Have you ever wondered about the new product shelf located at our customer service counter? We love bringing in new products, especially when it’s by customer request! Our new products shelf changes from time to time, so don’t forget to take a look on your way to check-out.  Here are a couple new product highlights currently on our shelves:

Just Great Stuff Powdered Peanut Butter

If you are a fan of homemade protein shakes, try adding powdered peanut butter instead of regular peanut butter to your shake for the same great taste yet reduced calories! It’s also convenient and easier to use.

Equal Exchange Extra-Virgin Olive Oil From Palenstine

This deliciously robust and peppery olive oil was a winner of the 2011 Italian Biol Competition for Best Palestinian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Crapola and Number Two Granolas from Ely, Minnesota

This local company had fun with their marketing, stating that their Cranberry-Apple-Granola (Crapola) “makes even weird people regular” on their packaging. And then they came up with their second flavor,  Number Two, a gluten-free cranberry orange granola. All fun aside, this company makes seriously good granola to start your mornings out right. Some folks have stated it’s the best granola they’ve ever tasted!

Look for other new products throughout the store such as Pacific Natural Foods Soup Starters, Ceres 100% Fruit Juice Blends  and Woodstock Mayonnaise.

Looking for Coupons? Save on several of our current New Products with online coupons! Coupons good through October 4, 2011.

Like Us on Facebook!

Our Facebook page is a great place to connect with people, find out about events, join discussions, see some of our photos, and check out our videos. Please visit our Valley Natural Foods Facebook business page and click the “like” button. We’d love to have you there!

If you are looking for unique gift ideas, check out our latest addition of fine items now available at Valley Natural Foods! We now carry Just Me Geralyn and Glass hand-crafted works of art created by our very own deli staff Gerie Thelen, who is an accomplished glass fusion artist in her spare time! These beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations include small platters (in a variety of sizes), vases and necklaces. Look for these fine pieces in our general merchandise area, near the wellness department. Check out our online coupons and save $2.00 on any Just Me Geralyn and Glass platter, vase or necklace. Coupon good through August 16, 2011.

Give a Gift to Help the Animals

Right now, Just Me Geralyn and Glass will donate $5 from the sale of each necklace to Prairie’s Edge Humane Society! Your purchase will help Prairie’s Edge raise funds to support the value of animals through care and education. Prairie’s Edge Humane Society is a not for profit 501(c)3 organization. All of its funding comes from donations from private sources. They receive no government subsidies or tax money.

We’ve just passed the midway point of summer, which means there’s still plenty of time to have fun!

To wrap up all our healthy 5-2-1-0 activities and our 4th week encouraging kids to have zero sugary drinks…we have one big event planned!

Valley Natural Foods is proud to be a part of  the Stonyfield Farms Organic Family Love Fest Tour, which will be stopping by the store tomorrow,  Thursday, July 21st and bringing plenty of healthy fun for kids!  Come by from 3p.m. to 6p.m to take part in all kinds of activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.  Kids can try YoBaby, YoKids, Oikos and Stonyfield organic yogurt, make a flipbook about their family, hang out with Gurt—an exhibit cow that teaches kids about the organic life cycle and makes them laugh, and much more!  Parents are encouraged to see a cooking-with-Greek yogurt demo and taste the goods along with entering to win a family getaway to a Vermont  organic farm.  There’s plenty to see and plenty to do, so check out the Stonyfield Organic web site and come by Valley Natural tomorrow for some healthy summer fun!

Kids, also a reminder to start your day with our Playing with Words and Playdough class at 10:00 am-11:30 am. Please sign-up at customer service.

Also, on July 27th, bring in your completed 5-2-1-0 Star Charts to receive a prize! We appreciate your participation in this program and your efforts toward a more healthy lifestyle!

Gluten-Free Day is tomorrow, July 7th at the co-op!

Visit our demo kiosk for some yummy, gluten-free pizza!

