The clock is ticking…counting down to Thanksgiving Day! This is one of the most exciting times of the year in our stores. While we love the energy and excitement, we certainly don’t want our guests feeling stressed by it…or stretched in their pocketbooks! Here are some tips for getting the good stuff-and the basics-at the best prices possible. Our team members are dedicated to making sure you enjoy your shopping trip – ask them for help along your merry way!

1. Stay Calm. Maintain a cheerful, good mood and positive attitude so you don’t get stressed out and make bad decisions. (Should a little bottle of Rescue Remedy be your first stop in the store?)
2. Shop the Sales. More than 1000 items are on sale in our store right now. Look for the sale signs and save! Also, sign up for The Whole Deal e-newsletter for notification of the best specials.
3. Get Your Volume Discounts. Get discounted pricing on many items when you buy a full case or more than a certain amount at once. Details at Customer Service.
4. Go for 365 Everyday Value®. Our own brand helps you save on everyday basics and holiday needs. It’s the best and broadest selection of natural and organic products at the best prices.
5. Plan Your Menus. Create full menus and shopping lists for the meals you’ll need, especially when you’re expecting company so you don’t overshop when the time comes.
6. Don’t Underestimate Leftovers. When you plan your menus and make your shopping lists, shop for what you need to transform leftovers into another meal. Our holiday leftover guide has ideas.
7. Choose the Bird to Fit Your Budget. We offer turkeys-and beef and cheese and chocolate, etc, etc-in several varieties and we can point out the best deals for your needs.
8. Buy Some Baked Goods. Our bakery makes pumpkin pie and dinner rolls with the same wholesome ingredients you would use at home, so it might be worth buying time instead of buying all the ingredients to make these from scratch.



9. Be Well. Eat healthy, get enough sleep and exercise so you build a strong immune system and don’t waste time and money getting sick.
10. Take Advantage of Our Good Nature. Our Team Members are there for you. Don’t be shy! Let them help you make the holidays easy and affordable.

Got some favorite strategies of your own that make your holiday grocery shopping fun and affordable? Let us hear them!

How many of you have heard that on Thanksgiving Day? Not eating turkey on “Turkey Day” seems downright sacrilegious to some! Whether you prefer a vegetarian diet, simply don’t like turkey or are cooking for a few and don’t need a big bird, there are many delicious options for your Thanksgiving meal. Let’s give thanks for the possibilities!

The Wonder of the Harvest

Thanksgiving is a celebration of the fall harvest. Enjoy it fully with a range of plant-based entrées (along with some favorite sides). Delicious!

Baked Eggplant with Nutty Bulgur Stuffing

Savory Butternut Squash Pie with Hazelnuts

French Lentils in Puffed Pastry

Wild Mushroom Tart

Seafood for the Holidays

Did you know the pilgrims ate shrimp and other seafood at the first Thanksgiving? They lived on the Eastern seaboard, you know. Happy Shrimpsgiving!

• Roasted Salmon Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Ricotta
• Seared Scallops with Blood Orange-Smoked Paprika Sauce
• Holiday Cioppino

Poultry That’s Not Turkey

When you are cooking for one, two or three, a large turkey can be more than you need. Roasting a turkey breast instead of a whole bird is one option, and here are some other poultry-based special entrée recipes:

• Baked Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze
• Braised Chicken with Fennel and Apples
• Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

Pretend Turkey

Tofurkey is the vegetarian holiday staple. You’ll find it in the freezer isle in small and large sizes, and also in a meal kit that comes with dumplings, gravy, stuffing and even a veggie wishbone. Steaming Tofurkey makes it more tender, and baking in a bag seals in the juices. Also, frozen Quorn roast is a fast, affordable vegetarian entrée. For smaller portions, the Quorn tenders or cutlets are perfect.

Holiday Ham (and Pork)

With a large gathering, ham often heads the table right alongside a big turkey. Choose what you prefer or have some of both… we won’t tell.

• Cranberry and Apple Stuffed Roasted Pork



• Roasted Spiral-Sliced Ham with Maple and Orange Marmalade Glaze
• Roasted Pork Chops with Cornbread Stuffing

If you aren’t serving turkey, what will be on your Thanksgiving table?

