9 Reasons to Shop Earth Fare at Emory Point + Giveaway

Yesterday, we visited the new Earth Fare at Emory Point. The store’s grand opening is scheduled for July 8th and we got a sneak peek at all the goodies before the location’s opening to the public. Of course, the produce department was completely empty, since they will fill that at the last minute to ensure the ultimate freshness of their items. As we toured the store, we learned all about the benefits of shopping at Earth Fare. Here are our top nine:

1. Their Food Philosophy
The foundation of Earth Fare is built on their food philosophy that the food they sell is as close to the ground as possible. Earth Fare has extremely high quality standards.

• Free of added hormones
• Free of antibiotics
• Free of artificial fats and trans fats
• Free of high-fructose corn syrup
• Free of artificial sweeteners
• Free of artificial preservatives
• Free of bleached or bromated flour
• Free of artificial colors or flavors

In fact, if you find a product on their shelves that contains any “banned” items in the ingredient list, they will remove it from their shelves and reward you with a $50 gift card.

2. Earth Fare Teaches Healthy Lifestyles
Earth Fare has initiatives for promoting health through healthy eating. Their high quality organic produce speaks for itself. Earth Fare constantly updates their website and provides helpful links about the basics of organic foods, healthy eating, a comprehensive food guide on lots of ingredients, to name just a few. Many educational resources (recipes, cooking tips, local initiatives, etc.) are regularly posted to the Earth Fare Facebook page and their Twitter account. Earth Fare employees pride themselves on their knowledge with their products. If a customer asks them about a product that they are unfamiliar with, they will open the product and try it with you.

3. Organic Options
Looking for organic food? Just look for circle-shaped symbols on packaging. This makes identifying organic options foolproof. Eating organic products reduces health risks. It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. Added bonus: organic agriculture reduces the chemicals released into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

4. Gluten-Free Selections
While there are a great many foods that are inherently gluten free, and increasingly more gluten-free alternatives for foods that commonly contain gluten (such as gluten-free pasta and cereal) are available in conventional grocery stores. Careful reading of food labels is absolutely necessary when adhering to a gluten-free diet. Sometimes gluten-containing ingredients are obvious, and sometimes they are not – such as with modified food starch, thickeners, natural flavorings, etc. Earth Fare has read the labels for you. Earth Fare offers many breads, cookies, crackers, salad dressings, and other products which are packaged in gluten free facilities, and each is clearly marked with a pretty blue label dot to make your gluten-free shopping easy.

5. Earth Fare Supports Local
Earth Fare seeks out products that are raised or made within 100 miles of your local store. That means that each store has a different local selection -- which is how it should be. Earth Fare supports local farmers by expanding and creating new markets for organic products. Earth Fare Family Producers are small, family-owned or artisan-operated producers. Whenever we can, we love to support the little guy. Look for locally brewed beers from Second Self, Monday Night Brewing and Orpheus as well as peanut and almond butters from Atlanta-based Georgia Grinders.

6. Natural Medicine and Wellness 
There is an entire section of the store dedicated to “Wellness” items. There are a dizzying array of natural cosmetics, deodorants, lotions, soaps and even toothpaste! There is a gorgeous island of  Biggs & Featherbelle handcrafted soaps and bath salts that draw you in with their tantalizing aromas. There is also a vast selection of natural medicine options with natural and holistic treatments for common ailments.

7. Fast Healthy Meal Choices
Earth Fare is your one-stop-shop for a quick meal anytime of day. With a variety of healthy options for every meal of the day, Earth Fare has an all-in-one hot and cold food counter, a deli shop, a pizza parlor, a sushi station, a juice and smoothie bar, and a scoop-your-own ravioli station.  So when you have the munchies or are just pressed for time, check out their healthy fast food options guaranteed to be better quality than the fast food chain restaurants and certainly better for your waistline.

8. Tomato Bank Rewards Program
Earth Fare has a rewards program called “Tomato Bank.” Every 100 points equals $1 of Earth Fare credit towards anything they sell, except alcohol and gift cards. You earn points by purchasing items on the “Get List” (which offer up to 200 points per week,) and bringing your own grocery bag. Email updates inform you of special point opportunities each week. Sign up online or at the store, and receive 100 points just for joining, then enter your Tomato Bank ID number at the register each time you shop to bank or redeem your points.

9. There’s An App For That
Earth Fare's mobile app for iPhone and Android is a simple and useful tool for Earth Fare shoppers. Download the app and sign in using your Tomato Bank account to browse deals available at your local store. Save deals that you want to use on your next visit and receive reminders before saved deals expire. So easy to shop, grab your deals, and show the app at checkout.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Earth Fare graciously shared a $25 gift card to giveaway to a lucky We Like To Cook! reader! To enter, simply follow the instructions below! I look forward to seeing you in the aisles of Earth Fare at Emory Point. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want more chances to win? Visit my fellow members of the Atlanta Food Bloggers' Society to enter their giveaways:

Do.Food.Better.
One Glam Day
Red Velvet Confections
Shana Was Here
The Cardigan Kitchen
Diva Foodies