Your summer adventure may be a weekend getaway, a week long journey or longer but there’s no reason to compromise your standards when away from home. Whether nourishing your body with smart snacks or revitalizing with the right natural body products, plan ahead for your summer adventures with these handy travel tips.

Snack Smart on the Fly

The right snacks provide energy to keep you buzzing around, happy as a bee in summer.

• Create a custom trail mix in Whole Foods Market’s bulk foods area before a hike, canoe trip or campout. From crunchy almonds to tongue-tingling wasabi peas, mix it up to suit your taste.
• Hit the road with easy-to-carry snacks such as nutrition bars, dried fruits, nuts and veggie chips.
• Keep cool and hydrated. Drink plenty of water, whether it’s au naturel, naturally flavored or vitamin enhanced, or natural electrolyte beverages for active outings.
• Pick portable produce. Apples, bananas, grapes, cherry tomatoes and baby carrots are easy to eat out-of-hand. When convenient, pair them with tasty dips like hummus or peanut butter.

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One of the great pleasures of summer is the abundance of fresh fruit and veggies and we’re often asked how we always deliver produce at its peak? Our buyers maintain relationships with local growers, and our field inspectors travel year round to visit farmers so that we can bring you the best-tasting fresh, ripe produce.

Now is the time to load up on peak-of-season produce. But what to do with all those summer favorites? From salsas to smoothies, we’ve got lots of ideas for you to fully enjoy all that summer has to offer.

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It’s summertime and the livin’ should be easy. Make the most of every summer day by spending less time in the kitchen, cooking outdoors more often, or not cooking at all! Try these everyday solutions to make summer all that you want it to be.

Keep It Easy

Take a laid-back approach to meal planning. Simply pick what’s in season (and on sale) then build a meal around it. Top summer faves:

• Fresh corn on the cob
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Fresh wild-caught halibut

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From graduations to weddings, pool parties or simple family get-togethers, summer is a time to enjoy and celebrate outdoors and in! Look no further than Whole Foods Market for the freshest ideas to make the most of the season.

Simple Appetizers Anywhere

Poolside – Go light and casual with mini wrap sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, guacamole, fruit salsas or fresh fruit and veggie trays.

Garden Party – Go fresh and elegant with crab cakes, empanadas, mini quiches or tarts, cheese straws, goat cheese spreads, tomato crostini or antipasto platters.

BBQ Bash – Go for hot appetizers right off the grill like bacon-wrapped shrimp, chicken wings, tofu satay, quesadillas or stuffed jalapenos.

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THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND WE’LL BE ANNOUNCING A WINNER SOON. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE COMMENTS!

When summer gives you lemons, we say make one of summer’s best coolers: lemonade! When the heat is on and the kids are looking for something to do this summer, a lemonade stand may be just the answer for fun and a sure-fire thirst-quenching activity. Lemonade stands are synonymous with summer and can teach kids a few business skills, get them outdoors and even help them support a good cause by donating the proceeds.

Ready for business? Perfect for the young entrepreneur in us all, this gift basket contains everything you need to serve up lemonade with a smile. Enter your comment by June 14th telling us how you make your favorite summer beverage for a chance to win our Summer’s Best Lemonade Stand Gift Basket. One winner will be randomly selected to receive the Summer’s Best Lemonade Stand Gift Basket, a $100 value, plus a $50 gift card so you can pick up fresh lemons and other special ingredients to make your stand the best.

Here’s what you’ll find in the basket:

• 2 BPA-free Reusable Cups with Straw
• Good Grips Large Wooden Slotted Spoon
• Good Grips Large Wooden Spoon
• 365 Everyday Value Organic Cane Sugar
• 365 Everyday Value Clear Plastic Cups
• Good Grips Citrus Juicer
• Simply Organic Cocoa Brownie Mix
• Dr. Oetker Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade
• Santa Cruz Organic Cherry Lemonade

So tell us about your favorite summer beverage in the comments below by June 14th for a chance to win a lemonade stand gift basket. Enjoy Summer’s Best!

THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND WE’LL BE ANNOUNCING A WINNER SOON. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE COMMENTS!

One of our favorite summer pastimes is backyard grilling! Ripe summer produce, juicy burgers, delicious kabobs, fresh seafood and hearty steaks all stack up as summer favorites with a little fire, some seasonings and an attentive grill master. Look no further than Whole Foods Market for the freshest and seasonally best foods at peak perfection and for strategies to help you make the most of the season both indoors and out.

