Why Whole Foods?

Interestingly enough, on Mondays and Wednesdays I sometimes find myself eating my lunch on the floor outside my America on Film classroom. A girl in my class who is sometimes waiting in the same spot asked me what I was eating today and commented that she often wonders what I am eating but is usually afraid to ask for fear of seeming nosey. I found this incredibly amusing, as I am one of the nosiest people in the world. I was eating homemade vegetable sushi (avocado, carrot, cucumber, nori, and brown rice) with some shredded daikon. This conversation led to her asking where I got the nori and me detailing it's precise location in the Symphony Whole Foods.

Already I was proud of myself today for taking two leaps at social interaction. Now, instead of dwelling on my success at being a functional human being for the afternoon, I would like to discuss Whole Foods as a whole. Why is it important to me that I buy my food there as opposed to Shaws or Stop and Shop? Someone asked me this quite recently and I would like to elaborate.

Above the simple fact that a lot of my favorite foods (or even a variety of vegan foods in general) aren't available at the average supermarket, there are the environmental and health concerns:

1. Whole Foods is an active participatant in the non-GMO project. I have no desire to eat genetically modified foods. Anything that has been genetically engineered to withstand endless amounts of Roundup (a pesticide) is not something I want to be putting in my body. Mother Nature had it right from the beginning, and Whole Foods makes an enormous effort to avoid and protest the sale/distribution of genetically modified foods.

2. Whole Foods also has a great deal of locally grown/locally created products in stock. This contributes to the local economy as well as putting less strain on the environment. They are also avid supporters of the Free Trade and Organically grown movements.

3. Whole Foods does an extraordinary job of providing proper nutrition labeling and information to their consumers.

4. Whole Foods was also listed alongside Trader Joe's and Starbucks as one of the most wholesome and friendly environments to work in Forbes. Their employees will go out of their way to help you and generally give off a feel-good vibe that really enhances my grocery shopping experienced.

These are just a few of the many reasons when I am doing my grocery shopping and I have to give my money to a particular store, I choose to shop at Whole Foods. I can feel much better about the direction my money is taking and even better about the food I am about to eat, not to mention I can feel super good about my shopping experience lacking the same stress I would be feeling at another store.

I'm excited for tomorrow. It will FINALLY be March, and I'm so very happy for that. Also, does anybody else think Orson Welles looks like a total creeper in Citizen Kane?

Lazy Friday and Super Saturday!

Usually I find February to be terribly dull and I rejoice in it being the shortest month of the year. Now I know I failed at updating yesterday, but I was surprisingly not at school as long as I usually am. After my early class and going to the gym, my boyfriend picked me up so we could hang out, do some laundry, and cook dinner.

Dinner was absolutely delicious. Not to brag, but I make a mean pico de gallo. It is spicy but because the vegetables are fresh it is also a little bit sweet. We also lived a little bit on the edge and got some vegetable rolls (a cucumber roll, a carrot roll, and an avocado roll). It was nice to not make my own sushi for a change! I'm ashamed to admit that I may have eaten about a few (or eight) too many Newman's Own cookies (they make amazing dairy free cookies). Clearly I lack self control. The perfect ambiance to accompany our dinner? Goodfellas. Robert DeNiro is amazing, and I did have a laugh watching Joe Pesci.

After a night like that it would seem as though my weekend couldn't get any better. You would be so wrong. Surprise! My family came to visit me (except for my brother). My favorite thing is to have my family visit. I get terribly homesick when I don't see my family for too long (two weeks is my limit on too long, though I have gone longer). My sister is diving head-first into the college application process, and with an amazing offer from one of her top schools she needed to revisit Boston for a tour.

After the tour my parents took us out for lunch at P.F. Changs, and I got an absolutely delicious brown-rice Buddha Feast. It was five-spice tofu with asparagus, broccoli, and green beans. I have leftovers for dinner so I am beyond excited that I get to enjoy it twice. The thing I love about hanging out with my family is that it is always comfortable, and even if I am not home it FEELS like I am.

Another treat that simply ices the cake? Grocery shopping! Grocery shopping is honestly one of my favorite things to do. It is calming and filled with possibilities. My parents took me to Whole Foods and in honor of that awesomeness, I have decided to grace this blog with its first picture! The food looked so delicious sitting on the table, so I knew I had to document it.

Doesn't that look so amazing? I can hardly wait to start using it! I feel so spoiled with a weekend full of loved ones, clean laundry, and amazing food!

I'm not planning on leaving the house tonight (a bit too cold outside) so I'm going to stay close to the heater and study for the two exams I have this week and maybe watch a bit of Take Home Chef. Maybe February is trying to send me a message that it's not so bad after all...