I’m always looking for fresh meal ideas. Some excellent ones have come from this ongoing “Best Meal of the Week” post where we get to help each other figure out what’s good for dinner. Remember, “best” is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious – or a combination of all that and more. Post your “best” in the comments below.
Here are a few tasty ideas from Whole Foods Market team members.
From Joe:
My best meal of the last few weeks is the traditional shrimp boil. We had one on Mother’s Day, another one two weeks ago at the beach, and yet another one this past weekend for my birthday. Why is it the “best?” Well, first off, it’s utterly delicious. It’s festive, summery and an alternative to grilling. It’s cheap, since the only expensive part is the shrimp; the rest is just veggies and spices. It’s healthy – low fat and veggie-packed, really just shrimp and veggies cooked in water. It’s adaptable – you can throw in or leave out ingredients as you like, choose sausages based on preference, etc. And it’s easy – instructions are basically “Boil water. Dump in stuff. Serve.” It’s my new favorite summer meal. Read the rest of this entry »
Rachael is part of our team dedicated to answering emails, letters and phone calls from our customers.
When films like FOOD, Inc. (in select theaters on June 12th) open, people always contact us with questions about how we do things at Whole Foods Market. Sometimes the questions come from people who are our long-time, loyal shoppers and sometimes they come from those who are brand new to us and want to learn more. Some of my teammates and I checked out an advance screening of FOOD, Inc. so we could get a head start on answering the possible questions coming our way. Check out a trailer of the film:
FOOD, Inc. takes a peek into the supply chain of much of the food we eat and talks about the consequences of the way food is currently grown, raised and processed. Consequences like deadly new strains of E.coli, epidemic obesity, type II diabetes, pollution from pesticides and feedlots, and the effect this system has on people in the industry. Although this subject matter sounds both complicated and mind-numbing, FOOD, Inc. presents the information in an engaging and interesting way. I know that many of our shoppers are aware of the issues and concerns of the current industrial agriculture system and that they shop with us because we offer an alternative. I thought I would share some of the things in the film that I found compelling, and how we do things differently at Whole Foods Market. Read the rest of this entry »
No matter what was else was on the table, my grandmother served an iceberg lettuce salad at every evening meal. As a sometimes visitor, it was one of those things I looked forward to as a familiar part of visiting my grandparents and I enjoyed helping to make the dressing. She had one of those glass carafes with the measurement lines on it for filling with oil and vinegar, and then you added the packet of dressing mix and shook it up. Thing was, if I had grown up with that-vs. being a visitor-I think I would have rebelled against being served the exact same salad and dressing every night! Read the rest of this entry »
The last few years have brought a renaissance in local and regional farm support. Consumer demand for produce grown close to home has increased exponentially, and that demand is serviced by farmers’ markets and retailers who are able to successfully blend local and long haul purchasing. You might think that since I run an office that specializes in buying and shipping product from around the world that I would feel my livelihood is threatened by this local farm resurgence, but nothing could be further from the truth. In most cases the carbon footprint for a local purchase is smaller, the return to the grower is, on average, greater and, in the case where the product is more flavorful, purchasing and selling local produce can increase overall consumption (which benefits long haul as well). In essence, I believe there is room and need for both. Peaches are a great example of this and pride in local production is furious.
In the places in the U.S. where I have lived or visited during local peach season, local growers always share a reason why their local peach is the absolute best. It might be the soil, the number of chill hours in the winter, the pattern of spring rainfall, heat units in the summer, the variety and its compatibility with the region, or just the way the fruit is picked and handled in post harvest. I generally agree with whoever is telling me about the local virtues, since it gives me more time to wolf down the fruit they have just picked off the tree for me. Read the rest of this entry »
Many of us are eating natural foods and buying more-natural body care products, but maybe haven’t made the mighty leap to natural deodorant. Are you worried it doesn’t work? Tune in to hear what makes natural deodorants effective and why it’s time to switch. Malia Curran, MS, MPH, is a nutrition and health consultant.
For a summary of this and our other summer podcasts, click here!
Summer is the perfect time to lighten up your diet and eat healthier. I can’t think of a sweeter way to do that than with fruit! It tastes great and adds variety and natural sweetness to your diet.
People who eat a variety of fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to reduce their risk of some of the chronic diseases that are prevalent today. Fruit provides nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body, and eating a variety every day is a great way to maximize good nutrition. Dark and brightly colored fruit such as berries, plums and mangoes are high in healthful antioxidants. Make sure to eat apples, figs and kiwis for helpful fiber too.
Not eating much fruit? No problem! Try these helpful tips to get you going.
Track your servings of fruits for a week and then challenge yourself to eat a few more the next week. Aim for five to nine servings of fruits and veggies a day.
Add variety! Experiment with unfamiliar fruits to sample new flavors and boost your nutrition.