Spices are a deeply personal business here at Frontier; personal because all of our products trace their origins back to the land and to the people who work it – farmers and their families. Having spent years traveling the world and visiting small, marginalized producers, I can attest to the impact ethical sourcing and socially just business practices can make. This is the reason why I am so proud that we, at Frontier, are the first company to introduce Fair Trade Certified™ spices in the United States.

A few months ago, I spent a week in Sri Lanka visiting one of our premiere producer groups, a Well Earth certified partner who we’ve been working with for over a year and who is now supplying our Fair Trade Certified spices. It is a cooperative made up of some two thousand marginalized farmers like Mr. N.G. Wijethilaka, a father of four who owns just 0.75 acres, and also like Mr. K.B. Udamgamuina, who has worked the land for eight years now and who prides himself on his devotion to organics.

Having spent time with these farmers and many others in Sri Lanka – sitting in their homes drinking tea with them, touring their farms, meeting their families, hiking for hours into the mountains with them to reach remote cinnamon growing areas – I have seen first hand the impact that socially just business practices can have.
Many of these small producers, like Mr. Wijethilaka, earn the equivalent of just $900 per year. For them, a Fair Trade social premium is an opportunity at a better standard of life for their families. For them, a little truly is a lot.

Quality and sustainability start at the source, and our farmer partners in Sri Lanka understand this better than anyone. For them, farming is not just a matter of paying the bills – it’s something deeper. It’s about a relationship with the Earth, about being a good steward and about ensuring that their children inherit a world that’s a little bit better than the one they entered. From composting to erosion control, rain-harvesting techniques to small-scale bio gas production, our producer group in Sri Lanka exhibits some of the finest sustainability practices I have witnessed.

Nearly three decades ago, Frontier began pioneering what is now called sustainability when it introduced the first certified organic herbs and spices to the market. Like a tiny seed, this idea of ours started out small – but through the devotion and continued dedication and commitment of people at Frontier, we’ve grown our sustainability model into an industry leading sustainable sourcing standard called Well Earth. Today, our new organic, Fair Trade (and Well Earth) certified spices are the latest extension of our commitment to ethical business and social values.

Kai Stark, Frontier’s Commodity Manager, has worked for over 8 years to help make them the leading supplier of organic spices in the United States. When he is not traveling to remote regions of the world in search of spices, he enjoys spending time with his family in Iowa.

So, the next time you’re in our store, before you let yourself get overwhelmed, steer your cart to the Holiday Table and relax. There are plenty of choices and everything on the menu is made with ingredients you can count on; the same high quality ingredients and the same standards that apply in our aisles, including no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, and no hydrogenated fats. Hallelujah!

And if you want to skip the Holiday Table in person, you may be able to visit it virtually. Some locations offer online ordering.

It’s November 5th and Thanksgiving Day is exactly three weeks away. (Cue Psycho-esque scary music here.) Whether you will be serving a house full of guests or a special dinner for two, preparing your kitchen ahead of time and thinking through your entertaining plan of action now can definitely save last-minute hassles on the big day.

Here are some of our ideas and tips for getting ready for the impending holiday crunch.

• Prepare the Kitchen. Before things get crazy, organize your pantry, fridge and freezer, use things up (go all Iron Chef on it!) and make yourself aware of which holiday pantry basics you have or need.
• Attack the Task List early. Write up a non-food related To-Do list with chores such as “create a centerpiece” and “polish the silver” and “vacuum the house.” Write this one up in time to get a couple of things crossed off every day for the week or two leading up to the big day.



