Whole Foods

[Guest guest]

Terry - I was lucky enough to live in Austin before there was more than

one Whole Foods store.and never experienced any of these problems in the

store there. I moved away 3 years ago, so it's certainly possible that

things have changed, but I would be floored if I walked into that store

and experienced what you've described. They always had meat and fish,

but it was a very well-kept area and was easily by-passed. I am sad to

hear about that and I hope you will complain loudly. Sometimes we have

to remind these folks how they got to where they are!

 

 

 

 

Lauren Niedel [lniedel]

Thursday, March 24, 2005 9:59 PM

 

Re: (unknown)

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

YES!!! There has been a HUGE change since Bread and Circus of MA was

bought out by Whole Food markets from TX. (maybe it is actually a BUSH

CONSPIRACY) B & C (Boston Based) originally did not sell any meat or

Fish and was almost completely organic - also did not sell any

supermarket type stuff such as Bryers, Garelick, Kelloggs cereals, Heinz

ketchup etc.

 

But the one we go to is on Main Street - it has a huge sit down area and

sell great Vegan and vegetarian entrees - You can get tofu made in at

least 4 different ways - I actually used Whole Foods to cater my

daughters Bat Mitzvah - and the food was phenomonal! and Whole Foods

has their own brand which makes getting Natural foods easier and less

expensive.

 

Bread and Circus on the other hand did not sell ANY PRODUCTS with

refined sugars - corn syryp etc - where as Whole Foods market does. The

one on North Main St is much bigger and better than the one on Waterman

- and it is too bad that you did not have a good experience there - but

we do shop there all of the time and they offer a HUGE assortment of

Organic vegetables and fruits and they clearly list it so u know if it

is local, imported (and from where) and Organic or conventionally grown.

i just completely avoid the Fish/sushi/meat area!

 

Whole foods also has a great vitamin/homeopathic/naturopathic and beauty

center where you can buy just about everything. So it is convenient and

they have a great selection - but they also try to cater to the

mainstream as well as vegans and vegetarians - and I think that has

helped make them so successful.

 

 

Terry Somerson <terry wrote:

 

 

Hi Lauren,

 

I was in the Whole Foods on Waterman St. in Providence the other day and

the place reeked of bad fish and spoiled meat. I was really distressed

by the atmosphere in the store. I've always enjoyed shopping in Whole

Foods -- the store in Palo Alto near where I lived in California for a

long time was like heaven -- but it seems that more and more now they

are pushing meat and fish front and center. Have you noticed this in the

Providence stores? Has there been a change of management at Whole Foods?

 

Terry

 

 

 

 

U R so right - I live in a RI in a rural town - but we are close to

Providence and near all conveniences including Whole Food Markets. It is

extremely difficult to have to make some of these decisions regarding

food and purchases. I can boycott Wal-Mart - but that is because there

are other stores neat me that aren't as bad - but if you only have a

Wal-Mart near your choices are extremely limited.

 

I guess in general we all just try to do what is in the best interest of

our families while trying to maintain some kind of consistency in our

daily lives.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Rice cakes and crackers are fine for a little one who does not choke

easily--they do crumble. You must judge your own child's ability there, I think.

I

totally agree about the " processed foods " thing, too. When one changes a diet to

eliminate things, whether it's transitioning to vegan, going gluten free or

whatever, we tend to eat a lot of prepared foods. This, I think, is probably

because we are not yet comfortable with our new food choices, so we try as much

as possible to go with the familiar or easy. But GF junk food is still JUNK!

 

I think a lot of parents of Celiac kids overlook this in their stress about

the new dietary restrictions. I know I saw this on the Celiac lists--lots of

talk about " Is Cocoa Pebbles GF? " WHO CARES??? Do you really want your kid

eating that? Yet when some of us more health aware mommies asked questions about

their choices, such as " Do you know that also has artificial color and flavor in

it, which can cause OTHER health issues? " , they complained to the listowners

about US! I know they were probably stressed out, and used to the Standard

American Diet and not willing to hear about nutrition, but it was kind of ironic

that the ones trying to help were the ones ostracized. I like it HERE, just

fine! Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Personally, I wouldn't waste time with rice cakes. They are very low in

nutritional value and for little ones who have small tummies anyway, it's

important to make sure each bit is nutritious. Save rice crackers and rice

cakes for later OR in a pinch, pour some warmed water over the rice cakes and

make a cereal mush.

