Serves: 5

Whether you call them cooperatives, natural-foods stores or whole-foods stores, one thing is for certain: these stores are fun, interesting and informative! If your vision of a co-op is a throwback to the 1960s, disorganized and a little too laid-back, you should revisit one.

These types of food stores are a great boon to a variety of people with a variety of needs. Not only do the stores serve the vegetarian community, but they also cater to people with special diets, allergies, health problems, environmental concerns, a preference for organic foods, the desire to buy in bulk and the need to buy foods that can be purchased in very small quantities. Memberships are offered at many stores, giving you a discount on your purchases, but you do not need to be a member to shop at these stores. Just take a look at a sampling of what your friendly neighborhood co-op is likely to offer:

-Full line of groceries, including produce, canned goods, refrigerated foods, frozen foods, delis, toiletries and household cleaning products. Vegetarian pet foods and cosmetics not tested on animals or containing all natural ingredients can be found, too!
-Bulk grains, pastas, flours, beans, legumes, dried fruits, herbs, spices, teas, oils, syrups and many other ingredients.
-Specialty foods to meet many dietary needs, including vegetarianism and allergies (egg-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, lactose-free, salt-free and sugar-free, to name some).
-Nutritional supplements, natural remedies, wellness and medicinal remedies and ingredients, homeopathic products and pharmaceutical products.

From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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