Whole Foods or Bust
Heading west after Milwaukee toward Madison, we drove past what seemed like endless green fields bursting with fresh corn and great expanses of dairy land. One of my favorite moments of the trip happened without planning. We needed to pull off for an impromptu bathroom stop for my young son. While parked by the side of the road atop a hill in the middle of Wisconsin’s fertile farmland, here I was, waiting in the mid-day sun as a cooling, quiet breeze flowed across the fields of lush crops, the plants undulating in the soft wind. A moment of peace and silence washed over me, a kind of expansiveness perhaps only found on the open plains or in the midst of a grand field like the one that lay out before us. I once had a geography professor (whose brother “invented” the Idaho potato) suggest that America’s farms are more beautiful than its mountains; farmland has a great utility — food for a nation. After all, what can one do with a mountain? I suppose we’ll get to test his theory on our trip.
I was also reminded of the fresh vegetable and herb garden we left behind in New Jersey — spicy arugula, little sugar snap peas, zucchini and carrots a few weeks from prime harvest. To celebrate our impending departure, my wife made an amazing spaghetti carbonara topped with our very own arugula and basil. As for the still growing carrots, snow peas and zucchini we left behind, family members who are using the house while we’re gone will have first dibs on those.
As we pulled into Madison, Wisconsin, I was impressed by the clean streets, manicured lawns and quaint shops along University Way. With the University of Wisconsin there, we figured the local Whole Foods would not only provide us with a nutritious lunch, but food and supplies for our trek across the Rockies.
The store was a nice one; the day sunny and warm. After filling our shopping basket, the kids and I settled in for an al fresco lunch of sushi and salad while Katharine replenished the plastic food bins and iced down the coolers.
Here was our shopping list:
For Sandwiches/Lunch
Tuna (soft packs)
Mayonnaise
Natural bread
Pickles
Olives
Peanut butter
Almond butter
Natural cheese singles/sticks
Natural sliced ham
Mustard
Yogurt, yogurt sticks (GoGurt)
Road veggies (mini carrots, radishes, celery, mini tomatoes — cleaned and in baggies)
Road fruit (grapes, cherries, berries — cleaned and in baggies w/ a paper towel)
Dry/Snack Items
Natural chips, popcorn (olive oil), corn chips (with healthier oils so kids get some nutrition from them.)
Granola and cereals
Crackers
Dips (hummus, guacamole, baba ganoush, etc.)
Nuts
Trail Mix
Granola bars (and the like)
Natural, fruit juice sweetened cookies
Disposables
Cups (for snacks or for yogurt, granola)
Sandwich baggies
Large zip-locks (good for ice)
Bowls
Flatware
Paper towels
Napkins
Baby wipes
Windex
For beverages, we had a smaller cooler for the back seat that could be filled with bottled waters, small milks, almond milk, and natural soda.
To learn more about our thirty day adventure across America, check out our other publications WHERE DO WE FIT IN? and 30 CUPS ACROSS.
