Don't trust images just like that!

Be more deliberate where your food comes from! One thing I learnt during this food experience. I do not want to eat vegetables that are highly treated with pesticides, so I can't just grab the next tomato. Already before this I bought organic food whenever possible, but did not really pay attention to the fact that it is often from far away. And it is often hard to track the food. Honestly, I was a bit shy to ask the staff – I did ask, but it cost me quite an effort. I don’t exactly know why, maybe because it is such an ‘unusual’ question to ask at the coffee shop where the muffin was made and where the ingredients came from. At the same time, I felt kind of silly that I considered it as an ‘unusual’ quest. Should not it be the most ‘naturally’ thing to ask? I definitely have to work on that.
For the last question, I concentrated on the atmosphere created at a location. At WholeFoods, there was a clear attempt to create a “green” atmosphere, a close connection to what we conventionally call nature: the first items I saw were herbals, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The vegetables closer to the entrance were unpacked to create an even more “fresh from the farm to you” image. However, different types of lettuce were from California and Georgia,, and the blackberries from Mexico. Not very local. And at CC’s, which also emphasizes the local aspect and familiarity, I was told that the Coffee Cake probably came from New England, “somewhere close to Boston.” So much about the New Orleanian/Louisiana connection. This taught me: do not believe in images created by companies just like that. Because of this, I started researching the brand of my “USDA organic” oat flakes I eat with milk, nuts, and fruits for breakfast almost every day. Here is the information given about the local sources: “Arrowhead Mills sources more than 70 percent of our ingredients from local farmers, with fully 90 percent coming from North America. Our protein-rich Hard Red Winter Wheat is grown on farms within 100 miles of our headquarters in Hereford, Texas.” Well, North America is a continent…But I have to say that these oat flakes nonetheless really taste better. Last semester, I once made the mistake going to Wal-Mart. Never again! The oat flakes were without any substance and flavor. This tells me: most of the time, I am willing to pay more for a better flavor and product. See the story I told about the bread on Monday.
We often talked about the issue of time concerning the time we “save” when we take the plane instead of the train or just heat up something in the microwave instead of preparing a meal. Being at WholeFoods,, I got the impression that people really took their time, no one seemed to be in a hurry. Contrary, CC’s is a place where you literally buy your coffee and cookie “to go.” And although there are tables and seats to stay, there are no reusable dishes. I sometimes find myself eating something on the way. I try to change it.