I, like so many other people my age, was in love with Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is convenient, reasonably priced, and most of their food is organic. Their snacks, like the ginger snaps and chocolate covered espresso beans, have been my vices. However, today I inspected the store for sustainable options and Trader Joe's seems to have less options than any other grocery store I have visited! Even their vegetables and fruits are mostly packaged in plastic.
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| The plastic-filled produce section at Trader Joe's |
I also inspected Sevananda, a local co-op in Atlanta, and they have a bulk section to die for. At the bottom of this post I have listed all of the Sevananda bulk options, except the spices. They really have every spice that you could possibly need, so there is no need for you to check a list. If you need a spice, Sevananda has you covered. Below is a picture of all the spices I could fit in my camera.
 |
| Bulk Spice Section at Sevananda |
One thing that disappointed me slightly at Sevananda was the fact that the bananas where wrapped in plastic at the joint. I know that this is a method for preserving freshness, and it gives me more confidence in the organic origin of the bananas. However, on this attempt at a no-trash diet every bit of plastic counts.
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| Organic Bananas at Sevananda with Plastic Wrap at the Joint |
Sevananda also has a Kombucha draft section. I have personally never tried Kombucha, but I have read that it has amazing health benefits. When Sevananda's draft turns back on I plan to try it out.
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| Kombucha Draft at Sevananada |
On a non-food related note, Sevananda also carries liquid Castille Soap and soap bars in bulk. I find it so silly that most soap bars come in plastic. Soap should be able to clean itself... right?
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| Bulk Soap Bars at Sevananda |
Overall, the comparison between the two is below. I looked for organic produce availability (without plastic packaging), bulk options, and the packaging used for milk and eggs.
Organic Produce: Sevananda and Trader Joe's have plenty of options, but Trader Joe's has more plastic-wrapped options.
Bulk: Sevananda has bountiful options, Trader Joe's has none.
Milk & Eggs: Neither Sevananda nor Trader Joe's has glass jars of milk, or reusable egg cartons. Both have recyclable milk cartons and cardboard egg cartons which can be recycled or composted.
Below you will find EVERYTHING that Sevananda has to offer in bulk. I plan to continue refining and using this list, so I apologize if it is overwhelming in the current state.
· Coffee
o
Jim's Organic Coffee
§
Blend X aka Witches
Brew
§
Sweet Nothings Decaf
§
Hazelnut
o
Equal Exchange
§
Organic French Roast
§
Organic Love Buzz
§
Organic Breakfast
Blend
§
Organic Peruvian
§
Organic French Roast
Decaf
§
Organic Breakfast
Blend Decaf
§
Organic Rabble Rouser
§
Organic Mind, Body,
and Soul
§
Organic Espresso
§
Organic Sumatran
o
Cafe Campesino
§
Guatemala Full City
Roast
§
Decaf French Roast
§
Mexico Full City Roast
§
Columbia Medium Roast
§
Critical Mass French
Roast
§
Ethiopia Yigacheffe
Medium Roast
· Soups
o
32-Bean &
8-Vegetable Soup/Chili
o
Whole Wheat Alphabet
Vegetable Soup
o
Spicy Southwestern
Soup
o
Low Sodium Broth
Powder Vegetable Flavored
o
Vegetarian Broth
Powder No-Chicken
o
Vegetarian Chili Mix
o
Organic Sweet Corn
Chowder
o
Organic Split Pea Soup
o
Organic Black Bean
Soup
o
Organic Lentil Soup
· Grains
o
Rice
§
Lundberg's Wild Blend
(rice)
§
Brown Basmati Rice
§
White Basmati Rice
§
Short Grain Brown Rice
§
Long Grain Brown Rice
§
Sweet Brown Rice
§
Wild Rice
§
White Sushi Rice
§
White Arborio Rice
§
Golden Rose Med. Grain
Brown Rice
§
Organic Brown Jasmine
Rice
§
Organic Madagascar
Pink Rice
§
Forbidden Rice
§
Organic Germinated
Rice
o
Oats
§
Steel Cut Oat Groats
§
Quick Oats
§
Gluten-Free Rolled
Oats
§
Rolled Oats
§
Oat Groats (Hulled)
§
Oat Bran
o
Barley Flakes
o
9 Grain Blend (red
wheat, white wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn grits, millet, buckwheat, flax)
o
Yellow Corn Grits
o
Wheat Bran (Red)
o
Pasta
§
Wheat-Free Supergrain
Elbows
§
Organic Semolina
Elbows
§
Couscous Toasted Pasta
§
Trio of Quinoa
§
Quinoa (Whole Grain)
o
French Couscous
