Hahahaha!  I love this.  I only have two, but avoid that place just for the aisle widths and parking lot!  As my family grows, I can’t imagine trying to maneuver through that place and actually do any shopping.  Luckily for me, up north we have a wonderful place called Wegmans.  Their health food/organic section is the size of a Whole Foods but they also have a gigantic normal foods section with wide aisles, big restaurant, and low prices.  If you’re ever in the NY/PA/MD area, I would recommend stopping in one of them!

Whole Foods donates to Planned Parenthood!
I have always been so uncomfortable in that store.  Mainly, because there are never any other children there.  But now, even if I could afford to shop there, I wouldn’t anyway because of the PP connection.

Wow! You know, there are days I miss Whole Foods. We don’t have one anywhere near us, particularly for the awesome cheese selection. And then I remember how it felt to be a young mom carrying around just one toddler. It was like I was singlehandedly destroying the planet with my baby and plastic bags. Have you seen the Whole Foods parking lot rap? Ain’t nobody gets between me and my quinoa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU

I’m a college student, and I remember going with a friend of mine who wanted groceries there. He spent upwards of $60 on what might have cost him $25 at a supermarket not manned by enviro-droids. I’m all for saving the earth, but if you’re so keen on organic that you’re willing to fritter a whole paycheck on a week’s groceries, you’d probably just be better off trying to grow it all yourself.

I love Whole Foods! Not all of them have such narrow aisles. Some are really very spacious and nice. And soy bacon has come a long way. It’s not bacon, but Lightlife’s Tempeh Fakin’ Bacon is delicious. I think it’s kind of sad that more Catholics don’t see the connection between faith and respecting the earth and animals. I am sorry you had a bad experience, though. Must have been just a bad day.

God Bless!

Audrey

Excellent article! I love your sense of humour, I giggled through the whole thing. I like Mother’s Market in CA and Trader Joe’s but it’s true that you see some disturbing stickers on the hybrid cars in the parking lots of the these places. Also true about the cost of eating organic! Whew! I try to only do organic for the fresh produce. Good to know about Whole Foods funding Planned Parenthood. It’s getting hard to find places that don’t though. :o(

I could have written this. And we get the same reactions if I run in the local health food store for the bulk spices or something I can’t get anywhere else with my horde. The hippies glare at all of us, and our huge van in the parking lot. I try to feed my family as healthfully as possible, but we sure can’t afford to eat that way all the time any more with this many mouths, now including a teenager!

I’m the evil mom who shop at Wal-Mart. We live in a smaller town about 50 miles away from the nearest big city, so no Whole Foods here. And shopping at the regular grocery stores is highway robbery! I can’t afford all that. Canned goods at the local Publix or Winn-Dixie. So, Wal-Mart it is. I get a whole cart full of fresh produce for literally half the price, and most of it is grown locally, so I consider it a triple win of feeding this kiddies healthy food + saving money + supporting local farmers.

As far as Whole Foods goes, there is one that I know of in the big city. I ventured inside one time out of curiosity, took one look at the prices and walked right back out.

Ack! That should say that I can barely afford the canned goods at Publix and Winn-Dixie.

Whole Foods is great!  But then again, I have only one toddler!  Eating organic is eating the food that God intended for us as opposed to the processed foods that humans have made so unhealthy.  I agree with Audrey and see the link between Catholicism and caring for our God-given planet.

Funny story. A nice break from all the disheartening stories of gay rights and abortion.

Haha!  Last Thanksgiving I needed an ingredient from Whole Foods.  The parking lot was so busy they had employees all over the place directing traffic.  I tried to squeeze my SUV full of kids into a parking space that seemed to be made for compact cars only.  After 3 attempts and impatient beeps from the cars behind me, I gave up and left.  The low point was when I yelled “I’m going to Trader Joe’s” to the employee I passed on my way out.  The high point ... wild rice at Trader Joe’s is around half the price I’d paid at Whole Foods in the past.

Perhaps once every 2 years or so I grace the door of a Whole Foods, usually to find some sort of product that I am unable to find in a regular supermarket.  I too am very uncomfortable there because the prices are so high and there are aisles and aisles of new age music, books, magazines, and yoga paraphernalia.  I can’t believe people actually pay the prices they do for this stuff.  The last time I was there I paid $10 for a small wedge of cheese.  It was not worth it.

I think it’s interesting that Whole Foods = saving the earth/being good stewards of the earth. It’s so expensive!! Normal people can’t afford it. That would be being a bad steward of what God has given me, esp when my children starved to death because I insistd on “saving the earth” by only shopping at Whole Foods. My family of 8 can eat healthy foods and make good environmental choices and not step foot in a Whole Foods.

“I think it’s kind of sad that more Catholics don’t see the connection between faith and respecting the earth and animals.”

Wit all due respect, that’s a horribly judgmental generalization. Like somehow shopping at Whole Foods means that you respect the earth and animals? Give me a break. Around here, the people who shop at WF are the ones with two SUVs and families of 4 living in 4000SF homes. Whereas the vast majority of large Catholic families I know live with less, on less, reuse, recycle, and grow their *own* organic food.

We buy humanely-raised beef from a local farmer, won’t touch eggs that aren’t cage-free, don’t use paper napkins or paper towels, compost our food scraps…I could go on and on. To suggest that because someone rolls their eyes at Whole Foods they don’t see the connection between faith and respecting the earth is ridiculous.

Humorous article, though Ms. Fulwiler seems somewhat dismissive and derisive of people who engage in ethical and sustainable consumption as a matter of their Catholic faith.  That ethic seems to be at odds with what Pope John Paul II said in his 1990 World Day of Peace Message:

“Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty toward nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith” (No. 15).

