Whole Foods Is More Generous Than We Thought

Is this Nashville’s best kept secret or what? We’re certainly no strangers to Whole Foods, as you could say Nashvillest “headquarters” is right across the street from the new Hill Center. But usually a trip to Whole Foods for us means wandering through the path most likely to guarantee new samples, while knowing that shopping at Whole Foods is the best way to blow a limited food budget in one shot. We’re jumping for joy after discovering the wealth of free events that both the Whole Foods Market in Green Hills and the Wild Oats Natural Marketplace in Cool Springs offer. Complimentary massages in Whole Body, free tastings with the Salud! Cooking School chefs, wine & cheese pairings, shrimp demonstrations (sampling required, of course), local growers demonstrations, free vegetarian & raw foods cooking classes, free beer tastings, health & budget shopping classes, and a weekly kids hour are among the bounty we’ve discovered. Wild Oats also offers several classes that range from $10-$35, but we’re confident that they’re worth it.

Another Whole Foods tip – If you’ve been eyeing the Salud! Cooking School but can’t quite lay down the $35-$100 per class, they offer a volunteer program. You attend and help with the chopping, boiling and cleaning for 4 classes, you get a credit for a free class of your choice! That’s 5 classes you can attend for only the cost of a little elbow grease.

Photo by johnlamb.