Whole Foods Paramus: A Spy Report

Vegans will be in foodie heaven at the new Whole Foods Market in Paramus. My first impression, it's huge, at 63,000-sq. ft. They have much bigger offering of vegan food than their Ridgewood counterpart, but I could not shop here regularly. Stores of this size are too cold and overwhelming to me.

The have a sizable vegan baked goods section, including these slices of cake and this Moo-Cluck un-cheesecake that would make the Golden Girls proud. I also eyed pre-packaged donuts and brownies. The mark-up is considerable on any processed food.

Vegan chicken salad! We've come a long way. This is $4.49. Or make your own. Try VegCooking's recipe. Right by this, there was a vegan avocado sandwich for $4.99.


Penne Lane Pasta Company vegan artichoke ravioli, $7.99 for a 12-count. A bit pricey, but consider what you'd pay at an Italian restaurant. You could probably get two portions out of this, paired with a green salad and garlic bread.

They also have a gelato bar where there was one soy flavor that I sampled, chocolate chip cookie dough. There were no vegan offerings at the pizza bar, but the counterperson said sometimes there are.

Miss mac & cheese from the pre-vegan days? Me too. Road's End Organics makes a good vegan version, which you'll find at Whole Foods.

It was also great to see signs everywhere indicating which products are locally produced. Visit Whole Foods Market, 300 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, NJ.

That said, I'm sticking to the more intimate and budget-friendly Trader Joe's for general shopping and Old Hood Farm, Emerson, NJ, for local, organic produce.

Want to find a farmers market for fresh local, produce? Search here.

Someone loves Trader Joe's even more than I do, and started a website, TraderJoesFan.com. Check out this recipe for Spicy Pineapple Vegan Meatballs. Yum!

Whole Foods Market Opening in Paramus

Attention northern New Jersey vegans and eco-minded shoppers: Whole Foods Market is opening in Paramus on March 19th in the Bergen Town Center. I am a Trader Joe's woman at heart...very affordable prices; great selection on vegan and organics; super-friendly employees (once during a sudden downpour, staff was outside with umbrellas to escort shoppers to their cars. Where do you get service like that?) However, Whole Foods does have a much broader vegan selection, including a large variety of vegan cheeses, which are great additions to my Mexican feasts and 'cheesy' tofu scrambles.


Trader Joe's recently updated their vegan product list.

The Post-Thanksgiving Play-By-Play

The national day of gluttony has passed, and another holiday of gluttony is drawing closer. In a time of food and financial shortages, I am resisting the peer-pressure to gorge myself and empty my wallet.

Sadly, not only did a turkey have to die for the dinner I attended, but so did a pig and several fish. This is a common trend with people I've compared notes with and I'm very saddened by it. Why holidays and other celebrations equal an excessive amount of food (particularly meat) I cannot grasp. Our wallets, waistlines, consciences and the animals would all benefit from a little more modesty.

Luckily, my hosts were very accommodating with my vegan palate, and I feasted on spinach salad with pears and dried blueberries, grilled vegetables, butternut squash, rice pilaf, and cranberry sauce. I didn't even need my Whole Foods Market vegan dinner for one, which I ate the next day (although this could actually be a vegan dinner for two!) The curried apple pumpkin soup and the holiday roast were descent (I could have done without the curry in the soup and the roast needed gravy), while the green beans with almonds were totally undercooked. The mini pecan tart was the saving grace. Tasted just like the non-vegan alternative. That said, I much preferred the cooking demonstration I attended with the holiday portabella mushroom, gravy, cauliflower mash, and vegan pumpkin pie.

Here's a delightful video of "Celebration for the Turkeys," held annually at the California and New York Shelters of Farm Sanctuary. This footage is from 2006 and 2007.



Mark your calenders. Farm Sanctuary is also hosting a Winter Wonderland ball, Thursday, December 4th from 6-10 p.m. at The Art Directors Club, 106 W. 29th St. New York, NY 10001. General admission tickets cost $100.

Gene Baur, the President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary, will be at Borders Columbus Circle NYC, at 7 p.m., Monday, December 8th for a presentation and signing of his book, a must-read, and now in-paperback, a wonderful gift idea or donation to your local library.

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner for 1 at Whole Foods Market

Not able to face the days after Thanksgiving coming up with creative ways to use your leftover Tofurkey? Tofurkey sandwiches? Tofurkey casserole? Tofurkey soup? Tofurkey breakfast hash?

My area Whole Food Market (Chelsea NYC) has come to the rescue, offering a complete vegan dinner for one for $19.99. This includes:
Curried apple pumpkin soup
Holiday roast, stuffed with wild rice and dried cranberries
Green beans with almonds
Mini pecan tart

Bon Appétit!