o
French Couscous (whole
wheat)
o
Organic Pearled Farro
o
Millet (Hulled)
o
Bulgar (Wheat)
o
Organic Kamut Berries
o
Soft While Wheat
o
Popcorn
§
Multi-Colored Popcorn
§
White Popcorn
§
Yellow Popcorn
o
Lentils
§
Organic Sprouted
Lentils
§
Red Lentils
§
Green Lentils
§
French Lentils
§
Brown Lentils
o
Barley (Hulled)
o
Barley (Pearled)
o
Roasted Buckwheat
(Kasha)
o
Buckwheat Groats
(Hulled)
o
Spelt Grain
o
Amaranth Grain
o
Multigrain Pancake
& Waffle Mix
o
Flour
§
Gluten Free Wheat Free
All Purpose Baking Flour
§
Almond Meal/Flour
§
Rye Flour (Whole)
§
All Purpose White
Flour
§
Whole Wheat Pastry
Flour
§
Millet Flour
§
Tapioca Flour
§
Brown Rice Flour
§
Whole Grain Spelt
Flour
§
White Spelt Flour
§
Vital Wheat Gluten
Flour
§
White Flour (High
Gluten)
§
Whole Wheat Flour
o
Cornmeal
o
Flax Seeds (Whole)
o
Golden Flax Seeds
· Seasonings
o
Spike (Original
Formula)
o
Himalayan Pink Salt
o
Sea Salt (Refined)
o
RealSalt (Natural
Mineral Salt)
o
Celtic Sea Salt
· Beans
o
Falafel Mix
o
Hummus Dip Mix
o
Chickpeas (Garbanzo
Beans)
o
Baby Lima Beans
o
Soybeans
o
Mung Beans (delicious,
but they smell like death)
o
Navy Beans
o
Pinto Beans
o
Adzuki Beans
o
Small Red Chili Beans
o
Green Split Peas
o
Yellow Split Peas
o
Red Kidney Beans
o
Black-eyed Peas
o
Great Northern Beans
o
Black Beans (Turtle
Beans)
o
Cannellini Beans
(White Kidney Beans)
o
Edamame
o
Wasabi Coated Green
Peas
· Sugar
o
Certified Demerara
Sugar
o
Organic Sucanat Sugar
o
Sugar (Raw)
· Chocolate
o
Dark Chocolate Chips
o
Dark Chocolate Ginger
o
Double Dipped! Milk
Chocolate Peanut Butter Malt Balls
o
Organic Dark Chocolate
Coconut Haystacks
· Energy bites
o
Peanut Butter Organic
Hemp Energy Bites
o
Naughty But Nice (Energy
Bites)
o
Dancing Star Chucks of
Energy
o
Chunks of Energy Carob
Spirulina
o
Chunks of Energy 100%
Raw Cacao Goji
o
High-Country G.O.R.P.
Energy Chunks
· Nuts
o
Carob Peanut Clusters
o
Student Nut Mix
o
Natural California Nut
Mix
o
Hit the Trail Mix
o
Diet Delight Nut Mix
o
Hi-Life Nut Mix
o
Raw Sliced Almonds
o
Slivered &
Blanched Almonds
o
Whole Almonds
o
Tamari Almonds
o
Filberts (Hazelnuts)
o
Pistachios (Raw)
o
Raw Walnuts (halves
& pieces)
o
Coconut Honey Almonds
o
Sprouted Almonds
o
Almonds, Roasted &
Unsalted
o
Brazil Nuts (Raw)
o
Whole Cashews (Raw)
o
Cashew Pieces (Fancy,
Raw)
o
Whole Cashews
(Roasted, Unsalted)
o
Whole Cashews (Roasted
& Salted)
o
Raw Almonds
o
Apple Cranberry Trail
Mix
o
High Antioxidant Trail
Mix
o
Macadamia Nuts
o
Just Nuts Mix
o
Peanut Butter Stock
(Unsalted)
o
Peanuts (Roasted &
Salted)
o
Peanuts (Raw)
o
Raw Peanut (Fancy Jr.
Mammoth)
· Sweet snacks
o
All Natural Carob Malt
Balls
o
Crystallized Ginger
(Standard Dice)
o
Ginger Chews
o
Banana Chips
(Sweetened)
o
Yogurt Pretzels
o
Raspberry Yogurt
Pretzels
o
Lollipops
(individually wrapped in plastic)
o
Coconut Macaroon
(medium)
o
Marin Brand Whole
Wheat Fig Bar
o
Sunny Fruit Slices
· Seeds
o
Tamari Spicy Pumpkin
Seeds
o
Brown Sesame Seeds
(Unhulled)
o
Sunflower Seeds (Raw,
Hulled)
o
Sunflower Seeds
(Roastd, Unsalted)
o
Sunflower Seeds
(Roasted & Salted)
o
Pumpkin Seeds (Raw)
o
Pumpkin Seeds (Roasted
& Salted)
o
Pumpkin Seeds (Roasted
& Unsalted)
· Granola
o
Pure Bliss Granola
§
Old School 2.0 Organic
Gluten Free
§
My Fav (french almond
vanilla) Organic
§
Banana Gorilla Organic
§
Naughty But Nice
Organic
§
Superberry Hemp
Organic Gluten Free
§
Peanut Butter Banana
Organic Gluten Free
§
Honey Almond Organic
Gluten Free
o
Raspberry N Cream
Granola
o
Save the Forest Nut
Granola
o
Honey Gone Nuts
Granola
o
Hemp Plus Granola
o
Wheat + Salt Free
Classic Granola
o
Organic Cocoa Chia
Granola
o
French Vanilla Almond
Granola
o
Coconut Almond Granola
o
Ginger Snap Granola
o
Maple Almond Granola
o
Wild Blueberry Flax
Granola
o
Cherry Vanilla Granola
· Cereal
o
Nature's Path Mesa
Sunrise Cereal
o
Multigrain Oatbran
Flakes
o
Heritage O's
Multigrain Cereal
o
Honey'd Corn Flakes
o
35% Fruit Muesli
· Salty snacks
o
Dehydrated Mixed
Veggies
o
Grain Sweetened Vegan
Carob Chips
o
Peanut Butter Pretzels
o
All Natural Garden
Veggie Chips
o
Oriental Rice Snack
Mix
o
Nori Sesame Cashews
o
Narrow Cheddar Sesame
Sticks
o
Hot Cajun Corn Sticks
o
Honey Roasted Sesame
Sticks
o
Garlic Sesame Sticks
o
Sesame Oat Bran Sticks
· Vegetarian/Vegan replacements
o
Beef Not! Chunks
o
Chicken Not! Chunks
o
Textured Vegetable
(Soy) Protein (TVP)
o
Better than Milk
(powder)
· Nutritional Yeast (Large Flake)