Shop for fresh fruits in season – this will keep down the costs and the flavor will be at its best.
Keep fruit easily accessible. This means having it pre-washed and ready to eat. This is easier for snacking kids, too.
Choose whole fruit over fruit juice for the complete package of vitamins, minerals, fibers, and enzymes.
The Ambos family, now in their fifth generation of shrimping off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, provides Whole Foods Market with fresh wild Georgia shrimp that has never been frozen. The strong tides along the southern Atlantic coast, from which these shrimp are raised, provide these shrimp with a sweet succulent taste and a good firm texture that can only be produced in the wild.
If you think like I do, when you need to replace appliances and other household items you go for the most environmentally-friendly choices out there, like Energy Star® certified models and water-saving appliances such as tankless water heaters and front-loading washing machines. I’m fortunate to live in Austin where the city offers rebates on appliances like these, so not only can you save money in energy and water consumption costs, but you can get a hefty rebate. I got $100 back from the City of Austin when I bought my front-loader washing machine a few years ago, which is no small change!
But alas, my relationship with my beloved 6-year-old front-loader came to an abrupt halt last month when it started making a REALLY LOUD banging noise during the spin cycle. The repair man asked me questions like: “You used ‘HE’ soap, right?” and “How much soap did you use?” I quickly realized that I had not done enough research. I swear I read the manual but, as it turns out, it was going to cost more to repair my washing machine than to buy a new one. Ouch! Read the rest of this entry »
Heads up! The new summer issue of The Whole Deal value guide is in stores now, ready to help you out with great ideas for a great summer…without great expense. Here’s just a sample of what’s inside:
Learn to Cook, Learn to Save
9 budget recipes including:
Three-Bean Salad with Quinoa (88¢/serving)
Mini Wild Salmon Cakes ($2.63/serving)
Grilled Veggie Naan Pizzas with Goat Cheese ($2.99/serving)
12 Sure Deals!
Whole Foods Market™ Organic Garlic & Herb Fresh Goat Cheese ($3.99 for a 4-oz log)
365 Everyday Value® Gold Round Crackers ($2.99 for 1-pound box)
365 Everyday Value® Organic Pretzels ($1.99 per bag)
Summer Saver Tips & Tools
Daily meal planners for one person, two people or a family of four.
How to use grilling leftovers, such as saving unused buns to make croutons and grilled veggies for a pasta salad.
Our Backyard Barbecue and Picnic Planner compares quick and convenient favorites with money-saving alternatives.
Better Burger Builder
Get the details on how little it costs to make your burger a healthier choice.
Try our suggestions for homemade over-the-top Dad’s Day burgers at relatively little cost, especially vs. going out…or a steak.
Where the Buffalo Rock $3.75
Who You Callin’ Turkey $4.25
Hollywood Portabello $5.50
You can check out more on The Whole Deal page, but you have to pick it up in the store to get the great coupons!
Melissa, a Whole Story reader, sent us a request to make over the classic summertime dessert, ice cream pie. Yum! Her version included conventional sandwich cookies, frozen whipped topping and jarred chocolate sauce. Not so yum. Our version features better-quality ingredients: 365 Everyday Value Sandwich Cremes, all-natural frozen whipped topping and dark chocolate chunks. Moderation alert: Even though we remade this dessert with natural ingredients, it’s still an indulgent treat. Don’t go fooling yourself into eating a ton of it!
Welcome to Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market.
Don’t know us? In a nutshell, we are the world's leading natural and organic grocer and we’re passionate about healthy food and a healthy planet. Learn more about us.
We’re lucky to have a whole bunch of smart, passionate people doing incredible things in areas like organics, supporting local growers, green practices, fair trade, micro-lending and all kinds of food related stuff. We’ll use this blog to share some of the cool things going on around here.
Of course, what makes this blog really exciting is YOU — so join the conversation!
Subscribe via RSS
My best meal of the last few weeks is the traditional shrimp boil. We had one on Mother’s Day, another one two weeks ago at the beach, and yet another one this past weekend for my birthday. Why is it the “best?” Well, first off, it’s utterly delicious. It’s festive, summery and an alternative to grilling. It’s cheap, since the only expensive part is the shrimp; the rest is just veggies and spices. It’s healthy – low fat and veggie-packed, really just shrimp and veggies cooked in water. It’s adaptable – you can throw in or leave out ingredients as you like, choose sausages based on preference, etc. And it’s easy – instructions are basically “Boil water. Dump in stuff. Serve.” It’s my new favorite summer meal. Read the rest of this entry »
When films like 
Many of us are eating natural foods and buying more-natural body care products, but maybe haven’t made the mighty leap to natural deodorant. Are you worried it doesn’t work? Tune in to hear what makes natural deodorants effective and why it’s time to switch. Malia Curran, MS, MPH, is a nutrition and health consultant.
