by Brendon Smith, Communications Director
Each year in early January, we see an increase in the number of people signing up to become Co-op Owners. This seems to be because many people view the Co-op as a resource for improving how they eat—however they choose to define “improving.” We thought that we’d give some examples of New Year’s resolutions we’ve heard about and suggest some products that might help.
Using Less Plastic
- Shop the bulk aisle! Choose from over 500 products and fill your sanitized (reusable) container.
- Try solid bodycare products, like HiBar Shampoo and Conditioner Bars, or LuSa Lotion Bars.
- Get milk in a glass bottle! You’ll pay a deposit and get that money back when you bring in the clean bottle.
- Angelica Engel, a Willy East Deli Supervisor-Buyer, has a number of great suggestions. “If you order a to-go sandwich, you can request that we only wrap it in tinfoil and skip the butcher paper. (If you order a sandwich ‘for here,’ it will be served on a plate.) I often ask people if they want their sandwich wrapped in paper. Some do and some don’t. Our default is always wrapping it in paper. Some sliced Deli meats can also be wrapped in paper only and not put in plastic bags. Not every meat is dry enough for this to be a good idea, though. When possible, generally slowing down and eating foods from the hot bar or salad bar at the store will cut down on waste. Then you can use plates, bowls and silverware, which we’ll sanitize, wash, dry, and put back out for someone else to use!”
Eating More Local Food
Maria Del Rio, Administrative Assistant at our business office, is resolving to buy more local products. She recommends:
- “B&E’s Trees bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. It is divine.”
More ideas:
- Look for the purple Local signs. We have A LOT of local products.
- For produce, this means eating with the seasons. And, when local produce is in season, preserve it! Freeze it, pickle it, dehydrate it, or can it.
- In the spring, buy seeds or seedlings; even if you only have room to grow herbs in a windowsill garden, you will be eating some hyperlocal herbs!
Cook More Food at Home (With Less Time)
If your version of home-cooking is ramen noodles and frozen dinners thanks to a busy schedule, you may want to cook more of your own food but not be sure where to start.
- Sign up for a cooking class. There are a variety to choose from! Check the newsletter or willystreet.coop/events.
- Get a Local Crate Meal Kit. Each Meal Kit serves two, and has all of the ingredients you need and semi-prepped to make cooking easy and relatively quick. There are vegetarian and—currently—one vegan meal available for us; we vary the options, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please let us know.
- Get prepared side dishes to focus on the entrée. You can pick up Deli salads from our Grab & Go section or make a salad at the salad bar.
- Get a prepared entrée to focus on the side dishes. Buy a rotisserie chicken or Herbivorous Butcher vegan “ribs” and you can make simple side dishes to accompany your entrée. The Herbivorous Butcher ribs are currently available at Willy East only but coming soon to North and West.
- Home fermentation can yield tasty food with minimal time (at least minimal prep time; you’ll have to wait a bit to get the results). See Megan’s article on page 18 for tips.
Reducing/Eliminating Refined Sugar
Matt McHugh, our Logistics Director, has cut about 95% of refined sugar from his diet. He recommends:
- “Klarbrunn as a great alternative to soda, or Zevia if you like the taste of Stevia.”
- “Honey Bee bars (which use honey as a sweetener).”
- “Nothing Muffins (made by the Co-op with molasses and apple sauce).”
- “Yogurt with fruit as an alternative to ice cream, although you have to watch for added sugars! The Trimona Bulgarian yogurt, for example, doesn’t have added sugar.”
- “Complex carbs, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole wheat come in handy when you are craving sweets.”
- “Watch out for sauces and ketchup! San-J Szechuan Sauce is good for stir-fries if you don’t mind the heat, or you could use tamari.”
Eat More Plant-Based Foods
Brand Coordinator Caitlyn Tompkins is interested in eating less meat and more plant-based foods for dietary, monetary, and ethical reasons. She recommends:
- “Beyond Meat Beyond Burger Plant-Based Patties are the first ‘fake meat’ product that I thought, ‘this is just as good.’”
- “The Co-op’s produce is the best in the city, so eating more veggies is a no-brainer.”
