Bananas, Broccoli, And Gummy Bears
August 10, 2009 by JD
Filed under Health News, News
Whole Foods
Sprouts
Fresh Market
These are the names of some our local Dallas “health food” stores. These are the places to go when you’re looking for the best in fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats, reputable vitamins and supplements, and other healthy foods and accessories.
Fine wines, a wide variety of trail mixes, and bins of raw legumes and grains are also lined up and down the aisles of these emporiums of healthy living.
But over the last several years, I’ve noticed that there are fewer choices when it comes to picking out trail mixes, fresh nuts, and dried fruits. Where there used to be bin after bin of healthy snacks and ingredients, there is now bin after bin of…
Gummy Bears, sugar frosted corn flakes, malted milk balls, and other blood sugar spiking, teeth rotting, nutrition corrupting tasty treats.
Yes, junk food and candy are slowly pushing out the health foods from our health food stores.
Not a good trend.
But at least it’s one that is being recognized.
John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and said:
“We sell all kinds of candy. We sell a bunch of junk.”
Well, in defense of Mackey and other health food store management teams, they are just giving the American public what it wants.
Junk food sells.
As recently as a few years ago, sales of healthy, bulk foods such as grains, seeds, nuts, and beans accounted for 15%-20% of a typical Whole Foods store’s revenues. That percentage has dropped to less than 1%.
Customers used to walk out with bags of beans, oats, and nuts. Now they’re waddling out with bags of gumdrops, lemon chews, and candy corn.
Fortunately, Whole Foods is taking a proactive approach in trying to get back to their original mission of providing quality, healthy consumables. They are implementing plans to include specialty kiosks in stores, where staff will educate consumers about healthy eating. In addition, the company is developing programs to encourage store personnel to learn more about nutrition and to adopt healthier lifestyles.
But in the end it comes down to us. Remember that, or one day your local Fresh Market may change it’s name to Candy Land.
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