The Shopper's Choice: An Essay Grocery Shopping and Gluten Intolerance

I have been living on the west coast for four years. I like California, with its wide open spaces, emphasis on sustainability and spirituality. However, I miss the mom and pop health food stores and natural food cooperatives I used to frequent in New England. In California's East Bay, there are few small, health food stores. I still have not located a natural food co-op within driving distance of my home. Most of the natural food stores are large grocery store chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. There are few co-ops or bulk,wholesale sellers of organic foods that service northern California. In my opinion, large, natural food grocery chains lack the personal feeling of a small,organic food shop. Although there are many gluten intolerant people in California, only a few large natural food stores cater to customers with food allergies. When I lived in the east coast, I was part of a United Foods cooperative with a group of likeminded people. Once a month, we would meet and order organic and vegetarian grocery items and other necessities in bulk. A large truck would deliver our food orders at the end of the month. The group would meet and sort the grocery items to ensure every person received their delivery. The co-op’s bi- monthly gatherings were a terrific opportunity to build community and friendship. In northern California, there aren’t any convenient alternatives to shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s unless you live in San Francisco. I am not maligning either store. However, the prices at Whole Foods are so high that I cannot afford to shop there. Neither store has an affordable or adequate selection of gluten free or non -GMO foods. The employees at the local Whole Foods store do not impress me as being knowledgeable about gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Six months ago, I asked a Walnut Creek Whole Foods employee if one of the bakery items was gluten free. The clerk stated she did not know the meaning of the word gluten or gluten free, and she did not know anything about the question. The local Safeway,where I shop on occasion,is more community oriented and much friendlier than Whole Foods or Trader Joes. The store’s cashiers are friendly; they know me name; always say hello, and the store sells gluten free grocery items. Although I am not a fan of Safeway, sometimes I shop there because of the store’s lower prices, gluten free food section and customer service. I propose a solution to the lack of gluten free grocery selections in my neighborhood. Instead of shopping at large, grocery store franchises, people should shop at community based co-ops or small grocery stores. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people in northern California had affordable choices regarding the purchase of non-GMO, organic, gluten free groceries? The holiday season is nearly here. Soon it will be a new year. This year my new year’s resolution will be to find a group of people who are interested in buying non -GMO gluten free food and saving money. I will start a natural food cooperative or join one to save money and get a better selection of non-GMO, gluten free grocery items. I don’t believe I should have limited choices when grocery shopping or pay more for organic food because I am gluten intolerant.