No, we’re not talking romance novels. As a mission-driven company, we’ve attracted a whole lot of team members who are passionate about animal compassion, our environment and all things related to food — from cooking and serving to local and global food issues. To help you in your gift-giving quest, we gathered some of our favorite mission-related books that we would love to receive or give this holiday:

Walter wants to unwrap The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them by Wayne Pacelle. Penned by the president of the Humane Society of the United States, the book promises to be a passionate, insightful and comprehensive examination of humankind’s special connection to all creatures. The author explores our newfound understanding of animals’ remarkable emotional and cognitive capacities. After revealing how we’ve broken the bond with our industrialized farming practices, Pacelle points the way to a new, humane economy — one built on the celebration, stewardship and care of animals. Two paws up for that!

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We like to eat and cook around here! We also love cookbooks. I asked my co-workers which cookbook they’d most like to receive this holiday season.  Here’s a list worth checking twice:

• Kate L. and Natanya both hope that Santa brings John Besh’s My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking. Natanya was enthralled by Besh’s first cookbook, My New Orleans, and appreciates Besh for his southern charm, family-inspired recipes and unrelenting commitment to his community. According to Kate, “This latest cookbook from my favorite New Orleans chef frames up what I’m about: a busy mom from Louisiana who is passionate about serving up delicious, fresh, home-cooked meals. Besh emphasizes seasonal and local produce and conveys simple strategies to get tasty meals on the table any night of the week.”

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The New York Times has spent quite a bit of ink lately on how the new administration may affect the way we eat in the U.S. Personally, I find this all very interesting and I wonder what others are thinking about it. With Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman on staff, it seems the NY Times is covering this issue more than others, but I’d love links to other articles that you are seeing out there. Here’s what I’ve read recently:

Back in October before the election, Michael Pollan wrote an open letter to whoever would be the next President called Farmer in Chief and he detailed what he’d like to see changed about food policy in our country.

Last week Marion Burros wrote Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House – the most detailed article I’ve seen on the garden and quotes from Michelle. An example:
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This Sunday’s Big Game is likely to offer a little something for nearly everyone – serious football for the sports enthusiast, a star-studded halftime show for the drama queen and outlandishly high-budget commercials for anyone who doesn’t want to be left out of the all-important water-cooler discussions on Monday.   But what Game Day gatherings don’t typically offer, however, are decent food options, especially for those with special dietary needs.

But this year, have no fear.  Along with a couple of food blogging friends, we’ve put together a tasty Big Game spread sure to please any fan of good football and/or good food:

Appetizers

Spicy Cheddar-Jack Cauliflower Dip (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free) and
Eight-Layer Mediterranean Dip (Vegetarian) from Whole Foods Market

Vegan Pita Chips, Caramelized Onion Dip (Gluten-Free), and
Cheesy Straws from Bittersweet (all Vegan)

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When I wake up on cold mornings in the middle of winter, it’s hard to force myself to get out from underneath the warm blankets. Having a hot breakfast helps make the morning bearable. Did you know that skipping breakfast can contribute to weight gain because you end up snacking and eating larger meals later in the day? Without breakfast, you also may not be at the top of your game. A respected European study showed better performance and cognitive ability in people who ate carbohydrates with protein for breakfast. Other studies have shown that brain function in children who skip breakfast is drastically reduced by late morning.

So, we’ve been reading about breakfast! Here’s some solid info from our website:  Breaking for Breakfast and our audio podcast celebrating February as Hot Breakfast Month.

Yeah, yeah, we know it’s not quite February yet, but we’re always ahead of the curve!

So, with breakfast on the brain, we bring you some healthy breakfast ideas from around the web. Read the rest of this entry »

We just wanted to send out a big congratulations to two of our Local Producer Loan Program recipients who are now making an impact beyond our shelves!

Dr. Melina

Melina Jampolis of Dr. Melina is CNN’s new health and diet expert. She is a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist (one of only 200 in US). She specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment.

She was the recipient of a Local Producer Loan from Whole Foods Market that aided her in rolling out her specially formulated protein bars and other products.

In her new role at CNN, she is advising people with a variety of diet and exercise related health concerns.

Justin’s Nut Butter

As mentioned on the Today Show, Justin’s Nut Butters are an excellent choice to keep on hand for healthy snacking.  His nut butters are produced in small quantities from the highest quality natural and organic ingredients and come in convenient single serving packs for taking on the road, keeping at your desk in the office, throwing into your bag, etc.

Whole Foods Market in Boulder was Justin’s first retail outlet for his nut butters, and our Team Members have worked with him to grow his business. Justin’s Nut Butter can now be found in five of our eleven regions! He’s using his loan to expand his production of the single serving packs.

If you have any questions about our Local Producer Loan Program, check out the FAQ section of the web page or contact the program coordinators directly at LPLP@wholefoods.com.

So we’re nine days into the new year – how are you doing with your resolutions?

Still going strong? Excellent.

Not doing so well? Well, it’s all right. Many of us set lofty goals for ourselves at the beginning of this year and are at a loss as to where to start.  Oftentimes the biggest changes we want to set into motion in our lives require small pushes. Whether you want to be healthier, more environmentally minded or happier – all of these goals are attainable with a bit of a nudge.  Check out what we’re reading this week to inspire us into taking those first steps toward achieving our goals. What are you doing?

Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen

Mark Bittman strips the cupboards bare and then stocks them back up in his NY Times column.

While you’re stocking up, you might clear out a bit of the detritus that’s cluttering your shelves. Some of these things take up more space than they’re worth, while others are so much better in their real forms that the difference is laughable. Sadly, some remain in common usage even among good cooks. My point here is not to criminalize their use, but to point out how easily and successfully we can substitute for them, in every case with better results.

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Whoa, is it already December 19th?!  The holidays have crept up faster this year than ever before and I haven’t even started making all the wonderful homemade gifts I’d been planning on.  My lofty goals of handknit scarves with matching hats and little oil paintings for all my loved ones are seeming more and more out of reach each day.  But I’m still all for homemade and filled with love – so what’s a girl to do?  Thankfully, some of my favorite blogs are filled with inspiration for making excellent, creative gifts.

Tele-Graham Crackers: Sweet Treats in the Mail

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I don’t know about you – but the words “potluck” and “cookie swap” incite my usually suppressed sense of competition and I suddenly become compelled to bring not only an amazing dish or dessert, but the most amazing dish or dessert. Our office cookie swap is coming early next week and I am panicked as how to make the most impressive, delicious, praise-winning cookies ever made by man, woman or Martha Stewart. So, this week, I’ve spent hours pouring over food blogs for tips on perfecting cut-out cookies, substitutions for special diets and other pointers for making show stopping treats.

Cut It Out!

While it would certainly be much quicker to make these classics as drop cookies, it’s all about the cut-outs, if you ask me. Endless varieties of cookie cutters catch my eye every time I find myself shopping for kitchen supplies, and now is the time of year I can put those impulse buys to good use. These shaped cookies can do more than just feed the stomach, but also treat the eyes, and quite possibly elevate one’s mood. The effort put into making these cookies into something special is what truly makes them a perfect gift. It takes a bit of patience, skill, and luck, but I have a few tips to help you get started in case you need some reassurance.

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The holidays can be a stressful time on many levels – picking out the perfect presents, cooking large elaborate meals with the family and all the travel to get to your loved ones.  This week, we’re featuring some sites that provide some great advice on how to keep things safe and stress-free.

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