Food Coop

The more I get into the vegetarian diet, the more I realize the quality of vegetables varies greatly. And the more I consume (which is obviously much more than I used to on my regular diet) the more I am aware of the waxy crap coating my fruits, and the chemicals on my vegetables. I wash all my produce, but I actually cut into a cucumber the other day that had enough of whatever chemical goes on it to contaminate the taste of the inner part of the cucumber. It was disgusting. I threw the entire thing out. What a waste.

So I started looking at the organic section of the grocery store. Now the biggest problem I had here is the sticker shock. Everything is so much cheaper compared to organic food. My strawberries cost twice as much in this section than they did from the normal produce isle. This mad me sad. It's already been more expensive switching to this diet. And that number was starting to look even more outrageous. So I went home and started searching out coops in my neighborhood. There is a very simple little site that has a listing of all the coops in your area. Turns out I have a coop only 6 minutes from my home. I wrote down a few of the recipes that I wanted to try from my Skinny Bitch book and headed over there. Right now, my only complaint is that the hours are not nearly as convenient as super markets. Other than that, I loved the place. It had a huge variety of organic foods, much more reasonably priced than the supermarket did. I spent just about the same amount on my groceries as I had going to a normal grocer. Which made me happy. And to top it off, I am now supporting the small community of organic farmers who are sticking to there guns and producing in an environmentally friendly way, which makes me feel pretty damn good. I like those folks.

If you don't know yet what coop is, here is a link that describes perfectly what a coop is.

The cool thing about this coop is that they are very involved in the community. With out reach programs, healthy living tips, and updates on agriculture and environmental issues. Plus they go out of there way to provide great customer service.

"At Lakewinds, we take pride in being unlike other stores, and one difference we think you’ll appreciate is our effort to provide you with the best customer service possible. To exceed your expectations, our staff truly needs to know about our products and services. That is why we invest in extensive employee training in areas such as membership, customer service and natural foods. Whether you are speaking to the person working in produce or at the deli, you will be talking with someone who cares about service and who wants to ensure you have a uniquely satisfying shopping experience."

Who could ask for more?

I love them.