• Plan Ahead. Plan meals and make shopping lists, being mindful of how much to buy and serve for how many people. Use the chart on our holiday website to help you figure it out.
• Choose Crowd-Friendly Recipes. If you will have guests staying in your home, don’t forget to plan for meals other than Thanksgiving Day. Choose hearty, satisfying, affordable recipes. Big-pot meals with self-serve condiments are ideal: chili, curry, red beans and rice, stew, etc.
• Use the Freezer. Prepare big freezer-friendly recipes ahead so you can just heat and serve later. And don’t stop at lasagna and soup, breads and muffins and cookies freeze well, too.
• Learn to Cook at Least One Thing. Choose a perfect entertaining dish to become your sought-after signature item for the season to take along or serve at home.
• Practice Makes Perfect. Trying out some new dishes? A stressful, busy “game day” kitchen may interfere with your best efforts, so a practice run may be in order for any new recipes with a multitude of ingredients, cooking steps or both, such as a fancy dessert.
• Cook something for everyone. Chances are your guest list may include someone with a special diet need. Big holiday meals are actually perfect – since there are so many dishes, there is bound to be something for everyone. Check with your guests to make sure you are aware of their needs, and review our tips on Entertaining Guests with Special Diets.



• Enjoy the More the Merrier. Guests almost always ask what they can bring, and usually enjoy contributing! Make a short list and be prepared when asked, leaving leeway for creativity and culinary talents.
• Don’t be Shy of the Full Potluck. Most people like to show off their favorite holiday dishes. Give them an opportunity to share them!

So, what are you doing to get yourself, your home and your family prepared? Share your tips in the comments below. We can get through this together, right? (Cue the “We All Need Someone to Lean On” exit music.)

Find meaning in the present with our fantastic selection of holiday gifts.

Everything to do your party good, from wine pairings to holiday decor.

Helpful tips that will make your holidays easier & your guests happier.

Get the goodness in every bite with our holiday recipes and menu ideas.

All Things Good. We hope you’ll make us your “go to” bookmark for all your holiday needs.

Have you heard about The Prince’s Rainforests Project? His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales is asking everyone to help send the world’s biggest SOS on behalf of the rainforests before the international climate change meetings are held by the United Nations in Copenhagen this December.

The rainforests are a rich, green belt that surrounds the world at the equator and contain over half the living plant and animal species on the planet. Without their services in storing greenhouse gases, creating oxygen and rainfall, and providing a home to the most important array of biodiversity on the planet, our Earth would be a very different place and certainly one uninhabitable by mankind.

Vast quantities of carbon are stored in the trees and soils of tropical forest areas. When they are burned and cleared this is converted into carbon dioxide, which helps to accelerate climate change. Recent estimates say that some 17% of greenhouse gases come from deforestation. Tropical rainforests are also removing about 15% of the carbon dioxide we are releasing. Clearing the rainforests thus creates a double whammy for the climate – it creates a source of emissions and at the same time removes a vast natural sink.

Check out this video and sign up to send your Rainforest SOS to the world. The future of the rainforest is our future too.

Whole Foods Market was one of the major sponsors of Fun and Fit in the City, part of the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival last weekend. Fun and Fit in the City is a groundbreaking event focusing on family health, nutrition and fitness and took place at the Harlem Children’s Zone, an innovative and unique community-based organization, offering education, social services and community building programs to children and families since 1970. Over 700 community members participated in the health expo featuring Chef Ann Cooper, local vendors Red Jacket Orchards, Honest Tea and Munchies Cookies, and a rooftop garden tour for children with vegetable lifecycle and composting stations. A panel discussion on Healthy Eating was moderated by Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times, with special appearances by NBA star Allan Houston, Rachael Ray and Dr. Mehmet Oz. The panel discussion was preceded by Former President Bill Clinton who addressed the crowd on the topics of diabetes and obesity facing the community.

Whole Foods Market, in partnership with Weight Watchers and Share Our Strength(R), also sponsored the Good Food Gardens that were installed permanently at the Harlem Children’s Zone rooftop providing sustainable healthy food options for children and a platform for nutritional education.

Since we all couldn’t be there for this fun event, we’ll share some of it with you in pictures. A thousand words, don’t you know?

Chili. That’s what sounds good to us right now (it’s been rainy and cold in Austin lately) and that’s what we are focusing on for this edition of “Best Meal of the Week.” Some chili recipes simmer away all day on the stove; others can be tossed together quickly on a weeknight. For this post, we’re providing links to recipes from our website as well as tips and favorite additions from our team members. What’s your best chili made of? Let us know in the comments section below.