More ideas:
- I recommend the Deli’s Southern Fried Tofu. I like fried chicken, and this tastes amazingly close to that to me. And the shape works much better on a sandwich!
Saving Money
Kelsey Foster, Willy North’s Assistant Front End Manager, is resolving to save money when grocery shopping. She recommends:
- “Shopping in bulk is generally a good idea for your wallet. Where I really see the savings is in bulk herbs and spices. The difference in price can be huge, and it also helps cut down on wasting both food and your money if you are only buying what you need. For example, if I only need a few bay leaves for making pasta sauce, it costs about 23¢ versus $6 to buy a container of bay leaves!”
More ideas:
- Sign up to get the Owner Rewards sales flyers sent to your email inbox every Monday. You can do that here: www.willystreet.coop/OR-sales-flyer-signup.
- If you expect to use a whole case worth of a product and you’re an Owner, pre-order it and get a 10% discount. Just stop by the Customer Service desk. (They can tell you how many are in a case, too.)
Get More Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important factor in maintaining bone health. Although getting some sun is the easiest way to get Vitamin D, Wisconsin winters make it tough to get the recommended amount. (WebMD.com recommends “Exposure of the hands, face, arms, and legs to sunlight 2-3 times a week for about one-fourth of the time it would take to develop a mild sunburn.”) Newsletter Editor Liz Wermcrantz recommends:
- Willy Street Co-op brand Liquid Vitamin D3 drops. “A few drops on your tongue gets you a nice hit of winter’s elusive vitamin D.”
More ideas:
- Fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon
- Cheese—blue cheese, gouda, and brie have some of the highest concentrations of vitamin D of all cheeses
- Egg yolks
- Vegans may want to seek out vitamin D-fortified products like So Delicious and Silk yogurts.
- Attend Katy Wallace’s January 14 class “Vitamin D and Sunlight for Vitality and Longevity” in Willy East’s Community Room. See page 10 for class description.
More Nutritious Snacking
Carolyn Reyes, a cook in the Willy East Deli, is resolving to eat more nutritious and more plant-based snacks. “I have go-to healthy vegan meals,” she says, “but on snacks I always screw up.” She recommends:
- “The new variety of plant-based yogurts, especially Kite Hill.”
- “Bhuja Snacks Mix can be mixed with the yogurts!”
More ideas:
- Melissa Reiss, Purchasing Assistant, suggests Tierra Farm nuts and dried fruit. “I like to make my own trail mixes with whatever sounds good to me at the moment.”
Less Screen Time, More Paper Time
The resolution being made by Allison Jerzak, IT Support Specialist, actually doesn’t involve food—she wants to get away from mindlessly scrolling through the internet while having Netflix on in the background. She recommends:
- Paper planners/journals—“I want to rediscover the satisfaction of a paper-based to-do list.”
- Puzzles—“There’s nothing more relaxing than getting to the end of the day, pouring yourself a glass of wine, lighting a candle, and sitting down with a puzzle. Seeing visible, tangible progress is a nice counterweight to the more abstract work I do during the day.”
More ideas:
- Willy East Owner Resources Coordinator Amanda Ikens likes, “Planners, notebooks, diaries and calendars to keep track of my schedule better. I like old school paper and pen calendars and planners to keep organized.”
Increased Time Meditating
Cooperative Services Director Kirsten Moore is looking to spend more time meditating. Here’s what she recommends:
- “We have some beautiful journals, blank notebooks, and calendars that could be helpful in tracking meditation time and making observations.”
- “Salt lamps or candles create a mood conducive to meditation.”
- “You can also practice mindful hydration or mindful eating, which provides a great opportunity to be aware and in the present moment while experiencing a glass of water, a cup of tea, or a small snack or meal. Perfect for break time.”
More ideas:
- An essential oil diffuser with your favorite scent can help. Sandalwood is a hypotensive, which means it can help lower blood pressure; lavender has antianxiety and antidepressant properties; eucalyptus can help you breathe clearly and deeply; frankincense can reduce stress and can also help you breathe clearly.
