Grocery Stores Recommendations? (Oregon City, Milwaukie, Happy Valley: purchase, live in, price)
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Wow!! A kindred spirit! You sound just like me (when I dare to spout off about why I buy what I buy) I shop at a store called Sprouts (Henry's in California) and it is too bad that it sounds as though there isn't a store quite like it in the Portland area. You would love it. Chia seeds, Pacific Foods Almond milk, and the full line of Aubrey Organics (I love their shampoo/conditioner). All that and so much more and at really great prices. I guess I should be sure to stock up on my Aubrey products before we move!
But don't get me wrong! I LOVE grocery shopping and I am really looking forward to exploring all the different stores up there. Yet, I completely understand wanting to be able to get everything under one roof. I have 3 young children and I really appreciate that I can get just about everything I need at my local Sprouts. Having to visit multiple stores with kids in tow is a PITA!
Glad to know I'm not alone! I generally feel like a weirdo when I talk about the food I buy. Sprouts sounds just like my old health food store in Ohio. We need a Sprouts here.
If you have trouble finding your favorite brands when you move here, you should try vitacost.com. The prices are great and they charge $5 flat-rate shipping. I love it!
Re: the brands you mentioned above -- Tom's of Maine is owned by Colgate and Kashi is owned by Kellogg's. (Stonyfield Farms yogurt is owned by Dannon, Burt's Bee's is owned by Clorox, the list goes on...) I consider all of these "fake" natural brands and generally try to avoid them. You can probably tell that my shopping habits are the result of years of research and label-reading.
So they are "fake" brands because they were bought out, or owned by someone else? If the quality of the food/product is still the same, why is this so important? And is it really such a terrible thing to get these healthier brands out there to people at a little more affordable prices? Chipotle is a big chain restaurant, but they buy their source products pretty responsibly, and are a great alternative to the bigger fast food chains. Granted this is a pretty common sentiment in Portland (just look at the reaction to Stumptown Coffee).
Last edited by davemess10; 08-20-2011 at 09:56 AM..
So they are "fake" brands because they were bought out, or owned by someone else? If the quality of the food/product is still the same, why is this so important? And is it really such a terrible thing to get these healthier brands out there to people at a little more affordable prices? Chipotle is a big chain restaurant, but they buy their source products pretty responsibly, and are a great alternative to the bigger fast food chains. Granted this is a pretty common sentiment in Portland (just look at the reaction to Stumptown Coffee).
I had to spread the "official" reps so consider yourself rep'd for this very accurate comment.
So they are "fake" brands because they were bought out, or owned by someone else? If the quality of the food/product is still the same, why is this so important? And is it really such a terrible thing to get these healthier brands out there to people at a little more affordable prices? Chipotle is a big chain restaurant, but they buy their source products pretty responsibly, and are a great alternative to the bigger fast food chains. Granted this is a pretty common sentiment in Portland (just look at the reaction to Stumptown Coffee).
I didn't mean to come across as a snob; I just find it disappointing when big corporations take over small family-owned businesses. (I think I might have shed a tear when I learned that Dagoba chocolate was bought out by Nestle.) However, I also see your point that getting these brands -- and more importantly, the philosophy they represent -- into the mainstream is a good thing. I agree with that for the most part, but I cant help but be suspicious when it happens. I don't believe for a second that the executives at Coca-Cola share the values or the vision of the founders of Honest Tea; they're simply capitalizing on a trend. The bottom line is still the bottom line, and if these big companies can find a way to save a buck by cutting corners and diluting the product without consumers noticing, I don't think they will hesitate.
That said, I do own some Burt's Bees lip balm and I just bought some Tom's of Maine deodorant the other day since I couldn't find my normal brand (and I bought it at Target, which is a huge company that I've chosen to exempt from the category of "evil," even though it probably is). Also, I shamelessly eat at Chipotle at least a few times per month. I'm not quite as militant as I made myself seem in my previous post. I do my best to be a conscientious consumer, but I'm not about to start knitting my own sweaters.
Re: affordability -- I certainly WISH living according to my values were cheaper. I would probably be less of a hypocrite if it were. I'm living on a nonprofit salary, and the only reason I can afford to eat the way I do is because I'm single and don't have a family to support... and I'm willing to sacrifice things like beer and trendy clothes so that I can afford to buy extra virgin fair trade coconut oil.
