I well remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My favorite part, of course, was that famous perfect bowl of porridge! Of course, I had no idea what porridge was. Sad to say, but when I was a kid in Louisiana, hot breakfast cereal meant one thing: grits. In fact, all I knew about oats was that Dad would feed them to his horses or we occasionally ate them in cookies laden with raisins. The thought of eating oats as a hot breakfast cereal did not occur to any member of my family until we moved away from Louisiana and set our feet upon the California soil where grits were virtually unheard of!
These days, it would be hard to find someone who hasn’t heard about the benefits of whole grains, especially oats! Not only are they a comforting, nourishing way to start the day, oats add stick-to-your-ribs good taste and good nutrition to all kinds of goodies, from soup to dessert. And the list of health benefits is really impressive:
Help keep cholesterol levels healthy
Naturally contain soluble fiber, which is important for healthy cholesterol but also for a healthy digestive track
With the biggest turkey cooking event of the year right around the corner, this seems like the perfect time to introduce you to some of the local farmers who raise the turkeys we provide for your Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s one that supplies stores in our Midwest region:
Not a large conglomerate, Michigan Turkey works strictly with farms in west Michigan – within 25 miles of the plant. All the farms are dedicated to the same goal – a fresh product that people can trust. They get an order every week and fill it every week – only three days from when they produce the product to it being ready to sell. This leads to the freshest, highest quality turkeys around.
While Michigan Turkey may not be available in your local Whole Foods Market store, you can ask your local meat team members about where your turkey comes from. And come back to the blog; we’ll be sharing more profiles on our local turkey producers.
Check out our Holidays 2010 web pages for ideas on cooking, carving and what to serve with your delicious turkey this year.
Whether you call it “fish farming” or go for the more formal term “aquaculture,” people have a variety of concerns about farmed fish. (Yes, wild-caught seafood has its issues too — see our recent post on our new wild seafood ranking program.) Having worked in the seafood business for more than 20 years, I can safely say that one of the biggest changes in the last few decades has been the implementation of the Whole Foods Market Aquaculture standards.
Two years ago (in 2008) we launched the toughest Quality Standards for farmed seafood in the trade. Fish farmer who want to work with us must complete a lengthy application detailing all their farming practices (along with a huge list of other things). they must testify that no mammalian or avian by-products are in their feed, that no added hormones are used, and that organophosphate pesticides are never applied. And it’s more than just words — the farm must be certified that they meet our Standards for Farmed Seafood by a 3rd party inspector before any of their fish makes its way to our stores. Not only that, but they must continue to pass annual inspections for as long as they do business with us. Read the rest of this entry »
Growing up, the minute it started getting cooler, my parents would whip up the first of many batches of vegetable soup. Their recipe is easy enough, but when cooking for one, I burn out on it pretty fast. That’s why I started doctoring up packaged soups — no waste and I easily add some variety to my soup options during the chilly months of winter.
I find that soup is a great way to get a couple of servings of veggies into one meal. Opting for vegetarian or vegan soups means that you’re putting a whole lot of health into one bowl. Seeking out soups that are low in sodium will help steer you away from the high sodium levels that are often found in prepared foods.
One of the best things about packaged soups is that they can act as a base for your own creations. Using your store’s salad bar, as well as some pantry items, you can create amazing meals for one that start from a package. For example, you may be surprised at how many ways you can change up a simple packaged roasted red pepper and tomato soup. With a few additions, you can turn this creamy, delicious soup into something you’d likely see in a restaurant. Try: Italian- a small splash of balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh or dried basil, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese Greek- chopped fresh or dried oregano, feta cheese, and leftover cooked pasta or rice South of the Border- diced green chilies, kidney beans, and chopped red onion Read the rest of this entry »
Ready, set, go! The race is on as we head into the crazy, busy, exciting, fun (and did-we-say-crazy?) holiday season. We’re sharing our best tips, recipes, entertaining help and video how-to’s on our convenient holiday web pages. We also have blog posts planned throughout the season to help make it all fall into place a bit easier. Kind of like Rudolph, we’re here to light the way. Here’s a sampling of what’s in store:
Our guides and tips make the holidays easier on you, your budget and the planet.