Plant a garden- or a pot.
Make cookies from scratch.
Go to a farmers’ market.
Cave in and just get thru the day. Let the organic people with one child go to Whole Foods. They probably can afford to have a nanny watch their kid so they don’t have to negotiate the narrow aisles. If the Whole Foods people would wake up and smell the green tea, they would realize that they are missing out on a huge marketing group- but the very thought of large families are so offensive they won’t even look at the potential customer base.
Near our usual route a new library was recently expanded. This is a very popular library with trendy programs offered for older and younger patrons. After the remodel, my friend, mother of eleven, was shocked that the parking lot was now marked with signs indicating that all of the closest parking spots were reserved not only for the handicapped but for those driving fuel efficient cars! Her 15 passenger van could hardly be called fuel efficient except that it is certainly more fuel efficient to drive one very large van with all of those people than multiple smaller cars. She pulled in, 12 people climbed out, and a wagon of books were returned. Who needs to be close to the door, I ask, mothers with eleven children hauling hundreds of books or Miss Environment with double bumper?

Wow.  Whole Foods = the devil because it is expensive and has weird hippies and bumber stickers in its parking lot.  I’m not sure I can get on board with that.
Truth 1: Most of the food in Whole Foods is more expensive than in most other grocery stores.
Truth 2: There are actually some amazing deals there, especially on organic foods like milk and fruit and vegetables that rival prices at any store.
Truth 3: There are literally hundreds if not thousands of vegetarian options out there.  No need to resort to “fake bacon” or “fake this” or “fake that.”  Real, unprocessed food is just fine.  Basing your retreat from whatever led you to vegetarianism in the first place on the taste of fake bacon is ridiculous.
If this article were meant as satire or written more tongue-in-cheek, I wouldn’t be taking exception.  Unfortunately, it is very clear that the author really stereotypes people to an incredible degree.  If you folks are happy mocking people and writing them off because your perception is that their lifestyle is unworthy, have at it.  I fail to see what any of this has to do with Catholicism and, in my point of view, is anything but.

One last note to those of you saying that shopping at Whole Foods does not = being a good steward.  I agree with you 100%.  What the article and many commenters are suggesting is that it is not possible to shop at Whole Foods and be a good steward; or, that only “fake” stewards shop at Whole Foods.  Both assertions are ridiculous.  It’s a freakin’ grocery store.

I’m all for being a steward of the earth, within reason.  What bugs me is how concern for the environment has become the religion for people who don’t have religion. It’s really an epidemic here in Seattle.  I meet people who are not very passionate about many things, but will try to use the toilet twice to save water, etc. 

And Whole Foods BUGS me majorly.  I used to shop there but can’t stand the guilty feeling I get from spending so much $$$ and the bombardment with all these subtle messages when you get in the door.  Why does caring about the environment end up being something that only rich people can do?  Yeah you can grow your own etc. etc. but not everyone has the luxury of time, space etc., to do farming.

I read an article about the “no kids allowed” movement—apparently more restaurants are banning kids, and some grocery stores—like Whole Foods—-are offering “child free shopping hours” when people are not allowed to bring their kids with them, so that other patrons may enjoy the silence of a store with no children in it.  I told my husband about this and he said, “Well, they’re not getting OUR business.” I pointed out that a) there is no Whole Foods in our town, and b) it’s called “Whole Paycheck” for a reason. He said, “Exactly.”
.....

Trader Joe’s all the way.  They are actually pretty child friendly, with the hunt for the stuffed cow=free lollipop if you find it, and stickers, and the checkers are always very kind to our kids. And it’s way cheaper than Whole Foods.  You still see some weird bumper stickers, but our town is pretty conventional, so those are few and far between.

Here is how to get good organic food ANYWHERE - always apply the FOLLOW THE MONEY principle. Tell your local grovery store to order something organic; after enough requests, many stores will order on a trial basis - i.e., will it sell? i.e., will they make a profit.  In Jennifer Fulwiler’s town the HEB chain will accommodate her and they will order the organic things-and they probably right now have many organic items-I know because I have seen them there and bought them - and they almost always are cheaper than Whole Foods. Re: taking many children to Whole Foods: consider yourself a missionary who evangelizes by example.

Oh, and Trader Joe’s gives you an incentive beyond guilt for bringing your own bags—if you do, they enter you in a weekly raffle for a gift certficate. I haven’t won in four years, but it does remind me to bring my own bags every single time!

Excellent article.  Some of my friends call it Whole Paycheck!  Never-the-less we like it.  Every two months we run up to Portland, Me to go to WF and a wonderful nearby Italian Specialty Store. 

Their produce is hard to beat anywhere except at the farmer’s market and then you don’t have the selection.  We also enjoy the selection of grains, oils, breads; most of which are reasonably priced. 

Most of all my dear wife is allergic to cow products, but can handle those from goat or sheep.  The selection of cheeses that we can use is nothing less than fantastic, and for these, we will bear the price.

I should add that we are empty nesters, and could not imagine going there with a brood in tow.

Man, you folks are turning me into a WF apologist, which I do NOT want to be given some of their social stances.  However, it’s a grocery store.  If you insist on talking trash about a grocery store and its shoppers, at least get some basic facts straight.  Karen - are you talking about the “child free shopping hours,” as in the period of time when WFs offers to watch your kids for free?  Because the one near me has that.  It decidedly does NOT have any period of “no kids allowed” shopping.  Unbelievably inaccurate statement you made.  And since I decided to post again: Laura, if it bugs you, fine.  If you feel guilty, don’t shop there.  But don’t tilt your nose at people who choose to do so.  It’s a grocery store, not a political platform as most of the people on here seem to believe.  There’s about as much inherently wrong with walking into Wfs and buying organic cereal as there is in going to the mall and buying leather shoes.  That is to say, nothing.

A great read, as usual!  I’ve been in Whole Foods a couple of times and was underwhelmed by the prices and the general attitude of the store.

I agree with Julie that the comment about Catholics and the earth is both too generalized and judgmental, and further, this is a form of casual slander against an entire faith and its adherents, especially those who have large families.  Being good stewards of creation means using wisely what God gives us.  Whole Foods caters to and seems to foster a mindset that disdains human life.  Organic farming is not environmentally friendlier than conventional farming (in fact, it has a bigger environmental impact in that it requires more land to produce the same amount of food), organic produce is not nutritionally superior, and the organic industry wants to force the whole country to eat what it sells.  I suggest reading John Miller’s “The Organic Myth” and realize that for the whole world to eat organic, we’d either have to kill a lot of people or chop down a lot of rain forests.  I vote neither option is acceptable and let’s eat what we choose and leave other people alone.  If you prefer to eat organic food, by all means enjoy it, but don’t believe for a moment that doing so makes you more environmentally responsible than those who don’t.  Peace.

