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Take
a safari through a natural foods store
Oct. 23, 03
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
If
you’ve never set foot in a natural
foods store, I encourage you now to take
that step.
But natural foods stores can be a bit
intimidating to newcomers with all those
unusual, outside-the-mainstream foods
like tofu, other foods made of soy and
grains such as spelt and amaranth.
Look at your first ventures into your
local natural foods store as a shopping
safari.
You’ll be rewarded by discoveries
that can enliven your meals while making
them more healthful for you and your
family.
Here’s a brief guide to set you on
your way.
Natural foods stores were started by
consumers who wanted to take more
responsibility for their own diets and
health. They established the small health
food stores of the ’60s and
’70s that have grown into the
natural foods supermarkets of today.
Stores may differ a bit, but they
generally share a set of standards that
exclude most of the foods sold in
conventional supermarkets. Foods are free
of artificial flavors, colorings,
preservatives and additives. They are
minimally processed and as close to their
natural state as possible. Breads and
cereals are made with whole grains. Most
natural foods stores do not stock foods
made with hydrogenated fats.
The first time you visit a natural foods
store, here’s what you do:
First, give yourself extra time. Roam
every aisle and look at everything.
Then, pick up a few products to sample.
Assume that when you try new things,
you’ll find some that you won’t
like. But you’ll stumble upon some
new favorites, too.
To get you started, here are some
products I recommend:
* Fortified soy milk. Sold in aseptic,
shelf-stable boxes. Anyone who is
lactose-intolerant or wants to avoid the
fat in most dairy products should try
this. It can be used cup for cup in all
the same ways as cow’s milk.
Experiment with brands to find one you
like best. I buy vanilla flavored for
cereal or to drink straight, but plain is
versatile because you can also use it in
mashed potatoes and cream soups. Allergic
to soy? Try fortified rice milk instead.
* Breakfast cereals. They’re made
with whole grains, and some are sweetened
with fruit juice. No hydrogenated fats.
Some great choices for kids, too.
* Tempeh. Whole, cultured soybeans sold
in half-inch slabs in the refrigerated or
frozen foods section. A traditional
Indonesian food. I add one-inch cubes to
greens that I sauté with a soy-ginger
sauce.
* Powdered vegetarian egg replacer. A
one-pound box lasts a long time. Works
wonderfully in virtually any recipe that
calls for eggs. A mixture of vegetable
starches, it’s cholesterol- and
saturated-fat-free. Find it with the
baking supplies.
* Instant soups. The cup-of-soup kind.
Add hot water and you’ve got soup or
chili or noodles (even hot cereal) in its
own bowl. Great for bag lunches. These
were the forerunners of the mainstream
brand knock-offs, but they’re lower
in sodium and made with organically grown
ingredients.
* Whole-grain mixes. Pancake and quick
bread mixes, rice and couscous side
dishes. Similar to their conventional
counterparts but made with whole grains,
lower in sodium, with no hydrogenated
fats and unnecessary additives.
A common concern is that natural foods
can be more expensive. But do some
comparisons and you might be surprised
– prices are often substantially
less than those in conventional
supermarkets. A good example is soy milk.
Many supermarkets now carry it, but
volume sales in natural foods stores
often allow prices to be lower. A
practical strategy: Buy certain staples
at natural foods stores and supplement
them with carefully chosen foods from
supermarkets or a wholesale club store.
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