Find meaning in the present with our fantastic holiday gift ideas — from handmade to store-bought and everything in between.
Holiday How-To’s
See experts in action, demonstrating valuable how-to’s and sharing tips for everything from traditional holiday cooking to festive, eco-friendly décor and other special touches.
We hope you find all of this great stuff helpful. Did we miss anything? Let us know and we’ll try to add it!
Sound the alarm! As part of our Fall into Organics celebration, organic Honeycrisp apples (one of the most anticipated fruits of the season!) will be just $1.49 per pound in all stores on Friday, October 29th! That’s a heck of a deal of 50% off!
While the apple is an age-old autumn favorite, Honeycrisp is hot on the scene. A hybrid of Macoun and Honey Gold apples developed by the University of Minnesota, Honeycrisps have been on the market for less than a decade. Even so, they’ve gained serious accolades for their outstanding, sweet taste and explosively crisp and juicy texture. In fact, Wall Street Journal named the Honeycrisp “The New Apples of Farmers’ Eyes,” and the Boston Globe touts it as a “…everyone’s new favorite.” Read the rest of this entry »
Ever wonder what your immune system is actually made of? Learn how the body responds to foreign invaders and what you can do both internally and externally to support winter wellness. Nancy Angelini is National Science Educator for Source Naturals and Planetary Herbals, with more than 14 years (and 1500 lectures!) in the natural products industry.
Flying into Switzerland I am always amazed by the mountains. The world famous Alps, home to mountaineers, skiers and even stories about elephants crossing (not sure how this ever happened). In my visits to the country I have always been impressed by the pristine wonder of nature. The green is vibrant and the sky is so clearly blue, the hills to the Alps are amazing and the cows always appear so healthy. I have attributed this to the respect that the Swiss have for their country. There are hikers everywhere and the people that I meet are excited for the summer to swim, the fall to bike, the winter to ski and the spring to smell the flowers.
It is clear that the respect for the land is fully embraced and reflected in the culture of food as well, which clearly begins and ends with cheese. Every mother, father and child is proud of the cheese heritage and each has a favorite cheese and a favorite way to eat cheese. Everyone eats cheese in Switzerland — at breakfast, in sandwiches at lunch, for snacks, at dinner and for dessert. This is my kind of country!!!
I had the opportunity to visit a few cheese production facilities in July with a group of Whole Foods Market team members from around the country. A few were making their first trip to Europe…it was fantastic. How wonderful that your first trip to Europe was to Switzerland to taste some of the best traditionally produced cheeses in the world! We began every day before 6 am to “follow the milk.” Read the rest of this entry »
Even as a kid, I was never much for candy. After dressing up and trick-or-treating, my favorite thing about Halloween was when Mom would roast the pumpkin seeds. They were delicious, although much harder to get at since they weren’t shelled! Halloween was my one and only experience with pumpkin seeds, until I moved to Texas where I was introduced to the wonderful world of “pepitas.” Spiced, toasted, raw and more, there they were again. My favorite little Halloween treat, only shelled and prepared in ways Mom never dreamed of!
Welcome to Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market.
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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.
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Growing up, the minute it started getting cooler, my parents would whip up the first of many batches of vegetable soup. Their recipe is easy enough, but when cooking for one, I burn out on it pretty fast. That’s why I started doctoring up packaged soups — no waste and I easily add some variety to my soup options during the chilly months of winter.
Sound the alarm! As part of our Fall into Organics celebration, organic Honeycrisp apples (one of the most anticipated fruits of the season!) will be just $1.49 per pound in all stores on Friday, October 29th! That’s a heck of a deal of 50% off!
Flying into Switzerland I am always amazed by the mountains. The world famous Alps, home to mountaineers, skiers and even stories about elephants crossing (not sure how this ever happened). In my visits to the country I have always been impressed by the pristine wonder of nature. The green is vibrant and the sky is so clearly blue, the hills to the Alps are amazing and the cows always appear so healthy. I have attributed this to the respect that the Swiss have for their country. There are hikers everywhere and the people that I meet are excited for the summer to swim, the fall to bike, the winter to ski and the spring to smell the flowers.
