Kroger seeks suggestions for healthy section

For those of you who shop for groceries at the Kroger grocery store on State Street in Athens, you will no doubt have noticed that the store has been undergoing extensive remodeling over the past several months. If you shop late at night like me, you may have been treated to an orchestra of jackhammers.

However, when it is finished, one of the new features of the store will be an expanded "Natural Foods/Organic" section, where vegetarians and vegans find many of their food choices. Yesterday I noticed a sign asking for suggestions from its customers as to what to carry in this larger area. I was told that suggestions could be submitted on any piece of paper.

Now, while I am indeed a fan of The Farmacy, I often regret the fact that I have to make two stops to shop (three, if I make it to the Farmer's Market that week!)

Kroger does not carry all the healthy products I desire, while The Farmacy has some specialty products but is simply not big enough to carry everything I need -- especially a larger variety of produce. For those of us who have visited a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you may have also dreamt of having similar types of options.

I don't expect Kroger to turn into a vegetarian/vegan paradise overnight. They may be hesitant to carry such a variety unless they see a financial return. But who knows? Perhaps all they need is a little input to make healthy grocery shopping in the area a bit better and make some money while they are at it.

For example, as mentioned in my previous entry, I would love to see Field Roast Grain Meats. Even a more established brand like www.tofurky.com/ (more mock meats) would be great. In my previous life in Illinois, I was a huge fan of Natural Ovens breads, bagels and cookies and really miss them. I'm still enjoying a package of delicious whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies I bought during a holiday visit.

I'll be making my list this week, and I encourage others to do the same. While I'm at it, I'll make a copy for The Farmacy, too. Knowing the nice people there, I'm sure they would not mind suggestions to better serve their clientele.

A Vegan Holiday Option

OK, I'll admit it. As a former meat eater, I miss the tradition of eating turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It's not that I miss the taste, but I miss how it served as the centerpiece of the meal that tied everything together. We'd have turkey with gravy, stuffing, cranberries, vegetables and a roll.

Since I became a vegan, holiday meals seem a bit lost. Sure, I have tons of recipes, but it's hard to make them fit in with old traditions that are stuck in my head -- those traditions that bring back all those great memories.

A few years ago, before my parents and sister went vegetarian, my mother made me a Tofurky. It was pretty good, but it can be hard to find at my local grocery, even if they carry other tasty Tofurky mock meat products.

This Thanksgiving, however, mom found a delicious "Celebration Roast" from the Field Roast Grain Meat Company that fit right in with our old holiday traditions. The roast is stuffed with sausage-style stuffing made from butternut squash, apples and mushrooms. Served with mushroom gravy, cranberries, veggies and whole wheat rolls and this was just as good as any holiday dinner I can remember.

All I can say is WOW. The holidays may be over, but I'll be looking for any excuse to have this again. And I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes a hearty dish -- vegetarian or not.

The unfortunate news is that it is not available in Athens -- not at Kroger and not at the Farmacy. Next time I remember, I'll have to ask them to get it. It would make a great addition for local vegetarians.

Until then, the closest place to get these products may just be Whole Foods. I do not know if they carry it in Columbus, but the grocery chain is the only one in the midwest that currently carries it. You should give it a try.