Fun article Jennifer.  Re: smaller and eco-friendly parking place, it is by design this is the case.  For buildings seeking eco-friendliness, they are encouraged to have less parking spaces, smaller (so that people are encouraged to use small cars), and offer front-row Joe spaces for the same reason. 

I would love to see the neighborhood grocer open again with scaled merchandise.  With regards the “no-kids time,” man talk about dismissing future consumers, ridiculous.

Richard, my apologies. My assumption was based on an article that completely misrepresented the “child free shopping”—they made no mention of Whole Foods watching your kids. Apparently they will watch up to 8 toilet trained kids for two hours while parents shop.  Which is very kind of them. 

...

That said, grocery stores with child care aren’t new, just rare. Personally I like to teach my kids how to behave in a store, rather than shunt them off into a kid-friendly zone, and I like to show them where our groceries come from, and get them involved in helping with the shopping from an early age.  I think compartmentalizing children the way we do—no kids here, no kids there—is part of the reason we’re seeing so many brats these days. They expect to be entertained 24/7, rather than have to endure a few boring errands the way we did when we were kids.  :)

My goodness, some of the “greens” are feisty today.  Catholics can, and often do understand the concept of being good stewards of the environment.  That being said, Jennifer I think was spot on about a good percentage of the shoppers of Whole Foods, and the prices.  I pay way more for a pound of lentils (not advertised as organic) there than I pay for the same lentils anywhere else. 

It is also filled with lots of books and alternative medicines that are popular but not necessarily scientifically valid.

Here is a funny take on our love of Organic Food:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/19/6-organic-food/

And to all of the Whole Foods shoppers who have had their sacred cow tarnished by the writer:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/05/28/101-being-offended/

Surely over dramatized. The thing about Whole Foods is that you have to know ahead of time that most of what you buy there is going to be pricy. So when I go I have a handful of items in mind that you can’t get anywhere else - chia, quinoa, sweet leaf for example. These are pricy too but they last a long time. And I have occassionally found a good deal on eggs and yogert. I look at it as a special treat.

P.S. I’m growing my own chia, quinoa, and sweet leaf ( stevia ) now but I don’t know yet whether the chia and quinoa will make seeds. The stevia is doing fine but I would need to plant at least 24 plants to make a years supply of ” sugar.”

Whole Foods donate to all kinds of liberal causes, including Planned Parenthood.

To Julie,
I am glad for your comments, but in Audrey’s defense there was an undercurrent to Jennifer’s blog that was seeming to mock any attempts to be “green”. Maybe she was just trying to be funny, but I think I have read enough of her blog, to get the feeling that she thinks being “green” is overrated. Certainly, shopping at Whole Foods does not make one “green”, but eating cheap (real) bacon from Walmart is not green and it is terrible for you!

Whoa Patti!  You are seriously overstating:
1. “Whole Foods caters to and seems to foster a mindset that disdains human life.” (How is this?)
2. “Organic farming is not environmentally friendlier than conventional farming”

3.  “organic industry wants to force the whole country to eat what it sells.” (what private food maker does not want the whole country to eat what it sells?)

You seem very…..easily mislead.

YEAH richard!  Jennifer’s job is writing and she makes money at it, so being funny and clever is her job.  But…I would really like to ask her, ” Do you think vegetarianism is bad?”  “Can you not see that many vegetarians are extraordinarily ethical people, and that it is an objective good?”

If I had a dollar for every devout Catholic that railed on vegetarians, I would be rich….

Karen, I appreciate the clarification.  I’ll also point out that Jared has already bought that misinformation and is re-spreading it.  I also agree with your point about “compartmentalizing” kids.  I have two and we include them in just about everything save for an occasional date night.  However, I don’t think it reflects poorly on WFs that they offer what amounts to babysitting for moms during shopping time.

I also want to point out that I rarely utilize WFs, and definitely don’t qualify as a “green,” at least not in the liberal sense of the word.  My point is geared toward the irony here: a group of people (presumably Catholics, given the website - I do qualify as one of those) who frequently accuse others of misrepresenting them are spreading stereotypes and misrepresentations and subsequently judging an entire group of people on said stereotypes.  Yeah, I’ll admit it.  That gets me feeling a little feisty.  (I’m sure I’ll be accused of being defensive because I actually shop at WFs and am a “green,” not because I prefer accurate information and allowing people to shop at their grocery store of choice without derisively accusing them of being a “green.”)

Wow, so half of you say Catholics should not eat organic food because it is anti family and half say you must do it to be a good steward. This leaves me in the same position as the NFP debate. Half the people there said NFP was selfish to use and half said it was irresponsible not to do it. So just like that the only way to be sure you are not in sin is to abstain completely. SO after having given up sex, now I am going to have to give up eating, great. And my husband wondered why the grocery plan for this month was to only eat Oats, rice and beans(he’s not real thrilled with the giving up sex thing either). To do anything else is a near occasion of sin at the least. I wish someone had warned me that being Catholic is all about looking over your shoulder all the time worrying that you have broken one of a gazillion rules that no one agrees on. So discouraged…

Eurika!
Jennifer, your family is the reason Whole Foods has announced child-free hours!  Apparently the management was more traumatized than your 10.50 box of cookies!
I secrectly, momentarily fantasized about bringing a van-load of 3rd graders in at the top of the kid-free zone!  What a hoot!  I’d happily pay for broken asparagus shafts and mangled boxes of cookies just for the thrill.  Then I was snapped back to reality by one of my own children, but thanks for allowing me to ponder the whole experience once again…!

I don’t think she was making fun of Whole Foods or its shoppers.  I think this was a tongue-in-cheek article about her.  I just don’t understand people at all.

