Recently, students from Ross Medical Education Center campus in Huntsville, Alabama in the Pharmacy Technician program visited the nearby EarthFare. EarthFare is an authentic organic and natural healthy grocery store with 37 locations across the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Their full-service philosophy incorporates the highest food quality standards in the industry with compelling value, friendly and knowledgeable service and superior customer experience.
The students learned that organic foods are often fresher because no preservatives have been added to make them last longer. They also learned that organic and natural foods are more costly than conventionally grown food because farmers do not use pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or drugs. However, they understood that their health and the health of others is more important so a few extra dollars to maintain healthy eating habits is money well spent.
The students were asked to plan a menu for one day of healthy eating choosing natural and organic food products from EarthFare. They were also instructed to review the nutritional labels on each item and then plan their meal accordingly. They listed the costs and number of calories for each item as well. Pharmacy Technician student Jessica Greens’ menu consisted of:
Breakfast: Cranberry Orange Nut Muffin; 170 calories; $4.97
Organic Ice Tea, 40 calories, $1.50
Morning Snack: Granola Bar; 160 calories; $4.99
Guaysusa Tea; Zero calories; $2.00
Lunch: Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad; 300 calories; $6.99
Guaysusa Tea; Zero calories; $2.00
Afternoon Snack: Pumpkin Chips; 140 calories; $2.50
Hubert’s Organic Lemonade; 60 calories; $2.49
Dinner: Organic California Sushi Rolls; 250 calories; $4.99
Forager Organic Juice; 110 calories; $6.99
The students truly enjoyed learning about organic food items and were extremely pleased that Earthfare even offered free food samples! They all agreed that EarthFare would definitely be a part of their future grocery shopping experience!