Check out these summer-friendly tips to backyard grilling:

Build A Better Burger

• Better beef makes a better burger. Ours is ground fresh in-house and seasoned with only natural ingredients.
• Go beyond beef and try a burger made with turkey, lamb, pork or seafood.
• Try healthier whole-grain buns with no artificial preservatives.
• Bring the flavor up a notch with a great melting cheese, such as aged Grafton classic reserve Cheddar, Havarti with dill or a Brie-style cheese.
• Dress it up with condiments – we only sell those that meet our Quality Standards for no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Top Tips for the Grill Master

1. Clean your grill thoroughly with a grill brush before each use.
2. Oil the rack prior to heating by soaking a clean rag with high-heat oil and wiping grates.
3. Preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes; allow a charcoal grill to burn for 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Do your prep work ahead of time, then set up a work station near the grill to make your ingredients easily accessible.
5. Have a clean sheet tray or platter ready for resting cooked items as you remove them from the grill.

Light your Eco-Friendly Fire

At Whole Foods Market, our hardwood charcoal made from oak, maple and hickory wood trimmings is easy to light, and burns hotter and cleaner than conventional varieties. Use a chimney starter as an alternative to lighter fuel.

Summer Sizzle: Meat & Poultry

Our beef, chicken and pork are now evaluated according to the Global Animal Partnership 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating. (To learn more, download our brochure.) And, as always, all of our meat and poultry comes from animals that meet our standards for no antibiotics, ever. Let our butchers help make summer easier with cooking suggestions, custom cuts, marinating and seasoning.

The Best Catch for Your Grill

You can always count on fresh seafood at Whole Foods Market that has been raised or caught using environmentally responsible practices. We uphold the highest standards in the industry! Wild-caught seafood is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or utilizes the rating system of the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Blue Ocean Institute.

Farm-raised seafood meets our strict Aquaculture Standards, which prohibit antibiotics and added hormones, while supporting healthy ecosystems. What a catch for your grill!

In a Hurry? Just Add Heat!

Choose from our selection of grill-ready foods in the meat and seafood departments. All of them are freshly prepared with marinades and seasonings that meet our strict Quality Standards. All you add is the grill!

Some grill-friendly choices include:

• Chicken, pork, beef, lamb and seafood kabobs
• Several varieties of pre-seasoned ground beef patties
• House-made fresh sausages
• Salmon burgers and crab cakes

For more summer solutions to backyard grilling, we’ve prepared our Guide to Grilling as a great online resource filled with grilling techniques and suggestions.

Happy grilling!

THE CONTEST HAS CLOSED. CONGRATS TO HEIDI FROM COLORADO.  THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS!

Grab your tongs, don your apron and light your grills – it’s time to fire up for summer! At Whole Foods Market, we are excited to bring you Summer’s Best – a summer-long online and in-store roadmap to the freshest and seasonally best foods at peak perfection, strategies for making the most of the season both indoors and out, and solutions for enjoying summer full tilt.

Gear up for backyard grilling and Memorial Day (May 30) celebrations by entering to win our Summer’s Best Grilling Basket. You’ll become the master of the grill in no time with this basket stuffed with marinades, grilling tools, spices, condiments and more – all the essentials to help get your grill on!
Ready to start the season ripe? Tell us your favorite ways to make summer sizzle on the grill in the comments section below by May 22nd. One winner will be randomly selected to receive the Summer’s Best Grilling Gift Basket, a $100 value, plus a $50 gift card so you can pick up your favorite grilling necessities like charcoal, burgers, sausages, veggies, buns and more.

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Looking for the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? When romance is on the menu, there’s nothing quite like cooking a scrumptious meal for someone you care about and seafood never fails to impress. And there’s no need to be intimidated! Seafood is actually one of the easiest ingredients to cook with and often, is one of the fastest to prepare.

Start with flirty appetizers, serenade with a seasonally fresh salad or a seductive soup, and then charm your lover with a full-on romance with seafood entrées that would surely melt cupid’s heart. Below are our favorite recipes for love.

For passionate starters:

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When it turns chilly outside, my go-to favorites are comforting one-pot dishes that are easy to prepare, can sit on the stove cooking without a lot of attention and also fill the house with a delicious aroma. Chicken is one of my favorite choices for winter warmers, whether I’m cooking up a big pot of soup, a yummy jambalaya or chicken and dumplings.

Although I occasionally enjoy cooking projects that take hours, I don’t always have the time so I’ve found a few shortcuts. One of the best: using a high-quality chicken broth that not only adds tremendous flavor but also allows me to use pieces (such as chicken breasts) rather than a whole chicken. Read on to learn how you could win a case of organic kosher chicken broth!

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