• 1:00 p.m. – 3: 00 p.m. Our gluten-free instructors, Shawn Binkowski and Sandra Calcutt are cooking up some gluten-free pizza featured in their upcoming Gluten-Free Pizza & Flatbread: From Garden to Table  class on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011! Sign-up for this class by calling 852-891-1212 ext. 221. Save $3.00 off this class with this coupon! View the class description in the June-September 2011 Education Booklet.
• 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Gluten-Free day continues with our in-house tasting demo of a polenta pizza using Gluten-Free  Organicville pizza sauce. Save on Organicville pizza sauce and Andrew and Everett Gluten-Free Cheese with these coupons!

At first blush, mangos may seem exotic (they’re a tropical fruit, after all), but more of them are eaten fresh worldwide than any other fruit. It’s easy to understand why, once you indulge. So sweet and juicy, mangos are fully satisfying on their own. In Mexico, they’re often placed on special forks and eaten like lollipops.

But they’re also a natural for fusion dishes, partnering their sweetness with the spice of chili peppers, ginger and curries. Add them to salsas and spicy marinades, as well as fruit salads and breakfast smoothies. Mangos will provide color, flavor and nutrition, morning to night.

What to make: Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

You can find this recipe located in our produce department, in the April 27 Co+op Deals flyer and  Stronger Together website.

Come try our delicious Challah and Hot Cross Buns! Our deli will be baking up these specialty breads and selling them through the month of April. Challah is available plain, or with poppy or sesame seeds.

Look for these yummy breads in the deli area at Valley Natural Foods.

“To fill 300 food shelves across Minnesota”– that was the Minnesota March FoodShare Campaign’s goal. Many white bags could be spotted throughout Valley Natural Foods during the month of March to fill one of our local  food shelves– 360 Communities, located at 501 E Hwy 13, Suite 102,  Burnsville.

Throughout the month, many of these $5.00 bags made it into  customer carts through the checkout and into the yellow donation barrels at the store’s exit. Not only was the food donated but the $5.00 too! As our campaign wrapped up on March 31st, the numbers spoke volumes about the success of this event and we only have our customers to thank!

We raised $622 for our local food shelf and donated 1,321 lbs of food! That means we sold over 100 food bags!

We want to sincerely thank-you, our customers, for your support of this effort; we couldn’t have done this without you. We appreciate your generosity and your keen understanding of its importance for helping create a healthier community. Go Valley Natural Foods!

South metro families can take strides together for health, wellness and hope this May. Valley Natural Foods will be hosting its inaugural 5K walk/run – the “Run for Hope”- to benefit Hope for Tomorrow, a local non-profit mentoring organization for young boys and girls. The event will begin and end right outside the Valley Natural Foods parking lot on Saturday, May 7th, 2011. Participants must pre-register at www.runforhope5k.com by April 7th, 2011 to receive a free t-shirt. Register today!

All proceeds from the event will directly benefit Hope for Tomorrow. This organization partners kids with successful individuals in the community, based upon the theme: “Partnering with Tomorrow’s Leaders.” These mentors meet with the students once a month, utilizing curriculum focused on confidence building, planning for the future and building a healthy, mind, body and spirit. 

Click here to view the entire press release.

Green or black? Nearly everyone has a preference when it comes to olives! But did you know that there are many, many varieties of olives that distinguish themselves well beyond color?

There’s the mild and nutty French picholine, and the strong, sweet, Spanish Picual. There are olives from Africa and Israel, Egypt and Greece. There’s also the California Mission olive and a host of Italian olives used for distinctive olive oils.

Even if you’re not interested in becoming an olive (or olive oil) connoisseur, you may enjoy taking note of the varied tastes of olives—whether you’re slicing a handful onto your pizza or dropping one into your martini.

What to make: Muffuletta Sandwich 

You can find this recipe located in our produce department, in the March 2 Co+op Deals flyer and on the co+op stronger together web site.