 

I would look more to thinks like softer vegetables and fruits and other finger

foods. With the need to make sure all food going in is nutricious I might offer

hummous or tzatziki or baba ghanouj as a " dip " to go along with the vegetables.

 

BL

 

 

[Guest guest]

Tracy,

 

I don't know how I could have forgotten this basic

principal. A year and a half ago I started eating a

simple, whole foods, gluten free diet and it made me

feel better.

 

I think this obsession I've had recently with

processed foods (soy crisps, food bars, etc.) is

simply a vestige of a lifestyle I've had trouble

giving up. Convenience is only convenient if it keeps

you healthy.

 

Thanks for the reminder.

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn

 

I just think it sucks that they (food giants) make the convenience

foods cheaper than some good natural foods which we have to buy to

make from scratch. Perhaps our GF situation arises from us just

being nutritionally deficient to the point we can't deal with gluten

foods. It's a sad situation but we just have to deal with it. In an

ideal world, people will be eating everything organic and full of

nutrients so that we don't have to eat lots of food (quantity wise)

to be full. I'm sorry to say I'm no longer fully veg, but do have a

free range egg, some fish or free range chicken, every few days as

most civilizations were not vegetarian. But I highly recommend LOTS

of whole plant foods for optimum health. I'm in it for the health

that I joined this group. I totally disagree with the way meat is

produced now a days and how much waste goes into it, hormones,

antibiotics and all. Totally. In the past, people ate meat

infrequently and had far better health than now. It just sucks how

the food industry wants to make tonnes of money without caring about

people's health.

 

Sometimes I go to playgroup or my kid's parties and see all the junk

they eat, I feel sad that some people think it's actually food and

then they wonder why they get asthma or coughs and colds that keep

recurring at the same time drugging themselves silly so that they can

do it over again. Some mums just DO NOT want to LISTEN. Ah well.....

 

Tracey

[Guest guest]

Quoting sahmomof8:

 

 

> I think a lot of parents of Celiac kids overlook this in their stress about

> the new dietary restrictions. I know I saw this on the Celiac lists--lots of

> talk about " Is Cocoa Pebbles GF? " WHO CARES??? Do you really want your kid

> eating that? Yet when some of us more health aware mommies asked questions

> about

> their choices, such as " Do you know that also has artificial color and

flavor

> in

> it, which can cause OTHER health issues? " , they complained to the listowners

> about US! I know they were probably stressed out, and used to the Standard

> American Diet and not willing to hear about nutrition, but it was kind of

> ironic

> that the ones trying to help were the ones ostracized. I like it HERE, just

> fine! Marilyn

 

That really steamed me, especially the holier-than-thou stance about kids

being picky and giving them something with vitamins. I was just shocked that

they considered cocoa pebbles healthier than envirokidz koala krispies because

of the *vitamins* added to cocoa pebbles.

 

The amount of sugar and refined grains alone negate all of that. *sigh*

 

I sometimes wonder what any kids we have will do . . . probably drink all the

koolaid at their friends' homes.

 

ygg

[Guest guest]

I doubt you can call any kid's cereal healthy (gf isn't relevant). They are

basically candy you pour milk over (and always have been since they started

putting cartoons on front).

 

And growing up, kool-aid was tremendously cheaper than soda (which was for

special vacations), so we did get it as an after-school treat now and then

(but had to eat cheerios, raisin bran or shredded wheat for cereal -- any of

which I would kill for in a gf version, sep the shredded wheat).

 

Also remember that a few of those sites are mostly for those on the diet for

non-celiac reasons (and have kids that will refuse to eat for days if the

texture isn't " right " and who won't eat any vegetables at all except for

french fries or cheese drenched tater tots) - I constantly see msgs wanting

to know why the new veggie pasta they found (made from Durum or semolina)

isn't ok or debates on whether barley malt is " legal " " on the diet " if their

kids don't react (same with various animal milks).

 

>

>

> That really steamed me, especially the holier-than-thou stance about kids

> being picky and giving them something with vitamins. I was just

> shocked that they considered cocoa pebbles healthier than envirokidz

koala

> krispies because of the *vitamins* added to cocoa pebbles.

>

> The amount of sugar and refined grains alone negate all of that. *sigh*

>

> I sometimes wonder what any kids we have will do . . . probably drink all

the

> koolaid at their friends' homes.

