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Health magazine is out with its list of the ten healthiest grocery stores out of the nation's largest chains. These are the places you'll have the easiest time shopping for organic produce, "natural" foods and clear labeling.
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10. Super Target -easy to find healthy brands like Kashi, Quaker, Sahala Snacks and Barbara's, not to mention a limited amount of organic dairy and produce.
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9. Pathmark -the largest retailer of locally grown produce in the Northeast. The company also has a Live Better! Wellness Club that offers discounts on fresh-cut fruit and vegetables.
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8. Publix Super Markets -offers a variety of programs for the whole family, including the Publix Baby Club, Preschool Pals, and a family magazine with tips on cooking healthy dinners fast. The store brand --GreenWise -- also features fresh and packaged natural and organic foods.
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7. Food Lion -easy to find organic fruits and vegetables, and carries its own natural-foods brand -Nature's Place. The company also has 61 boutique stores in for states that offer top-of-the-line produce and kiosks with nutrition information and healthy recipes.
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6. Albertson's -the store's house brand --Wild Harvest-- costs about 15-percent less than name brand organic products. Also offers a Healthy Eaters program, which allows kids to take a tour of the store with a registered dietitian. This month, Albertson's is introducing a Nutrition IQ program to help highlight nutritional benefits of some foods.
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5. Hannaford -the largest certified-organic supermarket in the Northeast. For the past two years, has increased its produce selection to offer more than 50 local and organic products from 200 nearby farms. The store also offers a Guiding Stars nutrition label program to help shoppers quickly find the healthiest fresh and packaged foods.
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4. Trader Joe's -offers healthy foods from around the world at reasonable prices. The store doesn't sell anything from bad-for-you mainstream brands.
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3. Harris Teeter -sells 600 varieties of fruit and vegetables and a good selection of organic and locally grown produce. Shoppers also enjoy a good selection of hard-to-find nonfarm-raised seafood. The chain also offers the Your Wellness For Life program, using clear shelf tags that help shoppers easily identify the nutrients in different foods.
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2. Safeway -has its own organic brands and a section of locally grown produce. There's also an online Food Flex program that helps shoppers analyze purchases based on things like recommended sodium consumption. It's like having your own dietitian.
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1. Whole Foods -offers everything from a huge selection of fresh conventional and organic produce to healthy prepared foods. The store also carries hard-to-find grass-fed meats, ready-to-cook organic and free-range chicken, and a section of so-fresh-it-may-still-be-moving seafood. And, everything in the bakery is made without artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and trans fats.