I’ve been in that Whole Foods she talks about and agree wholeheartedly with her about the experience.

Jenn,

You may or may not know that Whole Foods has been funding Planned Parenthood for years.

I would not be caught dead there, being indirectly conplicit in the funding of the nation’s largest committer of abortion.

Ed
<’//><

Good gosh, that was extraordinarily funny and well-written! Thank you!

Thanks for posting this.  I had the exact same experience last week at Whole Foods.  I thought I’d be able to just run in quickly for a few items for that nights dinner with my 4 young children.  It was not a good experience.  The glares in the aisles and at the check-out were bad enough, but the note on my minivan saying, “learn how to park” was clearly written by someone who has never had to try to park a large car loaded with four loud children in that tiny parking lot.

I can totally relate, as I have 4 kids age 7 and under and am from Austin originally.  If the author lives in Austin though, I’m curious if she has tried HEB’s Central Market?  Space-wise it is still a problem with a bunch of small kids, but their prices are certainly more reasonable.  I would never go into a WF with my four kids either, mainly because I would always choose HEB CM over WF anyday.  I also have dreams of growing my own food, but for now I stick with farmers markets and anything I can get that is not too processed and not overpriced.  I enjoy her point of view though, simply because I relate.  Great writing!

I live in the southeast Bronx, in a neighborhood blessed with 5 supermarkets, one “fresh” vegetable store, and a couple of street-carts with wilted produce, frequently sold at night under a dim street-light.  Eating vegeterian demands a VERY large income!  Milk is $ 4 a gallon, bread $ 3.69 and up, hamburger $ 3.99 a pound, iceberg lettuce is $ 1.29, and ordinary tomatoes $ 2.99 a pound. 

Does this mean I’m a bad Catholic, and ought to take the subway ($ 2.25 each way—sane New Yorkers don’t do cars or SUVs) to Union Square to worship at the shrine of Whole Foods?? Such silliness!  The Union Square Green Market is, incredibly, even MORE expensive, but there one vendor will introduce you to the sheep whose wool, lamb chops, and sheepskin he is selling. 

Richard is a pain, but he’s right on one thing: Whole Foods is a for-profit grocery store.  Ms. Fulweiler is right about it being child-unfriendly.  It and Trader Joe are also elderly-unfriendly—never escort an elderly friend with a cane, walker, or bad vision to either! 

I visit WF annually in March, to buy over-priced Kerrygold Irish cheese and butter for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. (My neighborhood is hispanic, African-American, and Southeast Asian, and 3/17 baffles them as much as hairy goat hooves do me! :-)) The rest of the year I walk to my nearest un-hip, un-trendy supermarket, and shop the discounted food.

So Planned Parenthood is a terrible organization? Let’s think about that. Planned Parenthood is much more than an abortion factory and if you can’t believe that then you haven’t done your research and are actually just spouting lies. Planned Parenthood provides necessary medical services to many women including annual cancer screening, family planning, and gynecological exams. While it is true that they provide abortive services, making up a whopping 3% of their services, most would be sane enough to realize that if they didn’t exist women who wanted abortions would find another way to get them risking the life of themselves and their child. Choosing not to support Planned Parenthood simply because they offer a service that you do not believe in, is choosing not to support the country’s largest provider of low or no cost womens’ health services.

Love the article.

But imagine how many comments you would have if the title were changed slightly to: “My Trip to Whole Foods: An Epic Atheist Saga”

In reading some of your recent posts it seems there is a secret atheist organization that pounces on Catholic blog spots any time the word “atheist” is written.

Strange, that.

My hisband andI and all 5 of our kids trekked out to a new Trader Joe’s last week.  While it wasn’t quite as bad, I found some of this familiar…

Hey, I resemble that comment.  Also, planned parenthood does some fine things but be realistic: it is not an organization a clear-thinking, pro-life person would choose to support.

That wasn’t the author’s pitch, though.  It would be reasonable to suggest a boycott of WFs based on its support of PP.  It is unreasonable to generalize your bad experience shopping there into an experience of being victimized by those nasty greenies, and to then suggest that this is the real reason not to shop there.  I’ll stop now.

@ WF+PP=The Devil?... There is no reason that Planned Parenthood need exist. The Public Health Department, hospitals and clinics cover every single service (for good or ill) that PP covers. If we’re already forced to support the Public Health Department (which does not perform medical/surgical abortions, bcp excepted) why should our grocery (and tax) dollars go to PP???

Your post is great and you sound very much like my sister’s experience with going to Whole Foods.  I like Whole Foods, but Trader Joe’s is better.  A while back these were the only stores to get food without chemicals on it and in it, now my regular grocery store (and Wegmans as someone mentioned) have the same items with better prices.  I bring my own bag to every store I shop in because it’s so much easier to just throw it over your shoulder or keep everything in a bookbag, it makes carrying things handsfree.  Just a thought for you when you are out with your children.

And for those that follow this comment, please don’t make it a Planned Parenthood comment section stick to Jennifer’s post.

kk, you know, I called Whole Foods corporate offices about their donations to PP last year & s/w a guy who flatly DENIED they give $ to PP. He said,“What’s in it for us to get into the whole abortion debate?” So I don’t know if he was telling the truth or blowing smoke.

AAR, Jen, I stopped shopping there because I did some research on some of their products,like organic milk, etc…only find out it’s not really…and, if I want that stuff, i can get it at our local grocery store now.
Great article, as usual!

To clear up the confusion: Whole Foods parent corporation does not give to PP, but many of the individual stores do.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2009/nov/09110503

I have yet to get any hard evidence that WF gives to PP.  I have contacted them directly.  The people who claim it to be true refuse to reveal their sources.

WF is not run by hard lefties, but libertarians.

Re: “While it is true that they provide abortive services, making up a whopping 3% of their services, most would be sane enough to realize that if they didn’t exist women who wanted abortions would find another way to get them risking the life of themselves and their child.”

