A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend a Health Starts Here tour at Whole Foods and my interest was immediately piqued.
Since I no longer live near a Whole Foods, I figured I wouldn’t be able to attend and was quite bummed since Ryan and I used to love Whole Foods events when we lived in Orlando. (We attended a number of restaurant cooking demonstrations and had a great time at a Greek cooking class! I know I’ve mentioned Whole Foods events on the blog before, but I highly recommend them for fun, inexpensive date nights!)
When I responded to the invitation, I happened to mention my travels to Jacksonville for my sister’s bridal shower last weekend and we were able to set something up since there is a Whole Foods in the area. Woo!
The Health Starts Here tour is free to everyone and I met up with Heather Olsen, the Jacksonville Whole Foods healthy eating specialist, for my tour in the late afternoon. Heather gave me a ton of information about the Health Starts Here program, which I never knew existed at Whole Foods until our tour began!
Health Starts Here is a mindful approach to healthy eating that’s rooted in simple ways to build better meals. The program is essentially an in-store guide that you can use to choose the healthiest foods.
Fun fact I learned from Heather: The average American cycles through the same 10 fruits and vegetables!
The Health Starts Here program includes the following Four Pillars of Healthy Eating:
- Whole foods: Health Starts Here foods only use recognizable ingredients in their purest, unprocessed forms.
- Plant-strong: Plant-based foods are the foundation of Health Starts Here.
- Healthy fats: Health Starts here foods does not use any extracted oils or processed fats but included healthy fats from natural sources including nuts, seeds and avocados.
- Nutrient dense: Health Starts Here meals contain a rainbow of nutritious whole plant foods with high Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scores.
As Heather escorted me around the store, she pointed out Health Starts Here logo stickers that can be found on a number of food items within the store that follow the four pillars of health.
If you’re visiting the Whole Foods salad bar, hot bar or prepared foods section and noticed the Health Starts Here logo, you can be sure that the food you are eating is a healthy choice. It’s a great way to take some of the guess work out of healthy eating!
The program also offers a grocery list for stocking your pantry the healthy way and tips and tricks for cooking fast and healthy meals using quick-cooking whole grains, canned no-salt-added beans and frozen vegetables and fruit.
I left very impressed with the Health Starts Here program and know I’ll be looking for the logo as I select foods from the hot bar and salad bar during my next trip to Whole Foods!
Whole Foods Giveaway
When I said I’d be writing about this tour on my blog, Whole Foods was kind enough to offer a giveaway to one reader for a $50 gift certificate to Whole Foods. Since I know you guys get just as excited about food as I do, I have a feeling this one may interest quite a few of you!
To enter this giveaway, simply comment below and tell me about one healthy food you’ve recently started incorporating into your diet or a favorite healthy food that has been a staple in your diet for quite a while.
I will randomly select a winner on Friday.
Good luck!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I’m a huge Kale fan and add it to casseroles, soups, pasta dishes and smoothies.
Mushrooms! They are so low calorie, healthy, and delicious. I love cooking portobello mushrooms burgers!
I’d love to incorporate more kale into my diet.
Spinach is my go to healthy meal starter! Fast and easy!
My favorite healthy food is chia seeds! I’ve made a chocolate avocado chia seed pudding lately, which is a perfectly healthy after dinner treat!
For the last few months, Fuji apples and plain popcorn are on the top of my list.
I’ve been loving cooking up a big batch of dried chickpeas over the weekend and then throwing them in salads or snacking on them throughout the week. To me they are so much better than canned!
Organic frozen blueberries are my FAVORITE addition to anything right now!
I like incorporating a lot of fruits into my diet. I like to make a fruit salad to enjoy with my lunch including strawberries, blueberries and pineapple.
Spinach!! I love spinach and eat it everyday and in everything!
They just built us a brand spankin’ new beautiful Whole Foods in Memphis. Walking around & exploring it has been wonderful. I’ve tried some fresh pressed juices as a way to get more fruits & veggies in me.
I love whole foods! I actually travel to another state about 40 minutes away to go there…I’m such a foodie 😛 With the winter months here, I’ve recently started incorporating frozen fruits that I miss when they aren’t in season. Whole Foods is one of the few places that sells them without any sugar or syrup added which is great and they work well in a number of dishes (muffins, smoothies, salads etc.). Love your blog btw 🙂
I was never a huge fan of beans growing up, but now I’m trying to eat more of them (especially black beans) for protein and fiber!
I recently started drinking fresh green juice every morning and have been loving it!
