Wow, this is an old topic! Why haven't I posted anything about it yet? The answer is in my letter:
Dear Whole Foods:
Hey, a bunch of people have been writing about how they want you to change your policy on vegan and/or paleo diets. Initially I didn't want to say anything because I rarely shop at your store.
But, wait a minute! I used to. What happened? When I moved to California, the first thing I did is find a natural foods store, and my very first grocery trip was to Mrs. Gooch's. But then we moved, and a Mrs. Gooch's/Whole Foods wasn't nearby and we quit going as much.
Then I switched from a vegetarian diet to Paleo. The last time I went into a WF was to check out some new Paleo books and grab a package of meat for a road trip. I was surprised that they had a greatly-reduced book section (no Paleo books here, ma'am), but even more surprised by the wall of vegan books and propaganda that accosted me at the store entry.
All those years as a vegetarian, and I never felt uncomfortable walking into a store, a barbeque, or a meaty eatery. And now this?
Gee, I just switched from eating 99-cent black beans to eating 10-dollar-a-pound grass-fed meat that I don't buy at your store because your propaganda creeps me out. This seems like a weird business decision on your part.
Please reconsider.
Sincerely, EB
P.S. I started driving all that way to WF to get my favorite tea after the local natural foods donated a bunch of $$$$$$ against the NOH8 campaign. Please don't make me go back. Then again, there is mail-order.
ironically, WF often has outstanding seafood and meat departments.... :-) the guys who work those departments are often the nicest ones in the store!
ReplyDeletei think it's because SOME vegetarians have a holier-than-thou attitude about their motivations, that WF's atmosphere IS what it is. i dabbled in v-style eating once upon a time, though i never gave up seafood, and it was all over the literature that, if your reason for being a veg was for health, you were a lesser human being than those who were all about animal rights!!! f*** 'em....
The holier-than-thou attitude doesn't bother me as much as the healthier-than-thou attitude. If they want to diss the sugar-eaters, go right ahead, but why trash people who do well on meat and vegetables?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a veg, there were so few of us, and no internet. We huddled together at Mrs. Gooch's seminars...and people weren't as annoying about diet as they are these days.
(but thank goodness for that u-pick place in ferguson :-) )
I wonder if the WF are different for regions or even areas.Here in South Miami, the books are pretty much a small variety and they have Mark's there as well as Wolf's and South Beach. They have a beautiful meat market, very large.They cater to a different crowd perhaps and adjust what they carry for area. My WF back home is different from here as well. More dairy and pork items. I do not remember about the books, but I did pick up my first Paleo magazine there.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was following a vegan diet I wasn't good enough for many, because I didn't eat vegan because of the animal issue I did it for the diet. So I wasn't one of them. I really could give a s*#@ who I offend, there will always be someone.
My WF had no paleo books, not even Robb Wolf. Now THAT I was surprised by.
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