>

 

---

[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

[Guest guest]

I think the underlying problem for many parents whether they are on the diet for

spectrum disorders or for celiacs is that they don't want their child to be

" different " and stand out from the crowd. The idea of choosing an alternative

plan for eating makes some parents think the child will be scarred for life and

will have no friends EVER.

 

Most people have little or no understanding about health and nutrition - to whit

the new " smart spot " on food packaging so people can see " healthier choices " at

a glance. Learning what constitutes safe gluten and casein free foods takes

alot of work most people have never had to invest before, and when we are

talking about people who believe Kraft Easy Mac is the height of afterschool

nutrition, it's more about overall education than it is about not wanting to

understand where gluten is.

 

Afterall, 80 % of the people I speak to think gluten is white sugar. That's

what comes of living in 1st world countries where health requires a food

pyramid instead of common ordinary every day sense. Groups like the dairy

industry has convinced the world that those who don't drink or eat bovine

mammary excretion products will suffer from lack of calcium and all the

attendant health problems. As long as people believe that, can we really expect

that they will know that durum and semolina are varieties of wheat?

 

BL

 

 

[Guest guest]

Kids' palates WILL adapt and be retrained in a short while, if ONLY healthy

options are available. Even severely autistic kids with only 3 or 4

" acceptable " food choices to begin with (none of them healthy or GFCF) will

begin to try

and enjoy new foods within days, amazing their parents! I have heard of this

over and over, and RARELY heard a parent say differently. Parents just either

don't want to bother taking kids' " favorites " away (overly indulgent parents

who " simply can't stand " to see little Debbie cry), or they feel too stressed

out personally to make the necessary changes for other reasons in their lives.

Not good, but reality.

 

As to believing the media hype about these great " fortified " cereals, and

choosing them over " healthier " ones, people choose to remain ignorant sometimes,

I think, out of sheer laziness. It's okay not to know what you've never been

taught, but to reject new information because it would mean change is just

deliberate ignorance, in my opinion. I get angry when I see this, because I've

seen it in my own family, so the subject is a sore one with me! Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

LOLOL!!!! Let those newbies post whatever they want to--I unsubbed! I don't

need the hassle, and they do not want to learn. Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Tracey--Your last paragraph says it all! I find young parents today

completely ignorant about nutrition, for the most part, and particularly

defensive and

unteachable. At times, I have the opportunity to " teach " by word or example,

indirectly. For instance, my kids will comment about a child eating something

we know is bad, and I will say (loudly enough for the parent to hear) something

like " I'm sorry those parents don't know what we know about artificial colors

and flavors in foods, and how dangerous they really are. I'm so glad we do

know, aren't you? " . Or when we go to the zoo, we'll bring our own foods, and

while other kids are whining for a blue " icee " at $4.00 each, my kids are

happily

drinking filtered water brought from home and snacking on raw sugar snap pea

pods and bunches of grapes! Don't think others don't notice, either--I have

gotten quite a few longing glances from kids, and curious looks from parents!

Maybe next time, THEY will bring a little cooler and backpack. Maybe. Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Don't look now, but another newbie just posted today : is fruitty pebbles

gf?

 

>

>

> As to believing the media hype about these great " fortified " cereals, and

> choosing them over " healthier " ones, people choose to remain

> ignorant sometimes,

> I think, out of sheer laziness. It's okay not to know what you've

> never been

> taught, but to reject new information because it would mean

> change is just

> deliberate ignorance, in my opinion. I get angry when I see this,

> because I've

> seen it in my own family, so the subject is a sore one with me! Marilyn

 

---

[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

[Guest guest]

Someone asked me a few days ago: " why does kellogg's have to put barley malt in

the frosted flakes? " . My answer was that all that sugar needed a little b

vitamins to help it digest - lol.

 

Honestly, like someone else said - who cares?

 

I know a treat now then is not a totally bad thing, and I would rather have the

children have a bowl sugary cereal than a pan of sausage and bacon but nature's

path cornflakes stirred into some homemade soy yoghurt mousse is better yet.

 

BL

 

 

[Guest guest]

NOW who's being judgmental??

Not ALL kids on the spectrum are the same. Although many kids may

eventually be willing to try new foods, some may not be so easy.

Please do not assume that you know my son, or me. I am not lazy or

ignorant. I have always fed my kids a vegetarian, mostly organic,

heavily raw diet.