I’ve recently been eating a ton of quinoa and I’ve become a little obsessed with fruit/veggie juices. The juices are incredibly hydrating, which I love during the colder months!
Chia Seeds!
Spinach + Kale! I love how versatile they are. I literally throw them in everything and viola! Added nutrients 😀
Ever since I read your post on spaghetti squash my mother and I cannot get enough of it. At first we were a little bit apprehensive to try it but I am so glad we did! We have both limited our pasta intake and replaced it we healthier dishes like the spaghetti squash recipe you posted. Thank you for that!
Red, orange or yellow peppers are my healthy indulgence.
I’ve recently started incorporation ground flax seeds into my diet. I love them mixed in my oatmeal and in my smoothies, and I feel good know I’m getting some healthy benefits from them.
I love Whole Foods but wasn’t aware they had this program! I’m super pumped to be living by a Whole Foods again.
One healthy food I recently discovered was Almond Butter. I’ve heard about it a million times, obviously, but the other day, actually at a Whole Foods, I decided to make my own in the machine. It was delicious, and now I’m obsessed!
I’ve been using a lot more quinoa in place of brown rice lately!
I’ve been loving oatmeal as an inexpensive and healthy breakfast option!
I always cook healthy meals and side dishes but dessert is always a challenge. So instead of trying to replicate a wonderful dessert with healthy ingredients we have turned to pairing dark chocolate or dark chocolate syrup with fruit for dessert in the evening. Just a little goes a long way with bananas, strawberries, or even dried cherries.
Artichokes! Once I learned how to cook and eat them, we have them at least a few times a week!
I began introducing spinach and chia seeds into my diet through juices – love it!!
I just found about about chia seeds and have been loving them in my oatmeal!
I put kale into all of my soups now. I also started adding flax seed to my oatmeal. And I LOVE green juice!
I have started eating Larabars and have always had a love affair with mangos!
I’ve recently started adding flax seed to a lot of my breakfasts and snacks!
I am in love w/ sweet potatoes. I love making “nachos” w/ roasted, sliced sweet potatoes, black beans, cheese, avocado! I’ve also been digging Greek yogurt lately.
I started adding chopped nuts to my oatmeal and a banana to my cold cereal!
I’ve been trying to incorporate more flaxseed in my diet recently. I have been putting it in smoothies, homemade granola bars and even my oatmeal. It might just be because I’ve heard so many great things about it, but I really do think it’s making me feel healthier!
I have started using a lot of kale in various meals and snacks (Smoothies, pasta, salads)! It has definitely become a staple in my house!
I always have eaten salads at least once a day for about two years now, but I more recently added kale to the mix, either raw or sauteed, and I am obsessed. I go through a giant bag in less than a week!
I recently hopped on board the cottage cheese train! The texture used to gross me out, but it’s delicious mixed into some fruit with a little cinnamon and packs some serious staying power!
I have been incorporating dark chocolate:)
One healthy food I like to incorporate is plain greek yogurt…in smoothies, replacement for sour cream, and as a snack!
I’ve started adding chia seeds to lots of things I eat! Smoothies, overnight oats, baked goods…inspired by your blog, of course!
I’ve recently been incorporating tons of kale and quinoa into recipes, and loving everything I’ve tried! Quinoa burgers=SO GOOD.
I’ve been adding ground flax seeds to things like oatmeal for some added fiber and healthy fats. Also trying to eat more veggies!
Have been the BIGGEST spinach lover forever and the past year have been using kale and switching off more to incorporate different greens.
i’ve been loving quinoa as a healthy addition to my dinners lately! =)
Aahhh there are too many to choose! But since I have to pick one, I’ll say hemp seeds/hemp hearts. Gosh I love those little guys- they’ve been a great addition to my smoothies, salads, yogurt bowls, oatmeal, & homemade baked goods lately!!
we have been adding spinach to our smoothies. great way to sneak in those greens.
Sweet potatoes! Baked, roasted, mashed…can’t get enough.
I’m really trying to get myself to branch out on my vegetables. I actually wasn’t totally shocked when you said most people rotate among 10 fruits and vegetables! I’m all about routine, and I know some variety would do me good. I have forced down some kale lately and am finding ways to actually enjoy it!
I’m at Whole Foods now, grabbing a coffee before work 🙂 I’m trying to incorporate more coconut oil into my meals to heal my metabolism/my Raynaud’s.
One healthy food that has always been a staple in our house are… bananas! I always keep fresh bananas stocked up since they make such a great snack and breakfast!
I love incorporating spinach into my smoothies, waffles and other meals! I recently started incorporating more chickpeas in the form of hummus and chickpea burgers!