Environmental awareness has come into fashion recently. Many people drive hybrid cars, buy energy-saving light bulbs, and use recyclable bags for their shopping, but there’s more to going green than just lowering your carbon dioxide emissions. It’s just as important to look out for your body, and one way to do that is to shop at organic supermarkets.
There are local farmer’s markets wherever there are farms, and, if you have a green thumb, growing your own food is also an option. However, if you’re looking for a chain, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are two of the most popular stops for organic food. I recently made a visit to my local Whole Foods in Bellingham, Massachusetts, where I discovered a huge variety of organic and nonorganic food. The produce was from local farms, and it was arranged artfully in stacks rather than piles, to minimize bruising. There were four separate salad bars, as well as soup for a lunch on-the-go. The bakery had fresh bread on display, as well as some sweeter treats. Fresh fruit tarts and cheesecakes are something that you probably won’t find in the average grocery store.
Whole Foods isn’t just a place to buy food for later, they also have a wide variety of pre-made meals available. Within a refrigerated glass counter, customers can sample from over a dozen platters of organic gourmet food. The meal options range from sandwiches to squash tortellini, and each one is accompanied by a card listing its ingredients. The staff was eager to describe the dishes and help customers choose their meal. The prices are a little high, but the quality of the food is worth it. After purchasing groceries and a meal, customers can sit and enjoy their food in a small café area. Whole Foods should definitely be the destination of the discerning organic shopper.
Whole Foods: *****