OH, and I forgot to mention... I have a new favorite grocery store! I went to the Food Front Co-op today on NW Thurman. It's a fairly small store, but it has everything my little heart desires. I might still go to Trader Joe's for produce since it's quite a bit cheaper, but at least I know there's a place nearby where I can get all of my non-perishable staples. I can't believe it took me so long to give it a try... it's right in my neighborhood! So much better than driving 20 minutes to the big Whole Foods in Tigard.
I did check out Hollywood Whole Foods' skincare and haircare section today and they have seven hair products and a shelf of skincare products by Aubrey.
I didn't mean to come across as a snob; I just find it disappointing when big corporations take over small family-owned businesses. (I think I might have shed a tear when I learned that Dagoba chocolate was bought out by Nestle.) However, I also see your point that getting these brands -- and more importantly, the philosophy they represent -- into the mainstream is a good thing. I agree with that for the most part, but I cant help but be suspicious when it happens. I don't believe for a second that the executives at Coca-Cola share the values or the vision of the founders of Honest Tea; they're simply capitalizing on a trend. The bottom line is still the bottom line, and if these big companies can find a way to save a buck by cutting corners and diluting the product without consumers noticing, I don't think they will hesitate.
That said, I do own some Burt's Bees lip balm and I just bought some Tom's of Maine deodorant the other day since I couldn't find my normal brand (and I bought it at Target, which is a huge company that I've chosen to exempt from the category of "evil," even though it probably is). Also, I shamelessly eat at Chipotle at least a few times per month. I'm not quite as militant as I made myself seem in my previous post. I do my best to be a conscientious consumer, but I'm not about to start knitting my own sweaters.
Re: affordability -- I certainly WISH living according to my values were cheaper. I would probably be less of a hypocrite if it were. I'm living on a nonprofit salary, and the only reason I can afford to eat the way I do is because I'm single and don't have a family to support... and I'm willing to sacrifice things like beer and trendy clothes so that I can afford to buy extra virgin fair trade coconut oil.
How can you tell when a company is diluting a product if it lists the same ingredients as it contained prior to being bought out?
OH, and I forgot to mention... I have a new favorite grocery store! I went to the Food Front Co-op today on NW Thurman. It's a fairly small store, but it has everything my little heart desires. I might still go to Trader Joe's for produce since it's quite a bit cheaper, but at least I know there's a place nearby where I can get all of my non-perishable staples. I can't believe it took me so long to give it a try... it's right in my neighborhood! So much better than driving 20 minutes to the big Whole Foods in Tigard.
One thing TJ's does not do well is produce. Might looks somewhere else for that, like New Seasons.
How can you tell when a company is diluting a product if it lists the same ingredients as it contained prior to being bought out?
I'm not sure if this was meant to be a rhetorical question, but I will go ahead and answer. First off, It's hard to know when the ingredients have changed. It requires you to remember exactly what the ingredients were before the buy-out and also to check the ingredient list each time you purchase the product. Even if the ingredients appear to be exactly the same, it is possible that the quality and sourcing of the ingredients has changed for the worse. For example, now that Dannon is behind Stonyfield Farms yogurt, does the company still source its milk from the same small farmers? How do the farmers feel about the change? Who knows? Also, all of this assumes that you know when a smaller company has been purchased by a larger one. These things tend to be pretty hush-hush, so you might not even realize that you're buying a Coca-Cola or a General Mills product. I realize this doesn't faze most people, but I find it quite bothersome myself!
I did check out Hollywood Whole Foods' skincare and haircare section today and they have seven hair products and a shelf of skincare products by Aubrey.
Thank you, Yankeemama! That was nice of you. I'll probably check it out one of these days. I have a soft spot for Whole Foods, as unpopular as that sentiment seems to be around here. Sorry, New Seasons!
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I shop at a store called Sprouts (Henry's in California) and it is too bad that it sounds as though there isn't a store quite like it in the Portland area. You would love it. Chia seeds, Pacific Foods Almond milk, and the full line of Aubrey Organics (I love their shampoo/conditioner). All that and so much more and at really great prices. I guess I should be sure to stock up on my Aubrey products before we move!
