Whole Foods Adds Raw Food Grab-N-Go Line
MARIN, Calif. -- Riding another trend in healthy eating, Whole Food Markets in Northern California are offering "raw food" grab-n-go items.
The grocer, in collaboration with Chef Roxanne Klein, is stocking items such as Tibetan Trail Mix and pinwheel sandwiches made from nuts and soy, according to a report in Contra Costa Times.
"What I find is that when people try raw foods, they are first bowled over by how they taste, then they realize how much better raw foods make them feel," the celebrated chef told the newspaper. Klein invested two years designing a line of grab-and-go raw foods that just rolled out at the Whole Foods Markets.
"We have a lot of healthy food options at our stores, but Roxanne's food rises above that," Whole Foods grocery coordinator Patrick Wyman told the newspaper. "Her line is really innovative, and there's a demand for it. Our goal is to stay ahead of the trends."
Wyman admitted when Klein approached him about stocking the line, like most people, he was a little foggy on the idea of raw food. The primary difference between mainstream health foods and raw food is the absence of dairy, eggs or gluten; and the huge presence of nuts in most items.
Among the 34 foods in the initial rollout are a sweet, non-oat granola made of sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and goji berries; a dried corn-cashew-pistachio trail mix; garlic and onion-flavored spreadable nut cheese; a smooth, mild-flavored nut hummus; and pinwheel sandwiches, desserts and sandwich spreads made from nuts and soy.
Klein says her goal is to create foods so delicious that people will be willing to try them whether they understand or believe in the philosophy of eating raw or not. "I want to be able to support people who want to eat well. I'm hoping that people will try the foods and start to understand that good health is not about a magic bullet. It's about eating delicious food."
Among the retail prices: $6.99 for Nutmilk Cheeze and Tu-nut Salad, $8.99 for glazed pecans or Tibetan Trail Mix. "We did consider the price pretty carefully," Wyman told the newspaper. "But the reality is that making raw foods is more laborious, and that extra labor translates into higher prices."
The grocer, in collaboration with Chef Roxanne Klein, is stocking items such as Tibetan Trail Mix and pinwheel sandwiches made from nuts and soy, according to a report in Contra Costa Times.
"What I find is that when people try raw foods, they are first bowled over by how they taste, then they realize how much better raw foods make them feel," the celebrated chef told the newspaper. Klein invested two years designing a line of grab-and-go raw foods that just rolled out at the Whole Foods Markets.
"We have a lot of healthy food options at our stores, but Roxanne's food rises above that," Whole Foods grocery coordinator Patrick Wyman told the newspaper. "Her line is really innovative, and there's a demand for it. Our goal is to stay ahead of the trends."
Wyman admitted when Klein approached him about stocking the line, like most people, he was a little foggy on the idea of raw food. The primary difference between mainstream health foods and raw food is the absence of dairy, eggs or gluten; and the huge presence of nuts in most items.
Among the 34 foods in the initial rollout are a sweet, non-oat granola made of sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and goji berries; a dried corn-cashew-pistachio trail mix; garlic and onion-flavored spreadable nut cheese; a smooth, mild-flavored nut hummus; and pinwheel sandwiches, desserts and sandwich spreads made from nuts and soy.
Klein says her goal is to create foods so delicious that people will be willing to try them whether they understand or believe in the philosophy of eating raw or not. "I want to be able to support people who want to eat well. I'm hoping that people will try the foods and start to understand that good health is not about a magic bullet. It's about eating delicious food."
Among the retail prices: $6.99 for Nutmilk Cheeze and Tu-nut Salad, $8.99 for glazed pecans or Tibetan Trail Mix. "We did consider the price pretty carefully," Wyman told the newspaper. "But the reality is that making raw foods is more laborious, and that extra labor translates into higher prices."