This is a misleading statistic.  Planned Parenthood arrives at this statistic by including every single service they provide to anyone who visits—it isn’t inaccurate, but it’s misleading.  You can check this on their own website by comparing the number of women they treat to the services they provide.  So a woman comes in, has a pregnancy test, gets some brief counseling, gets an abortion, is prescribed birth control pills, has a blood workup, etc.—and each of these is counted as a different service. The “3%” actually equals about 300,000 abortions a year, which is the size of some cities, and a whopping third of all abortions that are provided in the U.S. per year. 98% of pregnant women who come in receive abortions—again, this is based solely on the information on their website. 

This reveals a couple of things: the obvious is that PP provides a heck of a lot of abortions (and this is also where they make the most profit, giving them an incentive to push towards abortions).  The second is that in spite of this large number, 2/3 of American women do, sadly, find other abortion providers—so while the number is large, they are hardly the only service provider around.  Reducing their funding, via legislation or by selective shopping, will hardly produce the scenario-0f-death-to-women the hysterics promote.

I’m a formerly organic only mama, but sadly we simply can’t afford it. Next year I hope to container garden for organic produce. Whole foods is great for cheap yummy wine, and that’s about all!

Actually we don’t have a whole foods or Trader Joe’s in my area and I shop a small family grocery run by German Baptists(think Amish with electricity) whenever I can. Good wholesome stuff, local produce and no food from across the world when we grow it here. Also I don’t think I can fault a woman for wanting to go to the store without 5 kids hanging off the cart distracting her. I have 5 and have done it. Doable but not relaxing or efficient.

I loved the “Whole Foods” adventure story. Let’s get real as Catholics, or any sound reasoning person: planned parenthood not only provides abortions (lets be honest, kills humans directly), they will pump girls and women full of harmful synthetic drugs to shut down their reproductive systems (which leads to many complications, including death), my adult step daughter thought they were OK helpful people until they put her into the hospital by trying repeatedly to remove cervical warts by freeze drying them… That’s just to start. The same daughter worked for Whole Foods for a couple of years, but after repeated bigotry inflicted upon her (she is a “white girl”), working in consistently unsanitary conditions (contaminated organics are great for you), and being bossed around by arrogant power hungry little managers, she finally just quit on them. Whole Foods probably does more to destroy our God created planet that help it; don’t be fooled their into it for the $$$. Just say no to Whole Foods and shop smart somewhere else. Don’t forget that by helping keep PP in business you support the dumping of huge quantities of horse reproductive hormones into Earth’s water system, resulting in mutant fish, amphibians, and riparian zones. That is definitely not creation friendly at all. Catholics should be leaders, as best they can, in all that is excellent, true, and good. God bless all of you, Richard

Organic food is so overrated.  Just eat with moderation and don’t think SO much about what goes into the mouth.  As Jesus said, “What goes into a man does not make him unclean. It is what comes out of a man ... that makes him unclean.”  I can’t imagine Jesus insisting on buying and eating only organic food if he lived today.  Didn’t Christ point out that most of it “passes into the latreen”?  Frankly, we don’t live long enough to make most of what we eat make a difference in our life span, unless we eat in excess.  God gave us a liver and kidneys for a reason—to filter out things that aren’t good for us. If we don’t eat too much, our bodies can handle a few bad things.  So eat moderately and reasonably and don’t worry or waste money on “perfect” food.  “Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity.”  This line from Ecclesiastes definitely fits the “my body is my Temple” mentality. (Gag) The body is supposed to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit, not one’s own self.  Yes, take care of the environment, but remember that human beings are not a blight on an otherwise perfect ecosystem.  We’re the only member of the ecosystem made in the image and likeness of God.

Just fyi, the Richard from 11:04pm is not the same as the other one.  Apparently there are two of us on here.

Absolutely HILARIOUS article!  Jennifer, you are a wonderful author, and I will be looking up more of your writings!  Thank you for my morning laugh!  ;)  And, thank you to the other posters who mentioned the huge connection between Whole Foods and Planned Parenthood… you are absolutely right… this company may ‘act’ like they are interested in health, but it’s all about the dollar, and if a company doesn’t mind if we kill humans, how can I REALLY trust their food?  We have our own farm, and go to local farmers markets…  Thank you again, and many blessings!!!!

Costco all the way baby.  They have great deals on organic products, in bulk!  Even quinoa!

I used to be one of those “only got 1 kid buy everything at Whole Foods” types.  The last time I stopped there I spent $150 just on fruits and veggies that lasted for 1 week.
There comes a point in one’s Catholic life (4+ kids or so) that fresh and organic doesn’t matter as much as fed and satisfied with money in the bank.

@Jennifer J and @Julie: You are both totally right! Whole Foods isn’t the only place to buy healthy food and not shopping there doesn’t exclude anyone from being a good steward of the earth. Sorry if my comment conveyed that. I think it’s important to take care of the earth and be kind to animals, but Whole Foods IS expensive and there are plenty of ways one can eat healthy without shopping there.

@ Kevin McGuire: That is what I was trying to say.  I love Jennifer and this is in no way a judgment on her, but I just think a lot of Catholics are dismissive of these issues. I’m not a Catholic that ONLY cares about the environment and social justice issues. I am pro-life, pro-family, pro-traditional marriage, etc. It is my belief as a Catholic that forms my entire world view. But I do think stewardship is also important and that our faith calls us to act in a way that respects and honors all of God’s creation.

@ Laura: I see that too, and I think it is sad. Sometimes I feel like there is a stereotype that faithful, traditional Christians/Catholics are anti-environment, though. Perhaps that is what turns some people off? I’m not saying that the church needs to change its teachings—they are already there—but I think articles like this only deepen the divide (with all respects to Jennifer, I think she’s a great person and a skilled writer).

God bless,
Audrey

Hilarious, Jennifer!
When we lived in Austin (right off of Windsor) we used to shop there too.  With our five kids.
So, I can definitely relate to this tongue-in-cheek story.
Great job.

WHAT!? Whole Foods is a contributor to the Klan Parenthood?  I did not know that.  Well, I guess it is one more reason for the Lexus crowd to look down their nose at me.

