And without further ado, this week’s randomly selected* winner…

Denice H:

If I am in need of a quick meal, I turn to soup. It is healthy, tastful, and easy. However, all the chopping,washing,peeling of the vegetables can be a pain. Instead I just open a jar of good quality mild salsa and add it to chicken stock. It is a great, quick foundation for many soups. It already has the mirepoix plus a nice small amount of heat.

Denice will be receiving a $100 gift card! We hope you enjoyed “value contest month” on our blog during October. For more giveaways, check out our Facebook Fridays and Twitter Thursdays for more weekly contests throughout the holidays.

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* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.

Congratulations to our randomly selected* winner…

Docletic:

Pasta Pomodoro in San Francisco bay area has a simple butter sauted bay leaf butternut squash ravioli recipe that I have made at home using store bought Japanese noodle/dumpling dough wraps. I’d love a better recipe. Also, the pomogranate martinis at Longhorns steakhouse – to die for. The cactus pears are good to, but nothing like pomogranate.

Docletic will be receiving a $50 gift card and three of our favorite cookbooks! Keep an eye out tomorrow and all this month for more great value giveaways on The Whole Story!

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* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.

Congratulations to our randomly selected* winner…

CadesMom:

I love your 365 semi-sweet chocolate chips! I make the 30 mile trip to get them whenever it’s time to bake cookies and brownies. I also buy in bulk! They have the richest, chocolaty-est taste. Wonderful!

CadesMom will be receiving a $50 gift card and a Better Bag loaded with some of our 365 Everyday Value favorites (and her favorite 365 semi-sweet chocolate chips!). Keep an eye out tomorrow and all this month for more great value giveaways on The Whole Story!

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* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.

Liana: I shop sales, buy store brands (Helllllloooo 365 Everyday Value products!), buy in bulk when possible, buy dried instead of canned (ex: dry beans are usually less expensive than canned beans), and in general shop at Whole Foods! Oh, and make a meal plan for the week & stick to it — that really helps, too!

Liana will be receiving a $50 gift card and a Better Bag loaded with some of our pantry favorites.  Keep an eye out tomorrow and all this month for more great value giveaways on The Whole Story!

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* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.

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.

Bring books into your home.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry.  Also, check out Chew on This – it has very similar content to Fast Food Nation, but is written specifically for teens and kids.

Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan is a 2006 non-fiction book that explores the question “What should we have for dinner?” To answer this question, Pollan follows four meals, each derived through a different food production system, from their origins to the plate.  Also, check out In Defense of Food, Pollan’s follow-up to the Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is part memoir, part journalistic investigation.  This book tells the story of how her family was changed by one year of deliberately eating food produced in the place where they live.

Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock is a fact-packed and funny offshoot of his Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me.

Have a family movie night.

SuperSize Me follows filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock who makes himself a test subject in this documentary about the commercial food industry. Rigorously eating a diet of McDonald’s fast food three times a day for a month straight, Spurlock is out to prove the physical and mental effects of consuming fast food.
(You can watch this movie for free on YouTube here.)

Fast Food Nation is dramatic feature based on material from the incendiary book Fast Food Nation, a no-holds-barred exploration of the fast food industry that ultimately revealed the dark side of the “All American Meal.” (Note: This movie is rated R, so use your discretion.)

Food, Inc is an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry.

King Corn tells the story of two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation.

Send them links to online videos.

Mark Bittman talks what’s wrong with what we eat | TED Talk

Ann Cooper talks school lunches | TED Talk

Michael Pollan gives a plant’s eye view | TED Talk

Dean Ornish on the world’s killer diet | TED Talk

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Encourage them to take action.

Now that you’ve got them all riled up, give them some suggestions as to where to focus all that revolutionary energy.

Take Part Social Action Network offers resources to take part in over 119 global issues ranging from climate change to organic foods to clean water.

The Ocean Conservancy is hosting their annual International Coastal Cleanup on September 19th at a waterway near you.  Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds of trash in 100 countries and 42 US states during the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup — the world’s largest volunteer effort of its kind.

Teens Turning Green is a national movement of youth transforming the world by investigating and eliminating toxic exposures in daily lives, schools and communities, advocating for change in policy and habits to protect our health, and educating peers and the community about greener alternatives.

Got any great resources or ideas to share with other parents for how to positively influence their kids?  Please leave a comment with your thoughts.  Thanks and good luck!

We’ve partnered with Chef Ann Cooper, a.k.a. “The Renegade Lunch Lady,” to help schools make a change. Chef Ann has already transformed the school lunch experience for tens of thousands of children across America by helping their schools switch from processed foods to fresh, natural ingredients and scratch-made meals.