I dropped off the GFCFkids list because they were heavy on meat and

judgment. I'm really disappointed to find the latter here as

well.

 

 

, sahmomof8@a... wrote:

> Kids' palates WILL adapt and be retrained in a short while, if ONLY

healthy

> options are available. Even severely autistic kids with only 3 or 4

> " acceptable " food choices to begin with (none of them healthy or

GFCF) will begin to try

> and enjoy new foods within days, amazing their parents! I have

heard of this

> over and over, and RARELY heard a parent say differently. Parents

just either

> don't want to bother taking kids' " favorites " away (overly

indulgent parents

> who " simply can't stand " to see little Debbie cry), or they feel

too stressed

> out personally to make the necessary changes for other reasons in

their lives.

> Not good, but reality.

>

> As to believing the media hype about these great " fortified "

cereals, and

> choosing them over " healthier " ones, people choose to remain

ignorant sometimes,

> I think, out of sheer laziness. It's okay not to know what you've

never been

> taught, but to reject new information because it would mean change

is just

> deliberate ignorance, in my opinion. I get angry when I see this,

because I've

> seen it in my own family, so the subject is a sore one with me!

Marilyn

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

ANY list is biased, and most people ARE judgemental, in one way or another,

according to their life experiences. I stand by what I said. I did not attack

ANYONE here on a personal level--no names were mentioned, and no particular

families were in my mind. I have no way of knowing what each and every family is

doing in their homes. I only spoke the truth as I have seen it work in real

life, many times over the years, which I believe I am entitled to do. If the

comments do not apply to you, my best advice is not to take it personally, and

delete the post. Or you can simply state what YOUR reality has been, if it

differs, without getting angry at someone whose experience has been different

than

your own. Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

>>>I dropped off the GFCFkids list because they were heavy on meat and

judgment. I'm really disappointed to find the latter here as

well.

 

Please stick with us here. We promise to leave the judgement behind and be a

helpful support group. A vegan and gluten free diet is so restricted, we need

to help one another all we can! The simple fact that we have endorsed the vegan

lifestyle generally means that we are interested in healthy, wholesome eating!

Adding the gluten-free element takes us one step further in this unique style.

It's not an easy one and I really encourage everyone here to be supportive and

thoughtful in their interactions.

 

Thank you!

LaDonna (your moderator)

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

>Please stick with us here. We promise to leave the judgement behind and be a

helpful support >group. A vegan and gluten free diet is so restricted, we need

to help one another all we >can! The simple fact that we have endorsed the

vegan lifestyle generally means that we are >interested in healthy, wholesome

eating! Adding the gluten-free element takes us one step >further in this

unique style. It's not an easy one and I really encourage everyone here to >be

supportive and thoughtful in their interactions.

 

 

Well said LaDonna. :-)

 

Deborah

 

 

[Guest guest]

~ We've all had our turn to speak on the subject of " whole foods " now, and

so let's turn our attention to other subjects for now. Let's consider it an

officially closed topic.

 

What are families doing for the 4th of July? Does anyone have a picnic

planned? What is your vegan and gluten free menu? Our family will be going

to our cabin in the mountains. In our ice chest you'll find:

 

*gluten-free bread for sandwiches

*Veganaise

 

*sweet onions, homemade pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes for sandwiches

*Eggless Egg Salad (made from tofu, Veganaise, chopped olives, and Bill's

Best Chicknish')

 

*bananas and apples

*a homemade potato salad

 

*a basmati brown rice salad (herbs and chopped veggies added)

*hot tea from a thermos and cold lemonade

 

*watermelon

*something for dessert that's yet to be determined (probably cookies)

 

Any ideas from the others?

 

~ LaDonna ~

[Guest guest]

La Donna

 

Being Canadian, we don't celebrate the 4th, but we also don't celebrate the 1st

as we only observe scriptural holidays. To us the day is just another day and

since I am the only one in the house trying to eat vegan - your list just made

my mouth water - not Fair! lol

 

BL

 

 

[Guest guest]

I am so glad somebody else feels this way. I am trying to eat this

way because I have had stomach problems and just found out I have

endometriosis. After some research I found that going wheat/gluten

free and cutting back on dairy would help me. It would be great if

you could post some examples of what you like to eat for meals.