Yes, WF supports PP. But even before I knew that, at least at the stores in Dallas, I have always asked “What part of tattoos and piercings is organic and/or green?”

@Southern Transplant:
please don’t be discouraged!  I’m so sorry that Catholics have mislead and confused you.  Please try to remember that each Catholic you hear or read, even respected columnists, are fallible human beings and not necessarily speaking for the Church.  It would be wonderful if every Catholic was reasonable, orthodox, and trustworthy, but we are just human beings; it is the Church, established by Christ, that is completely trustworthy and eternal, held in its truth by the Holy Spirit.  Please try to find a trustworthy priest, parish, and friends, and don’t let others bring you down.  You’ll be in my prayers tonight.

what a joke whole foods is…bunch of liberal, snooty people who purportedly love natural everything but always support unnatural stuff like artificial contraception, abortion, etc. Whole Foods is no longer for the nature-loving normal person…it’s so expensive that only well heeled people shop there…maybe to ease their guilt over there carbon hogging lifestyles (multi houses, etc and all).
I have to make myself NOT sneer at the other shoppers on the few times that I have been in there…I know…not very catholic of me. I’ll work on it.

I finally grew tired of people saying WF donates to Planned Parenthood and others saying WF does not donate to PP and decided to check it out for myself. The best source has been Life Decisions International which readily shared it MANY years of research with me. WF has consistently lied and I will not shop there again. Unfortunately, too many of my Cathoic brothers and sisters CHOOSE to be blind to the truth or just plain ignorant so they can continue to support WF. Shame! 

Southern Transplant wrote: “I wish someone had warned me that being Catholic is all about looking over your shoulder all the time worrying that you have broken one of a gazillion rules that no one agrees on. So discouraged.”

Transplant, please don’t worry or be discouraged. Catholics need pay zero attention to the internet. There are random strangers on the internet who are without lives, and who make themselves feel better by attempting to dictate to complete strangers every little details of what their lives should be. You are required to have x number of kids. You are required to wear skirts. You are required to refrain from patronizing this firm or that.

All these hoops that random strangers on the Internet want to make others jump through is just so much nonsense. Speak with a wise and holy priest at your own parish about what is right to do, and follow his advice. Read the Lives of the Saints and what they recommend. Read Bishop Fulton Sheen. And when random strangers on the ‘net try to dictate all sorts of nonsense to others, just roll your eyes, and let it roll off your back.

P.S. In referring to “random strangers on the Internet,” I did not mean to include thoughtful Catholic authors (such as Jennifer) working for responsible Catholic publications. These authors are not “strangers”, in the sense that they are to some extent known public figures, answerable to solid Catholic organizations. As such, they generally propose ideas and practices for their readerships’ consideration, rather than lay down dictates as if they were themselves bishops.

No, it is certain of the combox denizens, who, although they may purport to sign their posts with their full, real names, may be just about anybody, and answerable to no one, enjoy “informing” others about what the Catholic Church *really* requires all to believe or do in regard to this or to that . . . often in matters about which the Holy Father the Pope himself would say are truly left to the conscience of the individual!

I enjoyed Jennifer’s amusing blogpost. My take is that it was intended to be about herself and how her life and her attitudes have changed in unexpected ways since her conversion. Unlike most of the commenters, I didn’t think it was about the morality of Whole Foods or “greeness” per se.

—C.B.

@  Mike Lane, Do you know that every single product you purchase and every single store you shop at does not support the abortion industry?  If that’s how you want to prevent abortions than you might want to be sure.

Do you think vegetarianism is bad?

Vegetarianism is morally neutral.  There is one caveat though.  Individual vegetable products do not contain all the amino acids necessary for building proteins needed by humans, so you do need to get a good variety, and be sure the essential AAs are covered.  Animal meat does contain the essential AAs and in a higher concentration so it is a lot easier.

Also depends upon your lifestyle.  Don’t know too many athletes or body builders that are vegetarian.  But if that is not your bag, then it doesn’t really matter.  It probably can be done as a vegetrarian, but it would require a lot more effort.

I love whole foods. I ate a whole pizza, and a whole box of donuts, and…
     
Just kidding.
   
Not kidding: Use common sense. You can (a) eat healthy without eating organic, (b) eat organic without eating healthy, (c) buy healthy and/or organic foods at plenty of different stores, and (d) probably find plenty of unhealthy stuff at Whole Foods. It’s really not that hard: Just stop and think a little about what’s in the food you buy and where it came from.
   
I think the organic movement misses the real problem, anyway. The problem is that our culture creates high-stress lifestyles that keep us occupied until we’re exhausted. Consequently, we lack the time and/or energy to prepare good food, and we can’t count on getting to any fresh foods in the kitchen before they go bad. (Special trip to the store to by fresh foods? Dream on!) As a result, we turn to ready-made stuff filled with preservatives and processed everything and pumped full of palm kernel oil because that supposedly makes it moist.
   
(NB “moist” is a horrible, horrible word. I heard secondhand that some study proves this, but I think it’s self-evident.)

I’m from West Michigan and it’s kind of funny- it’s such a conservative place (Christian Reformed by tradition) but it’s also the leader in so many environmentally friendly advances including some of the nation’s first LEED buildings and advanced recycling techniques. But we’re quiet about it. No one knows about us, lol.  Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s won’t touch us. But that’s ok. ;)  We’ve got two local health food stores that don’t break the bank (lentils are cheaper there than our local supermarket) and many Christian homeschooling families with lots of kids patron these stores, in fact, it’s often a cheap way to go by buying in bulk. 

In fact, many of the Catholic families that are deeply rooted in their faith are the weird hippies ourselves that homebirth and buy 1/2 free range cows from their local farmers. ;) We also run co ops together to decrease the cost of our food so we can eat the organic food we value but also not break the bank. 

