I moved to NSW from Tasmania six years ago and for six years the idea of starting my own wholefood shop has swirled around in my brain.  At the end of last year, I was made redundant.  Suddenly, I found I had the opportunity to actually do what I'd talked about for so long and so, with a great deal of support from my partner and our daughter, Harmony Wholefoods was born.  I can't quite believe that in the middle of a global financial crisis I've started a business, but I knew that if I didn't try it now I'd probably regret it for years to come.

So, why a wholefood shop?  For me, this idea hits three key buttons; healthy food, value for money, and environmental awareness.

Nutritionists tell us to eat more fibre and less processed foods and we are concerned like never before about excess packaging.  The model of the '70s wholefood co-op has a lot to offer in this environment and it is this feel that I have tried to capture.

At Harmony, beans, grains, nuts, dried fruit, spices and even some processed foods like pasta and snacks - are presented in clear self-serve canisters.  This allows you to take only what you need and not be bound by some marketing guru's ideas of what a packet size should be.  Because you are only buying what you need, food doesn't sit in the pantry becoming stale and uninviting.  You can also bring in your own containers to fill, which means that you aren't taking home a lot of unnecessary packaging.  

At the moment, the focus is on providing cheap conventionally grown products.  There are some organics, though, and new lines are being added regularly.  If you don't see something you think I should stock, let me know and I will look into it.  If you want to email me to find out if we stock something or because you are a producer looking for an outlet, I'd love to hear from you.  Email me at  HYPERLINK "mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For the ultimate in freshness, it's hard to beat freshly made peanut butter.  Nuts are simply put through a grinder which turns them into a delicious paste.  With no added oils, salt, or sugar, peanut butter becomes a taste sensation.  It makes any commercial brand seem stale and uninteresting.

The term wholefoods refers to food which has had little or no processing.  Wholefoods provide a range of vital nutrients, including fibre, vitamins, and minerals, which are all so essential to healthy living.  A diet rich in wholefoods is valuable for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

Processed food for vegetarians can be very expensive but, with a little forward planning, it's easy to use wholefoods to make wholesome, filling vegetarian meals that even your meat-eating friends will enjoy.

As well as being the backbone of a lot of vegetarian cooking, beans and grains make great meat extenders while adding nutrients and fibre.  A cup of cooked kidney beans can be thrown into a pot of spaghetti sauce to really liven it up.  Or try serving lamb chops with a mixed bean salad it looks beautiful and is very filling!  

While some ingredients, like lentils and bulgur, are quite fast, beans do take more time.  However, they don't need a lot of supervision so you can get on with whatever else needs to be done while they are simmering away on the stove.  Cooked beans also freeze well, so you can cook up a batch on the weekend and then have them ready to throw into whatever you're making during the week.

For more inspiration about how and what to cook, there's an eclectic collection of cookbooks which people are welcome to browse.  There's also a play area where the kids can sit and read or play with blocks while you shop and a coffee vending machine which freshly brews your coffee while you wait.

If you're looking to reduce your ecological footprint, or simply to improve your diet and reduce your food costs, you should come and check us out at Harmony Wholefoods.