Whole Foods Market Field Trip

As part of the local ReFresh Project, Liberty’s Kitchen is conveniently located in the same building as the Broad St. Whole Foods Market (WFM).  WFM shows its support of the Liberty’s Kitchen mission by purchasing our salad dressings (like the Green Goddess dressing) for the salad bar and employing some of our graduates.

During the culinary tier of the Youth Development Program, which is the second week, Chef T. takes trainees on a tour around the store to teach them about how supermarkets organize their products and how to make smart grocery-purchasing decisions. She taught us about product placement and a few other “tricks of the trade” that supermarkets use to encourage us to buy more.  We saw that in the cheese section, they accompany the cheese with fruit, olives, and wine, which “suggestively sells it to you.”  

In addition to showing us some ways in which supermarkets market their foods, Chef T. also taught us some ways to save money while shopping.  For example, we learned that it is more economical to buy a whole melon, not the pre-cut and packaged containers (it also reduces waste from the disposable containers). I personally noticed a sale on the bunches of kale and saved money by choosing the bunches over the cut, washed, and packaged bags of kale. You can also save a few dollars by buying dry ingredients, like grains and legumes, from the bulk section.  Bringing your own bags will get you a small discount as well – and it’s a simple way to reduce waste.  Last, we learned about distinguishing fruits from vegetables, herbs from spices, and so much more.

I enjoyed the mini field trip and learned many facts and tips from Chef T.

–Posted by Miriam Teller, Development Intern