Health Starts at Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market, Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, has launched a prepared foods department to accompany its Health Starts Here program.

The grocer, which specializes in organic and natural food products, will offer the program at all 303 store locations nationwide as an initiative aimed at offering customers healthy-lifestyle choices with products, education, tools and wellness resources.

Margaret Wittenberg, global vice president of quality standards and healthy eating at Whole Foods, said the association between food and health is clear. Capitalizing on this link, the program includes bakery options with no added oils or refined sugars and scores of nutrient-rich sides, salads, snacks and entrees, all packaged and ready-to-go.

Every item is labeled wit an Aggregate Nutrient Density Index offering a comparison of foods based on micro-nutrients per calorie. An on-site adviser will be on hand at each store to answer questions and give tours and demonstrations.

The company has also assembled an online Health Starts Here resource that includes recipes, cooking tips and meal-planning guides, among other features.