Health food stores, other than WFM (Portland, Beaverton: co-ops, lawyer, buy)

[jimdc58]

What, if any, options are there for health food stores in the Portland/Beaverton outside of Whole Foods Market?

[turquoise1]

New Seasons!

[sayulita]

Fred Meyer stores all have a pretty extensive health food sections, including bulk food bins. I get all my spices and herbs in the bulk food area. Saves tons of money and keeps my spice rack much fresher.

[hamellr]

Legally Whole Foods is not a health food store. It's a high end grocery store. (That was their argument when they took over Wild Oats illegally.) They compete against Fred Meyer's "Health Food Section," New Seasons, Trader Joes, Food Fight Grocery, Food Front, Portland Co-op, and the host of single location food co-ops around the city. Safeway also has some organics mixed in their shelves, but with the fight against more stringent labeling of organics rules that Whole Foods is leading, I'm not sure I'd trust those very far.

If you're looking for stores that are "traditional" health food stores, with the bins of herbs, vitamins, and supplements, you'll want to go to places like Dragon Herbarium, Essential Elements or the Herb Shop on Hawthorne.

[Twilighter]

Market of Choice is sort of a collision of "health food store" and traditional grocery store.

[turquoise1]

Hamellr, can you please tell me more about the Whole Foods organics fight? I haven't heard about this.

[jjpop]

After shopping for years at a great co-op when we lived in Corvallis, I went into a Whole Foods and thought it felt like any old grocery store. I understand the attraction when it's the only option in town, but with New Seasons as an option here, I can't imagine shopping at Whole Foods.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

Hamellr, can you please tell me more about the Whole Foods organics fight? I haven't heard about this.

Whole Foods admits their organic food isn’t so organic

Whole Foods - Major Betrayal of Organic Food Movement

http://michaelbluejay.com/misc/wholefoods.html "Much of WF's private-label frozen fruits and vegetables come from China, where organics are completely unregulated."

In addition there is the whole Wild Oat's "merger," and how it affected other stores in the Portland area, notably New Seasons Markets.

Suing Your Wild Oats: Whole Foods Agrees to Sell Chain in Antitrust Settlement « JONATHAN TURLEY Note that all the Wild Oats locations in Oregon were either rebranded or closed and sold within months of the original buyout. Which is part of what sparked off the anti-trust suit in the first place.

As part of the anti-trust suit, New Seasons and every other stores of it's ilk in the Portland area were forced to hand over to Whole Food's lawyer (who also happened to be a member of their board,) financial information and business plans. New Seasons Market: We're Just Trying To Mind Our Own (Local) Business

[tigerlily]

Originally Posted by hamellr

Whole Foods admits their organic food isn’t so organic

Whole Foods - Major Betrayal of Organic Food Movement

http://michaelbluejay.com/misc/wholefoods.html "Much of WF's private-label frozen fruits and vegetables come from China, where organics are completely unregulated."

I shop at WF, NS, Thriftway, TJ's and Freddies. We use all frozen organic veggies. I check labels to make sure I buy nothing from China. Just checked my freezer and Green Beans, Spinach, Corn and Mixed Veggies all from the U.S. The broccoli from Mexico, but I think this may be seasonal. I caught New Seasons a year or so ago carrying frozen veggies from China.

[Minervah]

A while back, there was a big discussion regarding Whole Foods on this forum. I couldn't find it but I think that hamellr has summed it up very nicely. The OP did say "outside of Whole Foods Market" so apparently was wisely looking for better choices of which there are plenty in Portland. I would rather shop just about anywhere than Whole Foods which in my opinion is way overpriced and its food of questionable origin.

Okay to respond to the OP's question, I like the local year round markets for veggies. I don't drive so I am fortunate to live just a few blocks from Kurger's Market and the Flying Fish Market on 24th and Hawthorne. They have produce from Kruger's farm on Sauvie's Island year round and meats and fish from flying fish from local sources. I can get some local organic and local stuff from Safeway, Fred's and New Seasons also along Hawthorne. There is an herb shop along the way too.

TJ's are all over the city. And co-op's. One on Division I think.

I am not fussy about those things though. I don't insist all my food be natural or organic. I just want the seller to be honest with me and tell me where the food is really coming from and what is in it.

I just have to add, I miss Wild Oats.