• We used almond butter instead of butter or margarine for added nutrition as well as great flavor. Almond butter adds protein, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
• We included raisins in this traditionally raisin-free recipe to add protein, fiber, phosphorus,potassium and iron. Raisins are also a great natural source of sugar.

Incorporating healthier ingredients into this recipe brings greater complexity in flavor and improved nutritional value. Get the full new recipe here.

Got a recipe that needs a natural makeover? Post it in the comments section below! If we select your recipe for a healthy makeover and publish the improved version on our website, we’ll send you a $25 Whole Foods Market gift card.

I am submitting my husband Cliff for the Father’s day drawing.

He has been a great father to our two sons and for them the sun rises and sets on him.  Cliff had bypass surgery 2 years ago at age 54 and has recently taken a liking to organic veggies and other products and has become more aware of eating for good health. We would like to help him become healthier with good foods to eat so that we will have him around for many years to come. He is so deserving as he is the most giving person of himself.

With summer activities on the rise and the kids out of school, it’s the perfect time to talk about healthy smart snacks! With trips to the park, the beach or the game, snacking seems to hit a peak season right about now. Just because you don’t have time for a “real meal” doesn’t mean you can’t put a little planning into making sure smart snacks are readily available when you need to grab and go.

So, what makes a snack a smart one? First off, avoid overly processed junk foods (think chips, cookies, candy bars, etc). If it comes from the corner convenience store, chances are high it’s not the best snack choice. You want to avoid artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats. (And you won’t find any of those things in our stores!)

Now you know what not to eat. There are plenty of other great snacks, I promise! You’ve probably heard that you should have nine to thirteen servings of fruits and veggies each day. Get some of those servings in your snacks! And snacks are perfect for sneaking in those ever-helpful whole grains too. Add in a healthy protein and your snack will fill you up and keep you going longer.

Here are some ideas to help you make sure every snack counts. Read the rest of this entry »

Join Steve Wanta as he travels South America visiting current Whole Planet Foundation microcredit projects and seeking out new opportunities where the Foundation can provide assistance.

Thanks for all the tasty recipe ideas you submitted when we asked for your Dad’s best recipe in anticipation of Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21.

Your recipe ideas and stories led us to a few conclusions about your dads’ cooking habits:

Dads are masters of the grill.

Reilly claims her dad makes grilled steak much better than you can find in any steakhouse. His grilled chicken is also a winner, and he’s always in charge of the grilling at their July 4th picnic.

Char’s dad cooked without recipes. His secret on the grill: pour a good bottle of beer over whatever he was grilling. With this method, he produced great ribs and chicken.

If your dad loves to grill, share our Butterfly Grilled Chicken recipe with him.

Read the rest of this entry »