WHOLE FOODS.... change isn't always better

Two years ago, it started with the decision not to make the ficelle anymore in the bakery. Oh how I loved those skinny baguettes with a bit of  jam [pre gluten free diagnosis]...They were and still are missed. 

THEN came my gluten diagnosis. I was relived to see that Whole Foods has an entire line of gluten free baked goods straight from their gluten free bake house but boy was I disappointed to read the ingredient labels on the GF products. For a company that claims to be so forward thinking in their approach to food, I found it disturbing that they use LOTS of dairy and soy products in the GF goods. Why so disturbing, you ask? Soy and dairy allergies are just as common...No pun intended, but Whole Foods didnt earn any brownie points from me once I discovered this. 

THEN came the plastic bag fiasco: Whole Foods made the announcement that they would no longer offer plastic bags at the checkout line. This I understand. Sort of. I mean, how can you say you are doing this to be eco friendly but still have plastic bags in produce and plastic tubs in bulk?!?  The plastic bags were great when you only had a few items: some bananas and perhaps some almonds. The paper bag size is overkill... Not to mention the fact that I actually reused the plastic bags more than I reused the paper ones. At least the plastic ones didn't fall apart if they get wet! Regardless of my annoyance at their hypocracy, I did buy some proper reusable grocery sacks...and yes, I feel very eco-responsible every time I whip one of those babies out at checkout.  

THEN came the pedestrian and grocerycart backlogs in the sushi/pizza/ sandwich/coffee area due to the ever so annoyingly and always in the way bottled water display snaking between the express checkout lanes and the pizza oven...

THEN they got rid of the paper boxes with flap tops in the salad bar, replacing them with the vastly inferior pressed board boxes with separate lids that, no matter how you squeeze them, never stay closed. In addition to the lid situation, the size situation was and is equally as frustrating to me. The 'small' box is about the same size as the 'large' box was before. I am a fan of little boxes...so what do I do? I use the small soup cups with the lids that ALWAYS stay closed. Of course I fear that one day these will disappear too.

THEN came the in-store renovations: At first merely products and product displays were shifted but over the past week its leaked to display cases, food bar stations, merchandise racks and countertops.  

THEN, THen came today..."what," you ask, "is the new infraction?" 

NO MORE SELF SERVE COFFEE.  I relied on the SSC nearly every morning after my workouts.  Now that I am running again, I was really looking forward to re-starting that routine. The SSC was great because you didn't have to wait in the extraordinarily long latte line.  UGH. Maybe I'll hit up the 7-11 down the street. They've got SSC and I bet will even give me a plastic bag to carry my bananas and almonds....

03/04/08 UPDATE: I was at the glorious FoodWhole today and guess what??!!?! The flap top boxes have returned!! No more funky fitting lids! No more portion control issues! Long live the flap top box.