Chili Faves

My chili, whether I do a quickie version or an all-day cook, always includes a little bit of ground clove for depth of flavor. I also add some oregano or marjoram, but not too much or it will taste like spaghetti sauce! And I often use beer for some of the liquid.
—Susannah

Hmmm..chili with braised chunks of grassfed beef, plenty of veggies, like onions, carrots, peppers, rutabaga, and flavored with guajillo and pasilla peppers, soaked, pureed and strained. Add to that, if you must, some sort of huge bean…there used to be one called a Christmas bean…or chestnut beans. Anything huge and not too chalky. Amazing.
—Liz

I lighten up standard chili by using bison meat instead of ground beef. I also like to use some chipotles in adobo sauce and I add about a tablespoon of unsweetened chocolate shavings at the end for interesting depth. Or I go for White Chili with cubed chicken, cannellini beans, mild green chilies, lots of Monterey jack and cilantro.
—Allison

I just made chili using pork shoulder and stout that was amazing. It called for coffee too, but I just used Guinness for all of it. Next to my dad’s recipe (for a good old fashioned Texas Red, which I can never divulge), it’s probably my favorite.
—Jaye

My favorite veggie chili combines freshly cooked pinto beans with diced then roasted zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, red bell peppers, onion, shallot and corn. I love to serve chili over rice to get some grains in with all that protein. And when I eat a meat-based chili, I load on fresh toppings like cilantro, diced purple cabbage, red onion, red bell pepper, grated carrots or pico de gallo.
—Paige

Top-Rated Chili Recipes

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

White Turkey Chili

Colorful Turkey Chili

Seafood Chili Blanco

Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

Tofu Blanco

Tempeh and Bell Pepper Chili

Buffalo Bill Chili

What’s your favorite chili?

Cascal
Non-Alcoholic Effervescent Sodas
Upgrade your lunch or dinner with handcrafted Cascal, an ingeniously delicious bubbly born in France and fermented for a “grown-up” taste. Available in Crisp White, Light Red and Fine Dry.

Coconut Secret
Organic Coconut Aminos
Made from the nutrient-rich “sap” of the coconut tree, these are raw, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan alternatives to soy sauce, dressings and marinades with less sodium and more beneficial ingredients.

Dr. McDougall’s
Ready-to-Serve Soups
Delicious and filling with whole pieces of vegetables, beans and pasta, but limited calories and salt. BPA-free, eco-friendly packaging sourced from FSC certified forests. Try Lentil, Vegetable, Black Bean, Chunky Tomato, Split Pea, Minestrone and Roasted Pepper.

GoodBelly
Lemon Ginger Flavor Flavor Bigshot 50
Provides 50 billion live and active cultures per serving. Patented Lp299V strain is clinically proven to support digestive function and strong immunity. Dairy free, wheat free, soy free and vegan!

Back to Nature
Granola Cookies
Chewy 100% whole grain cookies sweetened with cane juice, fruit juice and honey now in new packaging made with 55% postconsumer recycled material and vegetable inks. Try Cranberry Pecan, Honey Nut or Dark Chocolate & Oats.

365 Everyday Value®
Zinc Lozenges with Vitamin C
Combines vitamin C and zinc in one refreshing, soothing natural lemon flavored lozenge. Provides essential antioxidants and nutrients for a healthy immune system.

TerrAmazon
Bath Teas
An amazing brand that responsibly harvests powerful, healthy botanical ingredients from the Amazon. Soak in their Bath Tea of antioxidants, minerals and organic essential oils.

Gojilania
SuperJuice Fruit Supplements
Great-tasting super fruit juices packed with antioxidants and other nutrients. Try all four delicious flavors: Purple Fruit, Red Fruits, Tropical and Antioxidant.

LoSalt
Reduced Sodium Salt
A great tasting way to a better lifestyle. One-third the sodium of regular, sea and rock salts and a good source of potassium. Kosher certified and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Products may only be available in some stores and only while supplies last.