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Come Together at Co-Opportunity

When you think of an organic grocery store, what is the first place that comes to mind? If it is Whole Foods, that is not surprising. They have hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom with a great selection of organic goods. If you are looking for something a little more intimate though, that caters both to the organic and gluten-free demographic, my number one recommendation is Co-Opportunity.

Located in Santa Monica at the corner of 16th and Broadway, Co-Opportunity is the only Green Certified grocer in Santa Monica, and has even won the 2010 Sustainable Quality Award for its environmental efforts.

The store in and of itself is a co-op, which is a kind of business that is equally run by both patrons and business associates. Essentially, Co-Opportunity gives its members as much opportunity to contribute to the store as its employees. Becoming a member with them demonstrates your contribution to both the environment and homegrown, sustainable agriculture.

Co-Opportunity has been my favorite grocery store for almost twenty-five years, and as a lifetime member of for at least sixteen of those years, I can attest to their abundant organic and gluten-free selections. Co-Opportunity carries bulk organic foods, natural products for pets, herbs, spices, chemical-free household products and all-natural cosmetics.  Many of the brands you will not find anywhere else in Los Angeles. They cater to literally every diet out there with foods that are raw, GMO-free, dairy and lactose free, vegan and vegetarian, macrobiotic, wheat-free, and gluten-free. I support them 100% because they are so environmentally involved, and serve so admirably to people wanting to nourish their bodies with natural, wholesome foods!

References:

http://www.coopportunity.com/index.htm

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Whole Foods Market: The Best Grocery Store Experience

There are few grocery stores in Los Angeles that live up to my expectations with regard to food quality, eco-focus, and integrity, but one I can firmly stand behind is Whole Foods Market. Their Venice location neighbors Santa Monica and is only a short drive from the infamous Venice boardwalk. It is a unique market with the best hot food bar you will ever find, frequented by young, earthy people shopping for the best in natural and organic food.

Besides their large selection of gluten-free items and organic foods, another   positive aspect of the Whole Foods Market (WFM) in Venice is that their building is a LEED® candidate. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the rating system used by the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization, to determine how environmentally conscious a particular building is. I really respect buildings that are designed using as little energy as possible, and the Whole Foods Market in Venice rises to the occasion by ventilating their store using systems free of CFC-based refrigerants, which can deplete the ozone, and as well as skylights to minimize the amount of electricity used to light the store. In addition to placing recycling bins around the store, they use only environmentally safe products in their janitorial practices, and very low-toxic paints, sealants, and coatings for in-store labeling.

If you have not visited the WFM Venice store, it would not hurt to swing by and check out all they have to offer. Great food coupled with a hip, good looking crowd—you might never go back to a regular grocery store again!

References:

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/venice/

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Paul Newman’s Own Organics

As a huge fan of locally-grown organic ingredients, I am so thrilled to tell you about my favorite goods from Newman’s Own Organics. Paul Newman, known to most as an actor, started his own company back in 1982 making lemonade, salsa, pasta, and steak sauce. In 1993 however, Newman’s Own branched off into Newman’s Own Organics, a division created by his philanthropic and eco-friendly daughter Nell.

Newman’s Own Organics uses only certified organic ingredients to sell scrumptious treats like organic popcorn, pretzels, and dried fruit, among other things. Heading up the business with her father, Nell has made a concerted effort to incorporate organic eating into new snacks and meals that she and her father used to enjoy when she was a kid. In fact, Nell convinced Paul to start Newman’s Own Organics after cooking him a delicious Thanksgiving dinner completely organically. Needless to say, he was convinced.

Personally, I am a big fan of Newman’s Own Organic balsamic vinegar and olive oil and Tuscan Italian Organic Salad Dressing.  In addition, what I really enjoy about Newman’s products is that they have expanded their consumer base to animals—they make healthy, organic food for your pets too! Each package of Newman’s Own Organics Premium Pet Food comes with whole grains, vitamins, and minerals that far exceed the nutrition in regular pet food. Now the whole family can be healthy, human or not!

References:

http://www.newmansownorganics.com/index.php

http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/home/

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