I guess what I’m saying is that two people can execute similiar actions with totally different intentions. It’s not something we do because it’s “IN”, but because it’s become a way of life for us.  And I always smile when I walk in to the health food store with my toddler, hoping that the person with the misguided bumper sticker will see the sweetness from God in my arms and that I may be a good example of Christians in the (environmentally friendly) world. ;)

But I totally get the article. The author seems to point to a matter of pride more than anything, and being in just by virtue of shopping at these stores. And I get that. That’s annoying. lol But often it’s the first step of people who are learning to eat healthier, etc. I confess myself that I have felt pride just because my cart was healthy (rolls eyes).  Honestly, we should just be thankful for what we all have. And there are much less popular and exciting ways to get cheaper organic food, but your bumper sticker won’t get seen in the WF parking lot. ;)

I hope my thinking wasn’t too disheveled. It’s late for this mom!!

I think the kneejerk reaction against Green as a cause is not without foundation. Obvious example: Abortion is far-and-away a more pressing, immediate and destructive issue than our carbon footprint. Moreover, among the filthy hippies Cartman and the rest of us cannot stand, Green is not just stewardship and vegetarianism is not just respect for animals. They have, respectively, taken a form of nature- and animal-worship. Stewardship for the planet is laudable, and vegetarianism can be also, but precisely not for the reasons or with the obsession of our Whole Foods neighbors.

IMO: There’s plenty of space for us to roll our eyes at objectively misplaced priorities.

HEB Central Market!

I took a rare trip there just yesterday to stock up on various nuts and grains that are hard to find elsewhere. Whilst I filled and labelled bags, my six year old son had a marvelous time chasing a cockroach around the produce section. There were many tolerant smiles from passers by which I assume in charity were aimed at my son and not the cockroach.

I go to our local Whole Foods (Arlington, TX) on occasion.  Last fall I took a 13y/o, 11y/o and a 1y/o.  No big deal, right?  Wrong.  I had a plastic produce bag full of pistachios which the baby broke open and spilled all over the floor… all 2 pounds of them.  Then on our way to the cheese, the 14y/o bumped into an endcap display of wine and broke a huge bottle.  At that point I was about running for the register.  We checked out and headed out.  Nothing else could possible happen, or could it???  On the way out the door the giant 2.5 glass jug of apple juice fell off the buggy and shattered.  I can’t afford to go there as often as I used to and I dare say that’s a good thing!

We go to Whole Foods sometimes, but not very frequently. When we do, we only buy produce, dairy, and meat there. The processed food they sell is basically the exact same thing as what you get a regular grocery. During the spring, summer, and fall we do a CSA (community supported agriculture) and we get local, in season produce delivered to our house for less than what we could get at a place like WF. In the winter we try to get whatever organic produce we can from our local Kroger. Kroger is actually a great grocery chain for anyone who lives in the Midwest. They have a lot of organic options for produce and dairy, though their organic meat is way overpriced. We get all of our meat through our CSA, and it all comes from family farms in our state (Indiana).

Whole Foods is nice if you want that yuppie grocery shopping experience, or to get ingredients for something that’s otherwise not available. They have a good wine selection too. But if someone’s goal is to find as much organic produce, meat, and dairy as possible at a fair price, there are better options out there.

I like Whole Foods, but I recognize that going there is something of an entertainment experience rather than a simple grocery trip.  I usually go there for a single item: a wine that only they seem to carry, fresh fish for a dinner party, an obscure Burt’s Bees lotion.  It is quite true that buying all your groceries there is not frugal, and I have to think that only families bringing in six-figure incomes can afford to do that. 

Whole Foods is not actually a shibboleth for the green movement; there are a lot of eco-people and locavores who have terrible things to say about its business model.  You don’t have to shop there to love the Earth and cook real food.  Grow your own veggies and you will already be way ahead.

I love shopping at our Whole Foods. For me, it turns grocery shopping from a tedious weekly chore to something I actually look forward to. Ours is not so crowded and we’re in the midwest so while there might be some more colorful bumper stickers, plenty of mid-range and conservative people I know shop there too. They have lots of samples throughout the store for my kids, my daughter loves to help get items out of the bulk bins, and they have a water cooler with cups by the entrance - because we are notorious for forgetting water in the car while my children whine for h20 the entire trip we’re out. Plus, on Saturdays they have a two-hour slot where (if I feel up to braving the store on a Saturday morning) my daughter can do a craft (which I rarely ever do at home) and eat a healthy snack with a creative, good-natured employee. What’s not to like? We’ve learned to shop the good deals there and get the rest at Costco or trader joe’s for less.

@ mrsceecee, I am as sure as I can be. I don’t have time to do such extensive research so I rely on trusted organizations to do it for me. I will act on what I know and not forgo doing so because I do not know everything. Ignorance is not bliss when one chooses ignorance over knowledge. I prefer the latter and I act accordingly.

To the Planned Parenthood apologists: go to fightpp.org and click on the link in the second paragraph. PP cannot erase its deadly acts by doing some good as well.

I’ll admit that many WF stores have small aisles, small carts, and less than friendly people who shop there. (Think Preston Rd in Plano, TX! :P) I hated taking my brood there, and still don’t like shopping with them much…unless they’ve just been fed and had naps. Ha! But I absolutely LOVE my new store in Fairview. Aisles are spacious, lots of samples, allow me to stack WF coupons, manufacturers coupons and case discounts when I’m stocking up. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. They always offer my kiddos snacks at the register. (They’ve come to expect it now. lol) I almost always have all 4 kids (ages 8,7, 5,3) with me.  We are careful about what we buy. (And yes, I do know which organic products are actually *NOT*, along with the ones that have GMO’s.) I get great deals on a regular basis…on things that I usually can’t get cheaper other places. Surprised?!? I was too. I takes some patience, and if it’s not a close store, you’d probably miss out on those unadvertised weekly deals. I don’t buy everything there. Just things I can’t get elsewhere or can get a really good deal on. But I think the experience varies with the location. God’s Blessings to you all!

You had me at merry band of mutinous pirates! I love it!

I suggest you read G.K. Chesterton’s Song on Grocers. After shopping at WF’s for my aunt, I wanted to read that poem out loud, over the speaker system to everyone who stood in that hipster filled eco-friendly store.

