First, a big accomplishment, today is day 56 of my 112-day streak. I am officially half way done!! {doing the cabbage patch} I got a new iPhone4 for my birthday and have been playing with goofy self portraits of myself like this one.
Today, I am going to focus on food, One Meal stuff. Most of my weecaps thus far have been focused on the One Mile, fitness and exercise side mainly because I've really been getting into barefoot running, and I've been doing the #30daysofbiking April challenge which will be done on Saturday.
One Meal
This week I got adventurous and went to a Walmart grocery store...in fact I went to two. I know, some jaws are dropping on the floor. And btw, Walmart is not sponsoring me or paying me anything to do this. In fact, they've probably never even heard of me.
When I think of Walmart food, this is what comes immediately to my mind. Blueberry pancake wrapped sausages on a stick like corn dogs for breakfast...
...and this, Velveeta microwave Mac n' Cheese in a cup. The sight of this makes my skin crawl, I'm not gonna lie. I have nothing against instant Mac n' Cheese, it's the Velveeta part.
I went to Walmart completely on my own after having my eyes opened by some friends who shop for their families there not because Walmart is the top of their list or that even budget is a main concern, but because of proximity. That Walmart grocery is the closest food store to them. The next grocery store is 5-7 miles away. When you're single, that's not such a big deal, but when you got 2-4 kids, well it becomes a bigger deal. I get it.
Also, since I've been watching Jamie Oliver's food revolution, it dawned on me, that if we are to help make this country a healthier place, you have to go to the places where the damage is being done like a Walmart grocery...which is a perfect representation of the foods that are mass produced and contributing to the colossal food related health issues we have in the U.S. like obesity and diabetes.
But instead of bashing Walmart and getting on the soap box about how that place should be avoided, let's take the approach of seeing what is good there, and expand upon that.
One thing I learned after visiting the Coca-Cola headquarters was that Drinkzilla wasn't entirely evil...mostly yes, but not all. I learned of the VEB group which is all about organic and all natural drinks like Honest Teas and Zico Coconut Water. The beast understands money. If the VEB group sells a whole lot, guess where the resources are gonna go?
Walmart is the same. They will go where the sales are, so taking our own philosophy of tiny actions, let's see what kind of healthy stuff you can find at a Walmart grocery. Focus on the good and expand from there! Like the Bosc pear I got all minimalist with above, and this fresh asparagus. It's a thing of beauty.
Honestly, I was shocked....happily shocked...to find what I did, and this list is only partial to what I found. And if you remember, on Monday I posted about finding a mostly organic meal including an organic drink for under $5. I'm liking Walmart more and more to help balance out my grocery shopping.
Note: The Walmart that most of these items are from is from a store in an upper middle class to affluent area in Scottsdale, AZ so basically, I'd call it a rich people's Walmart. Therefore, these items may not be in your local store, but ask. If it's in one Walmart, odds are that it can get into another...again based on demand.
Let's start filling up our grocery cart!
- Avocados from Mexico for 50 cents. They are on the small side but so what. This was the best deal I saw there!
- Organic greens for salad and an array of fruits including exotic fruits like papaya, kiwi, pineapple, and coconuts.
- And here look, a vegan foods section with Soyrizo, soy hot dogs, and slices of veggie cheese.
- Organic milk from brands like Shamrock, Horizon, and Stremicks Heritage, and non-dairy milks like soy, rice, almond, and this new flax milk. I have a review of the Flax milk coming up. Walmart is the first store to carry flax milk. I didn't find any coconut milks, but I have hope!
- Organic soups from brands like Amy's, Muir Glen, and Pacific Natural Foods. I was surprised to see frou-frou chef Wolfgang Puck on the shelf. His soups are also sold at Whole Foods.
- Gluten-free brown rice pasta. I found organic pasta sauces as well.
- Justin's brand Nut Butters. I love this stuff! I was shocked to see Justin's at Walmart mainly because they are still a small shop out of Boulder, CO, but maybe they have hit pay dirt and are now huge. I love the small packs which you can take on an airplane as a snack!
- Earth Balance buttery spread. Walmart had my particular favorite flavor the Soy-free version. w00t! To me seeing Earth Balance is acknowledgement that there is a large demand for vegan and non-dairy "butter" options.
- Frozen meals from organic and all natural makers like Amy's and Kashi.
- And the best for last, my all time favorite So Deliciouscoconut milk based ice creams! These ice creams are nearly $2 cheaper than Whole Foods. I was tap dancing seeing this, so guess where I'm buying my ice cream now.
So there you have it. I bet many of you are just as surprised as I was to see some of these food items in a Walmart. That excuse that organic or healthy is too expensive just weakened. Here are wonderful options at Walmart!
And like I said, if demand goes up, then supply will increase. Put those suggestions in the box at your local Walmart and let's get more healthier foods into the mainstream!
What's a cool find, you've discovered in your local Walmart?
