Last week, I took my friend Ange on a grocery store tour, one of the personalized services I offer. Not only that, but going to Whole Foods in London is an adventure in itself – there are only a handful around town, the main one being in Kensington, which spans three floors of a beautiful old building on the High Street. It is somewhere I love to visit when I have the opportunity – forget Westminster Abbey and Tower of London!!
Ange wanted to get my opinion and input on some healthy foods she could incorporate into her weekly meals but didn’t know where to start. She’s pretty clued up on holistic health already, as she’s a massage therapist and aromatherapist, so I knew she didn’t need my full consultation services. The tour was a perfect fit for her!
After a raw foods lunch at Saf, we ventured into the store, starting with fresh produce and winding through the aisles from there. I suggested foods for her to try and she explored items on her own, asking me about them. It’s a great way to get introduced to some alternatives for your pantry! But that’s enough from me – I’ll let her tell you about her experience…
Eating healthy can be a confusing and daunting step to take. If you’re like me, you’ll make a stop at a local health food shop and buy a bag of rice pasta, some tofu, soy milk and a bag of nuts. Once it runs out, you slowly fall back into the your old ways and then wonder…why am I so bloated?
Enter Molly (red cape billowing).
I was lucky enough to meet Molly at my local wellness clinic and after attending her free talks about nutrition, I felt inspired to try these new foods and supplements. Being vegetarian, I sometimes rely too much on dairy for my protein. I suddenly developed an aversion to it for a few weeks and knew I needed help with a balanced diet. Molly agreed to take me to Whole Foods Market in Kensington and literally show me how to shop. It was great fun and super inspiring!
Molly has given me back my ‘creative juices’ for enjoying a healthy and balanced diet. It should be fun, it should be easy, it should never feel like a chore. Walking around the basement-level of Whole Foods, I came across the cereals and whole grains section where you can choose how much you want and dispense it yourself. I felt like a child in a sweet shop 
Not only was it much cheaper to buy it this way, but you get to choose how much you need. Here I picked up a back of quinoa, un-roasted buckwheat (turns out it’s gluten-free!), walnuts and pine nuts. Molly explained their nutritional value, how to cook them and recipe ideas too. It somehow seems so much easier when I’m shown something this way, rather than reading it online or in a magazine and trying to remember the next time I’m shopping.
Next up was a tour of the fridge section, and the choices I had if I didn’t want dairy. I was particularly interested in the soy products and the issue with GM. Molly showed me the symbols to look out for and explained their meanings. After that, I discovered some interesting finds in the natural flavouring shelf: Himalayan pink salt and liquid aminos.
Thanks Molly, you’ve made everything so much more clearer for me, and a lot more exciting! Now to entice my pasta-eating, pizza-craving husband with my new stash of exciting ingredients!
Thank YOU, Ange! It was a fun afternoon!
If you’d like to book a grocery store tour with me, please get in touch. I’m offering this service in London until July when we move to Boston, or a modified version is available internationally – you let me know where you live and I’ll come up with a shopping list tailored to your local area!
