A group of moms, who also happen to be Whole Foods Market Northern California team members, got together and created a “NorCal Moms” Facebook page as a place to offer fellow moms useful information on all aspects of mothering — from choosing healthy foods and products for babies and kids to cool community events.
While a lot of their information is specific to our Northern California stores, we thought this video they put together about shopping for gluten-free products for your kids had universal appeal. Remember: our product mix varies from store to store so the exact items in the video may not be available in your local store. Also, shelf signs and printed shopping lists vary. Check with your store’s customer service team members and they’ll be able to help you.
While I am many years past high school stress and teenage angst, I do fondly remember my adolescent penchant for challenging authority. (Some may argue it never went away!) Around thirteen, the simplicity of childhood started to melt away and suddenly, I was a teenager, looking to discover who I was and how to change the world around me. Now, of course, no teenager wants their parents looking over their shoulder. Yet, in hindsight, I think there are subtle ways that parents can influence the direction of their teens’ world-changing missions. Making sure they are aware of the many issues surrounding our food supply is an excellent place to start – and one where they can take action by voting with their fork three times a day.
Today, we have more media unveiling the truths behind the Standard American Diet, our over-consumptive consumer culture and our modern food system as a whole than ever before. To this end, we would like to offer you some ideas on how to bring home the message without having to personally be the preacher.
Celebrate, fall is here! Lovely fall, my favorite season, filled with orangey red leaves and clear, cold days, the perfect antidote to steamy, sweaty summer. I trade in flip flops for my beloved collection of knee-high boots and pull out my favorite sweaters. I turn off the eternal humming of the air conditioner and get my blankets out of storage. I buy hot cider instead of iced tea and start planning my Halloween costume. But most importantly, I eat.
Fall foods bring back a richness of flavor that is sometimes missing from the lightness that is demanded of delicious, refreshing summer dishes. Osso Bucco doesn’t taste quite right when you’re wearing shorts and sandals in 95° heat. With fall comes the return of so many favorite tastes, and customers are already requesting the top fall food favorites. Read the rest of this entry »
On Monday in Atlanta, Georgia, several hundred people gathered in Piedmont Park with Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA, to celebrate their Time for Lunch campaign. It was National Day of Action and this Eat-In (part potluck, part Sit-In) was just one of more than 300 across the country as tens of thousands of people came together on Labor Day to tell Congress that it’s time to get real food into schools. Preliminary results from the field showed that turnout was greater than expected, which demonstrates that people are concerned about our children’s health. Slow Food wants to send a clear message to Congress that the time to update the Child Nutrition Act is now. We have a chance to invest in our children’s health, protect them from food that puts them at risk and teach healthy habits that will last through life. If you haven’t done so yet, you can sign the petition at www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.
These quick and easy-to-make cookies more than satisfied our nutritionists, along with the sweet tooths of our tasters. Something for everyone! Elena sent us her recipe to test, saying that she loves to make healthy food for her family and bakes these cookies for her son, who loves them! Her recipe was right on the mark; we added a bit of cinnamon and everything else stayed the same.
Changing seasons and cold weather can bring new strains on health, especially for young people. Focusing on wellness is a good idea, starting with these easy ways that will help keep your family healthy.
Dr. Chris Marchioni is a board certified family medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical experience, and is Executive Director of Healthy Learning Paths, a Colorado nonprofit delivering educational resources for families. For more information, www.healthylearningpaths.org.
Do you ever wake up feeling less than refreshed after what should have been a good night’s sleep? If so, move over! Falling asleep and staying asleep is a widespread problem. Stay tuned, though, there may be a few natural and relaxing strategies you can employ to help set the mood for a good night’s snooze.
When I first began researching this blog post, I wanted a scientific explanation as to why we need to sleep in the first place. I went digging around for the answer and learned something surprising: Scientists can tell us exactly why we need to eat, drink and move around, but they don’t know exactly why sleep is so critical to our survival.
The good news is that how you live your day can affect how you sleep at night. For example, your dietary habits, level of exercise, daily stress levels and caffeine or alcohol intake, as well as medications, hormone changes and illness can all affect the quality of your sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, most adults need between seven and eight hours sleep each night. During deep sleep, our bodies restore themselves. Scientists believe during that time, our bodies regenerate and help the healing process such as repairing tissues and releasing hormones.
Join Whole Planet Foundation in Peña Blanca, an impoverished, rural community in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala where Whole Foods Market sources coffee. To empower this community to lift itself out of poverty, Whole Planet Foundation and Grameen Trust initiated a microlending project here in 2006, and the next year Whole Foods Market Team Members began providing community service like teaching literacy skills and providing meals for the children of this Mayan community.
Know what’s in a conventional tampon? Check out what these women had to say and join Seventh Generation’s campaign to support Ovarian Cancer Research. They’ll donate $1 for each visitor to their special Let’s Talk…Period website who signs up to be a Seventh Generation Nation member (up to $22,000).
Check out just a few of the newest products and new varieties of old favorites to hit our shelves.
Lärabar Bars
Three new flavors! These bars are pure and simple, just like nature intended. Each tasty bar contains no more than eight ingredients and is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Try them all: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tropical Fruit Tart or German Chocolate Cake.
365 Everyday Value® Premium Body Care™
Now everyday value meets our highest standards for results, quality sourcing, safety and environmental impact. Try the whole line of shampoos, conditioners, body lotions and shower gels.
Pacific Natural Foods Organic Almond Beverages
New family size! Provides all the goodness of organic almonds with no dairy, added sugar or sweeteners. Includes vitamin D and riboflavin without lactose or cholesterol. Now available in convenient, shelf-stable 64-ounce Original or Vanilla.
Small Planet Foods Smoothies
Provides a wheatgrass boost and a full serving of fruit in every smoothie. Get the antioxidant power of vitamin C conveniently—just add water and blend! Try all three varieties: Strawberry Banana, Mango Banana and Berry Pomegranate.
Cascadian Farm Organic Bars
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a perfect balance of wholesome and delicious organic ingredients. Available in crunchy Almond Butter with fiber, Harvest Right with flax and chewy Blueberry Pomegranate.
Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Strawberry and Yogurt Cereal
Fiber for breakfast never tasted so good! Made with organic strawberries, delicious yogurt-covered brown rice crisps and whole grains. Perfect in the morning or as an anytime snack.
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!
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