Saturday, July 04, 2009

The Whole of Foods

As Whole Foods and other "trendy" groceries continue to do bad, I thank God that my favorite local grocery ain't in any peril of closing; oh, and I can't help but think o' this:

In the December 17 issue of the American Conservative, John Zmirak discusses his recent visit to a Dallas-area Whole Foods grocery store. This quote stands out:

"[T]here ... lingered in me a sense of excess. Did one really need this many choices of chard, and was it really healthy to cultivate such delicate sensibilities? It's one thing to shop at farmers markets because you want to support the folks who grow apples in your area. It's quite another to learn how to care, really care, about whether your sea salt comes from Brittany. C.S. Lewis dubbed such exquisite awareness the 'higher gluttony,' which consists not in excessive consumption but undue attention to food. He smelled it in vegetarians, food faddists, and others who made of their bodies not so much a temple as a fetish."

"He smelled it in vegetarians, food faddists, and others who made of their bodies not so much a temple as a fetish." ...

You know, there are some food faddists who regularly comment here at AMGE. I don't like 'em, but I welcome their comments. How 'bout that?!

1 comment:

jeffrey said...

whole foods business is really hurting right now. guess thats what you get when you sell $5 cans of stewed tomatoes during a recession