The Whole (Foods) Shebang
Julia Child, eat your heart out!
As a component of our Employee Health and Wellness Initiative, four Rimland staff members enjoyed a tour of the Whole Foods Northbrook store in April. Led by a healthy eating specialist on staff at Whole Foods Northbrook, the tour covered the entire store, with special emphasis on the produce section, where the specialist fielded questions regarding nutrition and food items in the store. Among other practical knowledge gained, participants learned that, at Whole Foods, organic foods are completely separated from non-organic foods, so that non-organic never touches organic, and even utensils for the two types of foods are kept separate. The tour culminated in a cooking demonstration in a classroom designated for that purpose. The specialist made a kale Waldorf salad and offered tastings of the salad and banana nut muffins to participants. While Whole Foods stores are located throughout the Chicagoland area, not all locations have a healthy eating specialist on staff, as the Northbrook location does. To encourage knowledge of healthy living options, Rimland will continue to participate in these tours as a group and provide transportation to interested staff members.