Whole Food vs. Whole Foods

Just out of curiosity, I typed "whole food" into my search engine the other day. I was careful to use lower case, no caps. I'm dyslexic, and I've depended on the fact that the postal system is always somehow able to deliver my mail, even when I've misspelled names, left off zip codes, and used my illegible handwriting. Using the internet requires a level of accuracy that's really challenging for someone like me. One wrong letter on an email and you get the dreaded "returned - address unknown".

So I felt a little bamboozled when my search engine's first responses for "whole food" were from Whole Foods, the national organic grocery chain. I did my part as a dyslexic member of society to type it correctly, and I was hoping something a little more generic would pop up first: perhaps the Wikipedia entry for "whole food", which showed up much farther down the page. I guess commerce drives the car and Wikipedia "rides shotgun", to borrow a phrase from my kids when they fight over who rides in the front passenger seat.

I don't want to rag on Whole Foods. They definitely upped the ante with conventional supermarket chains, and we have them to thank for the fact that organic products are in most supermarkets these days. But Whole Foods is under fire at the moment for their globalization of the organic supermarket industry, and for the fact that, while they market themselves as an outlet for local farm produce, a lot of their produce comes from giant corporate organic farms in California and the rest of the world. The produce on their shelves burns as much fossil fuel getting to the store as anyone else's, which raises the question of how much better than your local supermarket Whole Foods ultimately is. And it shows the increasing refinement of our dialog about responsible eating.

I personally favor the Wikipedia entry for "whole food". According to them, "whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and refined, or processed and of course refined as little as possible before being consumed." Wikipedia goes on to specify that whole foods aren't necessarily organic, but they share traits with organic foods, such as lack of chemically-assisted growing techniques and processing.

Green is the new black this season. Consuming foods that are sustainable, CSA-farmed or low-impact is in vogue, and for good reason. But I think that embracing the general concept of "whole food" is more important for the health and well-being of the average family than chasing whatever hot buzzword is currently floating around. There are simple things you can do, things that don't require that you make a pilgrimage to a special organic market or attach an odometer to see how much mileage your produce has logged.

The Food Skinny suggests adopting a Whole Food Policy in your home. By that I mean, simply, that you do your best to make sure that all -- or as much as humanly possible -- of the food your family consumes is cooked from scratch and made from fresh ingredients, not processed items. Cooking your own food is the best way of knowing exactly what's on your plate (and the best way to portion control!).

But a Whole Food Policy doesn't mean you should never eat take-out or dine in a restaurant. Do a little neighborhood research and find merchants who cook the way you want to eat. If you don't have time to make your own chocolate chip cookies from scratch, ask the owners of your local bakeries what's in their products. You may be pleasantly surprised to find someone around the corner who's baking wholesomely, without additives, corn syrup, or stabilizers.

When dining out, try to avoid chain or theme restaurants. Most don't cook the way we do in my restaurants: using all fresh foods cooked to order. Many chain restaurant entrees are processed somewhere, frozen, and shipped to the franchises; they're just finished on-site before they're sent to your table.

As a part of your family's Whole Food Policy, support your local merchants who cook from scratch with unprocessed, whole foods. If they go out of business, you'll need to cook at home seven days a week. And that's not very sustainable for the cook in the family!

The Food Skinny says that adopting a Whole Food Policy in your household by cooking as much as possible from scratch without processed foods, and supporting restaurants and bakeries who cook the same way, is a small, simple way to improve life and health for your family, and, ultimately, for the planet.

Comments

[WASanford]

If this post doesn't convince you, may I suggest you read Barbara Kingsolver's new book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." You'll fall in love with her family,their story and her message.
By the way Mark, where are you restaurants?

[strausmark]

good choice also read the real bible on this subject The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Also read What to eat by Marion Nestle. Keep reading and fighting our kids are worth it.

[NoSillyName]

I can't afford Whole Foods. I shop at Trader Joe's, Vitamin Cottage, and Sam's Club.

