New Year’s resolutions have been made and kept….or not. The Co-op Kitchen made some of those ourselves and we are diligently striving to keep them. The staff has been working hard to develop our product line in response to customers’ requests and buying patterns. More and more, we are fielding questions about gluten-free baking, sugar alternatives, and dairy-free products. Many of our customers are vegan; embracing the diet for philosophical reasons, such as animal rights or the well-being of the environment. Many of our new customers are pursuing changes in their diets because of health related concerns; saying their doctor sent them to us. We are thrilled to be the go-to place for these shoppers and have resolved to become as knowledgeable as possible within our department. There is never a shortage of new products to test or new questions to field.

The Kitchen has made it our mission to facilitate healthier eating for our customers. We are concentrating on making our food more nutrient-dense, more organic, and more local. Our expanded hours on the Hot Bar are designed to help people find more quick, easy and healthful options for the evening. Come in with the family and eat here in our newly renovated café. Another option is to drop by on the way home and pick up some food to go. Make the focus of your evening relaxed time with family rather than hectic preparation and cleanup. Sunday Hot Bar breakfast has expanded with more options and will move into an expanded afternoon menu.

We will be participating in the national campaign for Meatless Mondays sponsored by John Hopkins and welcome you to join us on that day. This effort will be focused on the Hot Bar so there will still be options for those of you not participating. Check it out on the web at meatlessmonday.com. There are health and environmental reasons this campaign will appeal to our owners.

Our new made-to-order sandwich selection will feature updated classics with healthier ingredients and reasonable portions. We are also expanding our Express Lunch options with more lunch boxes and sampler packs.

Many of these changes are made possible by our recent renovation. Hope all of you are enjoying our facelift as much as we are. We are resolute in continuing to grow and expand our services to facilitate healthier lifestyles for our Co-op community. Having said this… don’t forget to come in for the most delicious baked goods in town.

Co-op Kitchen Team