by Tom Sims
Tom Sims searches the Valley for tips on eating healthy, buying healthy food, growing healthy food, and eating out healthy in the Valley, for this Healthy Eating in the Valley column. Feel free to share your suggestions of places and things to check out!
It is an open, inviting, and friendly environment for shopping and learning. Yes! Learning! The staff is there to stock shelves, check out customers, and to educate. It is not that everyone knows about everything, but everyone knows how to find the person who knows about the thing you want to know.
It is Sprouts Farmer’s Market.
I was rather excited when I heard that Spouts was coming to Clovis. Another healthy option has come to town!
Hopefully, in your quest to eat healthy food in the Valley, you have more focus on eating at home than on eating out. Normally, I offer options for eating out because our lifestyles necessitate us doing so. Sometimes I share recipes and hints for creating exciting and delicious meals in your own kitchen.
I don’t often write about grocery stores.
If you are going to cook healthy food, you need healthy ingredients. The first and best source for these ingredients is the farm either at the farm or at a farmer’s market. The next, also from the farmer, is a CSA (short for Community Supported Agriculture – boxes of food you receive by subscription).
The problem is that you may not be able to get to the markets when they are open, and you will not find everything you need at the markets or through the CSAs. You need a store that has a full range of products.
Sprouts produce
Among the places where organic, vegan, or vegetarian options can be found along with other products that are socially responsible and good for the body are:
• Adventist Book Center – 2820 Willow Ave, Clovis, CA 93612, (559) 347-3000
• Golden Bowl – 1221 N 1st St, Fresno, CA 93703, (559) 485-5593
• International Market – 6460 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, (559) 435-1368
• Karabakh Market & Deli – 777 E Barstow Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, (559) 224-9710
• Kristina’s Natural Ranch Market – 761 E Barstow Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, (559) 224-2222
• Lassen’s Natural Foods – 9439 North Fort Washington Rd, Fresno, CA 93730, (559) 434-6990
• The Market – 7088 N West Ave, Fresno, CA 93711, (559) 432-3306
• Palka Bazar- 2438 N Marks Ave, Fresno, CA 93722, (559) 237-3333
• R-N Market- 6670 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93710, (559) 439-8044 Hours: Sun-Sat, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Royal India Market – 3315 W Ashlan Ave, Ste 103, Fresno, CA 93722, (559) 271-7692
• Standard Sweets & Spices- 1819 E Dakota Ave, Fresno, CA 93726, (559) 241-0645
• Trader Joe’s – 5376 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93710 , (559) 222-4348
• Trader Joe’s – 1077 North Willow Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611, (559) 325-3120
• Whole Foods Market – 650 W Shaw Ave, Fresno, CA 93704, (559) 241-0300
• And … WinCo Foods – 396 West Ashlan Ave, Clovis, CA 93612, (559) 347-9311 and 1004 S. Peach Ave, Fresno, CA 93727, (559) 251-1002, and also 4488 W. Shaw Ave, Fresno, CA 93722, (559) 271-2199
Now, welcome the Clovis Sprouts to the mix.
Sprouts Farmers Market has been located for several years at 7477 N. Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93720, (559) 256-1735, and has been joined by their most recent store in Clovis at 850 Herndon Ave #103, Clovis, CA 93612, (559) 326-1169.
According to Amin Maredia, Chief Executive Officer, on the Sprouts website, “Sprouts is committed to operating our business in a way that respects social and environmental well-being. We call this commitment “responsible retailing,” and it’s engrained within our culture. We all play a role in being good stewards of our planet and its finite resources and, as a growing natural and organic retailer, Sprouts has a unique opportunity to have a positive impact on our communities. As we grow, we will continue to adopt practices that improve our relationship with the environment and strengthen our social responsibility endeavors.”
According to the same website (www.sprouts.com), in 2015, Sprouts:
• Donated more than 14 million pounds of fresh food, equivalent to over 12 million meals, through our partnerships with hunger relief agencies in 13 states
• Diverted more than 5.5 million pounds of food from landfills through composting or by providing animal feed to local farms
• Recycled more than 60 million pounds of cardboard
• Conducted a sustainability assessment of all of our Texas stores to benchmark our current sustainability efforts and identify opportunities for improvement
• Has Team Members who supported more than 450 community events through volunteering and/or in-kind donations
• Raised more than $2.2 million to support local nonprofit organizations in the 13 states where we operate
• Provided over 1.6 million meals to local families in need through our annual “Grab & Give” holiday program
• Sold over 65% of Sprouts Brand eggs from cage-free or better than cage-free facilities (i.e., Organic, free-range, etc.)
• Established a Vendor Certification Program for all of our produce suppliers to ensure ethical treatment of agricultural workforce
The food selection is broad as are the other items you might find in a grocery store. Some items are local. Some are nationally branded. Some are more expensive than at a large box store. Like anywhere else, one must shop carefully for bargains. Bargains exist.
The layout of the store makes sense. Categories are clear. The experience is relaxed and uncrowded. The staff is extremely helpful and friendly. The shoppers are people who are there for the same reason you are. They are well informed and eager to live healthier lifestyles and to make an effort to do so.
I like the many aisles of bulk items and am thankful for the clear labeling.
The website localizes bargains and allows you to sign up for a newsletter. There is even a search engine for recipes: www.sprouts.com/web/guest/recipes.
The quest for a healthier lifestyle is an ongoing process for individuals and for the community. It is good to have a new neighbor is the partnership.
To experience a little bit of Sprouts before your visit, watch this video youtu.be/7HuV0Mwzhw0.
Sprouts is open Sun-Sat, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
You can find more of Tom’s columns here. Keep up with all of Tom’s writing by following him on Twitter @tomsims
.
Great article and very informative. As an ovo-lacto, another grocery store for healthy foods at really great diacounted prices is Grocery Outlet. I especially love their selection of bread – non-GMO, certified organic, multi-grain. Then, there are certified organic eggs, yogurts, chips, milk, cheeses, bananas, apples, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, etc. I love shopping there.
.