When I was in Cambridge MA, one of the WF there seemed bent on driving the local organic co-op out of business.  Regardless of what WF sells, they were awfully good at aping (or BEing) big business Food Inc. in their actions toward the co-op…..

“peace85” as my captcha??

I was unimpressed with the one I visited, I’ll stick with my local farmer’s market and its predominantly Amish food sources and unpainted cookies.

This is hilarious. 

I kind of like Whole Foods…I don’t go there often, but look at it as a treat.  Even a simple girl likes to feel artsy-fartsy sometimes.  If they really are committed contributors to Planned Parasite, that’s a shame, and I guess will put an end to that.  Not that they would hurt much for losing my scant business, but I’ll make an effort where possible.  I have been trying to kiss Google goodbye for other reasons, which is almost literally impossible on or off the internet.

I don’t want to hijack the thread either, but I can’t just let an attack like that—especially one so steeped in irony—go.  PP does a larger share of the 1.3 million annual abortions in this country than any other single entity.  The number of abortions they do, if I recall from the last time I looked at the published reports, has roughly quadrupled since the 70s while the US population in the same time has only increased by half.  The number of abortions they do versus adoption referrals last time I looked, which was within two years, was so obscene I couldn’t even believe it, it was something like 50 or 60 to 1.  All the while they claim they want to reduce abortions.  So, who really is being dishonest?

I get a kick out of all the foodies who think they are saving the earth by going “organic” and bringing their own bags.  Nothing is more land intensive than organic farming;  in a large population such as ours only narcissists could believe this is a good practice.  Perhaps it is more healthful for YOU, but it would wreck the planet for everyone to indulge in such behavior.

As for the cloth bags, I have searched for any proof - or even assertion - that they somehow are a net positive for the environment.  They are thicker, more durable, and produced in far less numbers than disposables (and hence cannot leverage the energy economy of scale).  But they sure make a lot of money for the grocery stores!

Well now Kevin, I cannot let such inane statements go unanswered.
First the bags. If they were not sensible, profitable and popular, the plastic bag companies would not need to sue them for claiming there bags are good for the environment. They contracted the study and they are bribing (lobbying) the Congress to rule against such bags, when even if the study is legitimate all that is needed is to post some warnings on the bags and perhaps in stores.

How is it any more land intensive for cows to graze on the farmer’s land and just eat the grass they need? Verses huge tracts of land used to grow corn and other grains in several huge tracts of land and then harvesting the grain and shipping it to various farms to be fed to cows in prisons that do not receive sunlight, but do receive plenty of drugs. Drugs which are passed on in the beef to the consumer. When it comes to energy consumption, keeping cattle housed at all times consumes more energy than letting them out to graze. Harvesting and shipping grains from large farming and distribution centers consumes much more energy, than keeping and grazing cattle in the fields.

You are what you eat is a truism, made even more important now that so many studies have come in on GMO grains and their effects on Beef animals which are fed them. People who have gotten extremely sick from toxic foods, have found after a couple of years living on all organics dramatic health improvements. There are many facts to back this up as truth.

I read a report a few years ago, which stated our planet can support a population of approx. 54B so the mere 6.8B we have now isn’t much of a dent. In America at 330B, we are grain exporters, so feeding our cows on grass should be no problem. It would free farmers from buying grains which would increase their profits.

Roland:

First the bags:  Whether they are “sensible, profitable and popular” is irrelevant.  In fact, as said I was sure they were profitable, since - as PT Barnum noted - there is a sucker born every minute.  Try to find one credible study showing they are a net gain for the environment and let us all know what you find out.  Any manufacturing process that operates on the scale of disposable shopping bags will have ALL inefficiencies wrung out of it - and hence is likely to be more “environmentally” favorable over the long haul.

As for the cows - you prove my point.  If you let a lot of cows range over a big area eating grass and worshiping mother earth in their own way - you use a LOT of land, and a lot of energy to keep that land productive for grazing.  Factory farm methods concentrate all this and wring out efficiency - the same way Henry Ford made automobile manufacturing efficient.  It is not as romantic as your notion, but the laws of physics dictate that if you want to minimize your impact on the environment, you have to maximize the productivity you get out of it.  Hence, nuclear reactors have the lowest footprint, etc.

I find it very annoying that so many people seem to equate eating organic and being green with being good Catholics. If one wants to waste their money to eat organic do so but don’t try to equate it with being a good Catholic. People seem to be more concerned with recycling and all of that sort of thing than with getting rid of abortion and birth control. These are much more important to get rid of. Recycling seems to have become people’s new “virtue” and its really not important. In fact it merely makes people feel good about themselves for doing something. In reality natural resources still have to be used in the recycling process so you are not really saving anything. It would be better for everyone to have at least a dozen kids and use as many resources as they need than to have 2 kids and be “green”. And of course any intelligent person knows that this carbon footprint business is complete nonsense.

i have got some health issues that’s why i am vegetarian and i dont think so that’s there’s any problem for me if i am just eating vegetables ..

I like Whole Foods.  I go there maybe every 2-3 months.  Sometimes I meet friends there for lunch—LOVE there FOOD BAR!  I am vegetarian so I will go occasionally to buy items not found in the regular markets.  It is an experience going in there….I will say they do drive like maniacs in their parking lots.  And it is funny how someone mentioned there’s no kids in there…You’re right, at the one that I go to in RI, there isn’t kids!  I guess most Whole Foods shoppers are single?  (A bunch of single, angry librals? LOL!!)

As for the vegan bacon, try the morning star version—It’s not that bad but watch how you cook it!

“Posted by fitness centers in spokane wa on Friday, Sep 30, 2011 2:15 AM (EDT):i have got some health issues that’s why i am vegetarian and i dont think so that’s there’s any problem for me if i am just eating vegetables ..”

—I would add protien to your diet like peanuts, peanut butter & beans…supplement like B12 is good, too…

The only “meat” I’ll eat occassionaly is fish like salmon—so I get a high serving of protien—unbreaded fish also has