Two Liberal Hippie Stores (and why I love them)

There are lots of shops in NOLA I love, but these two are my favorites.

IN Exchange: A new store in Tulane's newly refurbished Lavin-Bernick Center (the student union in the center of campus). It's a fair-trade, non-profit shop specializing in hand-crafted items from around the world, as well as works by local artists. I've bought incense from Indonesia, Masai bracelets from Kenya, a tote bag from India, and a silver ring from Mexico. I plan on doing all my Christmas shopping there. Erica, the business student whose idea started the whole project is a wonderful person who has put a ton of hours in to make this project work. Tulane's New Wave did an article on IN Exchange recently. Click here to read it.

Whole Foods Market: This place is awesome. Yes, it can be expensive. No, they don't carry all the cheap, convenient stuff that the big-box stores do. So why do I like it? If you shop there (wisely) you can come home with a wide variety of fresh, local products that make wonderful meals without spending much more than you would buying prefab food in glitzy packaging somewhere else. Fresh veggies and meats encourage you to cook from scratch more often. when you are doing the cooking, you can control sodium, fat, portion size, and you get the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment of creating something delicious for yourself and others. In their stores and on their website, they also have "Meals for 4 under $15" which is great for a family, or for planning a week's meals if you're cooking for one. They also have a list of "50 Great Reasons to Shop at Whole Foods." I encourage you to check it out and compare their policies to other chain stores in your area. Besides giving you a nickel off for every bag you re-use (or if you bring a cloth tote, etc.), their list includes the following:

• #9 No artificial colors, additives, or preservatives. Ever.
• #11 Whole Foods Market is the only Fortune 500 company to offset 100 percent of its electricity use with wind enegry credits.
• #24 We put our money where our mouth is. We created a local loan program, providing low-interest loans to local farmers and food producers.
• #34Our internal Green Mission Task Force, made up of team members, focuses on innovations in environmentally sustainable practices.

I find these reasons, along with the other 46, to be compelling enough to spend a little more money a little more wisely, and take the time to cook a real meal at least 3-4 times a week. If I can afford it, you probably can, too.