Today – Friday, August 28 at 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST, Ann Cooper will be answering YOUR questions about school lunch reform and what you can do to help make simple, yet revolutionary changes to school lunch programs in your area.

Note: You must have a Facebook or Twitter account in order to submit questions, but anyone can watch the live chat video on Facebook.  Check out the link below for more information on how to participate.

Participate in the live chat on Facebook

I am submitting my husband Cliff for the Father’s day drawing.

He has been a great father to our two sons and for them the sun rises and sets on him.  Cliff had bypass surgery 2 years ago at age 54 and has recently taken a liking to organic veggies and other products and has become more aware of eating for good health. We would like to help him become healthier with good foods to eat so that we will have him around for many years to come. He is so deserving as he is the most giving person of himself.

Leela will be receiving two general admission tickets to one of the greenest festivals around, Bonnaroo!  The festival runs from June 11th – 14th and Whole Foods Market will be right in the middle of the action in Planet Roo with our well stocked natural and organic general store, open daily from 10am – 2am.  Visit us for delicious treats and staples such as frozen fruit bars, fresh fruit and veggies, wheatgrass shots, organic string cheese, gluten-free granola, vitamins and more, plus goodies from our supporting partners: Lifeway Kefir, ONE Natural Experience, Qbel, Talenti Gelato, and Greek God Yogurt.Leela will be receiving two general admission tickets to one of the greenest festivals around, Bonnaroo!  Visit us for delicious treats and staples such as frozen fruit bars, fresh fruit and veggies, hummus, organic string cheese, gluten-free granola, vitamins and more, plus goodies from our supporting partners: Lifeway Kefir, ONE Natural Experience, Qbel, Talenti Gelato, and Greek God Yogurt.

Check out our full product selection and other cool info on our Whole Foods Bonnaroo Facebook page.  See you in Manchester, TN!

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* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.  No, we didn’t look for someone from Tennessee who happened to live in a town fourteen miles from the festival.  It was a complete coincidence.  We thought about tossing it out and re-doing the random selection but that wouldn’t have been fair, would it?

What do Bruce Springsteen, bio-diesel generators and Whole Foods Market all have in common?  We will all be at Bonnaroo 2009 from June 11th – 14th!   Want to be there too? Read on for info about winning tickets!

So, some of you may be asking, “What is Bonnaroo?” Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage camping festival held every June on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. The festival brings together over 120 of the nation’s top acts and emerging artists in rock and roll, jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica and just about any contemporary music you can think of. Every year, 90,000 attendees from all across the country descend upon Bonnaroo to witness dozens of epic performances as well as experience around-the-clock attractions and activities, including a discotheque arcade, onsite cinema, comedy theater, silent disco, beer festival, environmental and music technology villages and street theater performers to name a few.

So, why will Whole Foods Market be at a huge music festival?  Well, for one thing, Bonnaroo isn’t like most other music festivals.  Bonnaroo has the distinction of being the only festival in the United States to be recognized by the UK organization – A Greener Festival for their longstanding commitment to sustainability.  This year, with new on-site utility sources, water initiatives and an emphasis on buying local, Bonnaroo continues to provide an amazing entertainment experience while fostering a community that cares for our planet. So far, 40% of patrons have participated in Bonnaroo’s “green ticket” program, adding a donation to their ticket orders to support the festival’s large-scale environmental efforts.

The list of this amazing festival’s green accomplishments and initiatives goes on and on, covering everything from use of biodiesel for power generators, implementation of a solar powered stage, recycling and composting containers throughout the festival, use of compostable utensils, plates and cups, and much much more!  Here’s a complete list of Bonnaroo greening initiatives.

Whole Foods Market will be at the festival in a large tent right in Planet Roo, serving up healthy natural and organic treats for when you need to refuel throughout your festival experience.  We’ll have good stuff like frozen fruit bars, fresh fruit and veggies, organic string cheese, gluten-free granola, vitamins and more! Our store will also feature goodies from our supporting partners: Lifeway Kefir, ONE Natural Experience, Qbel, Talenti Gelato, & Greek God Yogurt! Stop by and visit us.  Our general store will be open every day of the festival from 10am – 2am.

Haven’t got a ticket to Bonnaroo?  Well you’re in luck!  Leave a comment on this blog post telling us your favorite festival food and you will be entered into a sweepstakes for two tickets to Bonnaroo 2009!  (Travel and lodging not included.) The winner will be randomly selected and contacted on Wednesday May 27th (so make sure you get your comment in before 8am CST that day!) and will be announced in the blog on Thursday May 28th.  Good luck!

And without further ado, the winner of the SXSW Gift Bag Giveaway is… Comment #3 from Michele Pineda!

Congratulations, Michele and thanks again to everyone for posting!