 

For snacks I have been eating

veggies with hummus

apples, banana, or celery with peanut butter

nuts

yam chips (cut up in this slices and baked)

 

Also, instead of buying rice pasta, I just eat spaghetti squash with

sauce on it. I also use lettuce wraps for my sandwiches instead of

buying a lot of gluten free breads.

 

I would appreciate any meal ideas or recipes. I don't mean to sound

stupid, it is just sometimes you get in a rut and need a little

help!

Thanks,

Carrie

 

 

 

 

, " traceyheng "

<tracey@p...> wrote:

> Hi all

>

> From reading the posts, I think quite a few of us celiacs are

eating

> far too much processed foods for the sake of convenience. First

of all

> we should be eating more whole GF foods instead or relying on the

> packaged stuff or refined flours which just gum up your insides.

I

> find that with more whole foods and freshly made salads, I am able

to

> deal with my and my children's intolerances better. We must get

away

> from thinking that a packaged or processed food is better, whole

foods

> contain more vitamins, minerals and other stuff which science has

yet

> to discover. Well, just my two cents.

>

> Tracey

[Guest guest]

When my baby go to the daycare, the teacher & kids also look at his lunch box

like ???? Sweet potato, bake veg.

When my baby went to shopping with me, he ask for chips, choclate like other

kids. What other suggestion you have for snack for kids with GF & sugar free?

Lena

 

sahmomof8 wrote:

Tracey--Your last paragraph says it all! I find young parents today

completely ignorant about nutrition, for the most part, and particularly

defensive and

unteachable. At times, I have the opportunity to " teach " by word or example,

indirectly. For instance, my kids will comment about a child eating something

we know is bad, and I will say (loudly enough for the parent to hear) something

like " I'm sorry those parents don't know what we know about artificial colors

and flavors in foods, and how dangerous they really are. I'm so glad we do

know, aren't you? " . Or when we go to the zoo, we'll bring our own foods, and

while other kids are whining for a blue " icee " at $4.00 each, my kids are

happily

drinking filtered water brought from home and snacking on raw sugar snap pea

pods and bunches of grapes! Don't think others don't notice, either--I have

gotten quite a few longing glances from kids, and curious looks from parents!

Maybe next time, THEY will bring a little cooler and backpack. Maybe. Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I stuggle a lots since last aug, last month I try steamed veg for 3 weeks &

not pain at all, but last week day have a bit of stir fry & I got the pain again!

 

 

Did you put soy sauce on the vegetables? Stir fry sauces and soy sauce are

often loaded with wheat.

 

Marakay

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Carrie,

 

Food intolerance's (like celiac disease)don't show

themselves as clearly as allergies that cause an acute

histamine or anaphylactic reaction. A gluten reaction

often takes a day or more after consumption to develop

and the symptoms can increase in severity on the

second and third day. If you, like most people, eat

gluten every day it makes it impossible to

differentiate one reaction form the next. This is what

makes them so tricky to diagnose.

 

Hope you find some answers.

 

Tom

[Guest guest]

> Did you put soy sauce on the vegetables? Stir fry sauces and soy sauce are

> often loaded with wheat.

 

The thing to do is to check which sort of soy sauce it is. Shoyu is made

with wheat whereas tamari tends to be made without. (I don't recall ever

seeing any containing wheat but am being cautious so as not to mislead

anyone.) A lot of tamari does contain a little barley, so obviously it's a

no-no if you need a totally GF diet, but some varieties don't even have

barley in. Sanchi and Meridian each make a tamari without barley, but

otherwise it's a case of reading the label, really.

 

By the way, tamari is more expensive than shoyu but it's also much stronger,

so that probably balances out the cost.

 

By the way, this is my first post, so hello! Been on the list for a few

weeks and it's interesting; thanks.

 

Best wishes,

 

Anna

[Guest guest]

Jenni -- I lived in DC until three months ago (I'm now in Williamsburg, VA) and

Whole Foods is one of the things I miss the most about DC. Which one do you go

to?

 

Derek

 

P.S. -- " Celestial Seasonings " has a rooibos blend that has the word

" Madagascar " in it.

 

I have a tea from Yogi Tea called " african Redbush Peach " I LOVE IT!

first time I bought it was at a dollar type store in Los ANgeles.. then

I found it in a health food store in NYC..

I think Yogi still makes it and I can get it at Wholefoods here in DC!

=)

 

=) Jenni