Picture this: You’re walking down the aisles of the grocery store and you don’t have to read a single nutrition label. You can freely throw items in your cart, fill it to the very brim and know that there is not one single drop of processed sugar, artificial flavor or corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise). Everything you could possibly purchase is clean and as close to the source as you can get without getting your clothes dirty. Either this sounds like some ridiculous unattainable utopia for the strictest of health freaks, or you’ve been to Erewhon.
Erewhon History & Standards
Erewhon has recently blown up on Instagram, but it’s actually been around since the 1960s. It was founded in Boston by a couple devoted to the macrobiotic diet and a healthy lifestyle. A few years later, “Erewhon West” opened in LA sharing the same values as the original location. Now, Erewhon is owned by a couple who opened up four more locations: Venice, Calabasas, Santa Monica and most recently, Palisades. In a modern Erewhon, you’ll noticed that certain things have changed -- the products are no longer exclusively macrobiotic, for example. But this utmost devotion to clean fare hasn’t budged. Rather, it has set the standard for healthy grocers by featuring biodynamic farms, intensive curation and personal connections with vendors. And that’s just the bare minimum. Erewhon has a list of “Unapproved Ingredients ” that make it so you never have to scan a label again.
Erewhon’s List of Unapproved Grocery Ingredients:
- PROCESSED SUGAR (Suppresses the immune system and is an excito toxin).
- SACCHARIN (Is known to cause cancer).
- PROCESSED FLOUR (Causes spike in glycemic index, processed flour which is stripped of necessary nutrients).
- CORN SYRUP (Cheap form of sugar that affects the glycemic index; it is chemically altered to attain its syrup-like consistency).
- HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (immune-suppressant chemically altered for malleability. GMO causes many health issues).
- CORN STARCH (GMO derived is not Organic. A cheap emulsifier).
- SOYBEAN OIL (GMO derived and contains phytic acid; causes indigestion and allergic reactions).
- CANOLA OIL (GMO derived if not Organic. Generally used as an emulsifier).
- GRAPESEED OIL (Industrial lubricant and not meant for human consumption).
- NATURAL FLAVORS (Must state source).
- ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS (These are not derived from natural foods; are chemically engineered to resemble flavor).
- ARTIFICIAL COLORS (These are not derived from natural foods; are chemically engineered to resemble color).
- MALTODEXTRIN (Used as an emulsifying agent and is monosaccharaide, an industrial additive and GMO derived).
- YEAST EXTRACT (Excito toxin and another name for Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG)
- SODIUM BENZOATE (Bio-accumulative and cancer causing food preservative)
- MSG = Monosodium Glutamate (Excito toxin which can lead to ADD ”Attention Deficit Disorder” Alzheimer’s, and other neuro disorders.
- POTASSIUM FERROCYANIDE (Anti Caking agent known to cause Asthma)
With standards like these, it’s easy to see why Erewhon is “the place” to shop in SoCal.
Erewhon’s value statement is: “We offer the highest quality foods and products possible so that our customers can lead the best possible lives.” A grocery store that cares as much about their offerings as their customers? Sounds like somewhere that makes “running errands” feel more like a practice in self-care.
What We Love
Clearly, there is a lot to love about this clean-eating haven. If anything, you may be overwhelmed by the idea of a full store where you can indulge in anything and everything on the shelves without having to check the back of every label. So, we thought we’d help you start your grocery list with some of our absolute faves from Erewhon:
1. Hu Chocolate.
This sugar- and dairy-free chocolate is to die for. Made with the simplest ingredients and house-ground cacao, these bars come in a variety of flavors that the sweetest of sweet tooths will love. Our favorites are Almond Butter, Cashew, and Hazelnut, but you can’t go wrong with any of their delicious flavors.
2. Naturally Clean Eats.
These totally vegan energy bars are clean, don’t need to be refrigerated and are really minimally-processed (a hard thing to find in bars). They come in flavors like Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip -- and taste too good to be true. Plus, we love supporting other female founded brands!
3. Erewhon’s Juices.
Image: LivingMaxwell.com
One of the best things that you can find at Erewhon is their own gr8 line of products, ranging from raw cookies to raw burritos to superfood smoothies. But in particular, we absolutely love their huge range of fresh juices (check out this #shelfie). You can even get one squeezed on the spot: the easiest way get all your nutrition from greens in one sitting.
4. Health-Ade Kombucha.
This kombucha seriously can’t be beat. Even those without the most “refined” taste buds will love these slightly-sweet and gut-healthy bevs. We love the California Grape, Bubbly Rose, Power Greens and Blood Orange-Carrot-Ginger flavors, but try them all for yourself.
5. ... Gr8nola?
Ok so, not to toot our own horn or anything, but we are super excited to be featured at Erewhon. If you find yourself roaming the aisles of your closest Erewhon, see if you can spot our purple (+black) bag! Our OG, Matcha and Charcoal Chia are available at all four Erewhons! And keep a keen eye out -- you never know when a new flavor may creep its way onto Erewhon’s shelves :)
