A Letter To My Local Whole Foods Market

Hello,
I would like to see more of the foods made by the prepared foods department for the hot bar, grab and go and deli department – follow the 4 pillars.  I have been patronizing your store since February 2012, and almost EVERY selection available contains canola oil or olive oil.  Most of the time, this addition of oil is completely unnecessary to the success of the recipe.

I moved here from St Paul, MN, our local WFM practices the 4 pillars, has 28 day challenges and almost none of the items available in the deli and the hot food bar have oil in them.  I always look forward to shopping at your store and would like to have lunch while I am there.  I am usually disappointed that of all the food available, I am stuck with making a salad as my only option.  I have previously discussed this with Lisa Markley, the Healthy Eating Specialist at your store via email and on the phone.  She said she would talk to the prepared foods department about it two months ago.  Nothing has changed.

I don’t expect you to cater to every lifestyle, for there are many personal choices in the dietary sector.  However, I have adopted a whole foods-plant-based-no added fats diet as prescribed by your own Health Starts Here Advisory Board, so I would at least expect you to follow your own 4 Pillars principles.  Having spent a weekend in Austin, TX with Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Caldwell B Esselstyn Jr., Jeff Novick, MS RD and the team at the Flagship WFM store in Austin, there are so many recipes and options available to your prepared foods team.  Dan Marek, the Healthy Eating Specialist there has so many recipes that fit the four pillars perfectly.  I’d love to see your prepared foods team make this change.

Thank you,

Ami Mackey

and the response I got today….

Hello Ami…

I am glad that you have come to KC and I hope that you keep coming to our department to check out the Hot food venues.  I am very sorry that you have been disappointed on the choices of the bars.  We are moving in a direction that you will hopefully be pleased with.  Lisa is currently working with Laura and Anthony…some of our kitchen staff to help create some recipes for our hot food venues.  Today we have Rip’s Sweet Potato Lasagna out and we will always try to have an Engine 2 or HSH set on both bars in the future.

Next time you are in please come by and check out the choices that we have to offer not only on the hot food venues, but in our Chef’s Case we have at least 3-4 HSH choices and on our Salad bar/Grain bar we have other offerings as well.

Thanks for your comments it helps us to know what our customer base is looking for.
Have a great day!

Terra Salser
Prepared Foods Associate Team Leader
Whole Foods Market METCALF
913.652.9633

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