[FZliveson]

What is the COST of eating food with pesticide residues, synthetic fertilizers, premature harvesting,
chemical treatment to preserve appearance? The healthfulness of our foods should be paramount.
However, in this day and age ruled by the mega-corporations, we are beguiled into thinking that everything green is healthy, everything raw is good, everything that is advertised is credible.
In this day and age where there are almost no inspections done on nutriceuticals and pharmaceuticals, we are at the whims of whomever supplies compounds into our commercial system.
Add to this the constant bombardment we get from microwave transmissions from cell phone towers, satelites and media stations, we are apt to mutate into gelatinous circuit boards before too long.
Money is only part of the equation

[mediamarv]

I live next door to an organic farm that supplies salad greens and vegetables to our local Whole Food markets.
Contrast that to the produce that appears in your local market, Mr Strausman, and you will have answered your own question.
Instead of asking easy, non controversial topics like this, why aren't you asking about corn subsidies and why that is destroying small farmers???

[strausmark]

You should read my first posting which does touch on this. My greens from the greenmarket in union square or the ones that I buy from Satur Farms on Long Island, not only stand up too but surpass anything sold in whole foods for the last ten years. Big industrial farming organic or conventional is big corporate farming. But in your case I agree and always support the local product.

[Annette]

Whole Food's store is expensive, but if you want to eat Stilton from England, Olives from Tuscany, and Beer from Belgium it is expensive. I will admit to an occasional foray into Whole Foods in Portland Or. But buying the most simple foods and preparing them at home the way you like them is a lot less expensive than junk from the market that is full of unknown stuff. And it tasts a lot better. It only costs a lot to eat like a peasant if you are silly about it. If you shop intelligently, prepare from scratch, and prepare what you like to eat (so you don't throw it away) it is way less expensive.

[strausmark]

Bravo! The area you live in is a prime example of being able to live a sustainable life. Eat the local berries, the local fish and enjoy the northwest one of America's true great food areas. Even before food became the fashion.

[bmedich]

Mr. Strausman, you do know that Google, Yahoo, etc. are paid by retailers and other entities so their names and links come out at the top of a search, right?

The actual food that is bought at Whole Foods is less important to many people than what they hope their purchases are saying about them (I'm smart, I'm healthy, I like to think I'm liberal, I'm so rich that $20 for pasta sauce seems about right). It's nice looking, artfully arranged food in a beautiful setting, But does shopping there, or any other store like it, actually make you a healthier person or the world even just a tiny bit better? I doubt it.

There was another Whole Foods-like chain in my town called The Peoples Market. Under cover of night, I wanted to change all of the signage on and around the store to read "Cheney's Market". Every thing else would be exactly as before. My prediction is that only half of The Peoples Market customers would stop shopping at the newly-rebranded store. Only those that thought shopping at a market called Cheney's might seriously hurt their street cred as liberals would definitely stop trading there. The rest would wait to see what their friends do and then follow the pack, Cheney or no Chenney. Cynical? You bet, but I stand my imaginary market research.

The Peoples Market was bought by Whole Foods. And the first thing they did was changed all the signs. In broad daylight.

[dadw5boys]

Well when our bread is delivered here it is alread 3 days old. The shut down all the local bakerys and the bread comes in from Atlanta. Several of the local gain mills which make flour have closed.

The consolidated their business to save money while leaving our breads setting on tractor trailors waiting to be unloaded and ship to the stores from a central point.

Day old bread here means 5 days old at best.

[strausmark]

That is why you elected local politicians should not be reelected again! Fight to keep your food supply clean.

[j.gold]

Don't you mean Whole Pay Check?

Why does it cost so much to eat like a peasant?

[strausmark]

Your right it shouldn't but that is something that should be a priority on the campaign trail this year.
Not as good press as Reverend Wright and Hilary in general. Unfortunately you will find Farmers
Markets expensive as well. Until we get together as a country and decide we are not going to let industrial farming and profits decide what we eat, real old fashion wholesome food will cost more.

[Noracharles1995]

Good questions. One alternative is your local farmers' market. Fortunately, a new one is opening near me this weekend. I'll be there each week if possible.

[dadw5boys]

Raise your own seeds and Peasant then it gets really cheap to eat them.

[TheShadow]

Buy local at your nearest Farmer's Market, and grow a garden like "Noracharles1995", and "dadw5boys" stated. Support your neighbors who grow the food, and give them the financial break for all of the hard work they do. Besides, getting to know just where and how your food is handled from seed to your table is worth millions to your health, and helps the local economy.