Bulk Up

I decided to try out the new grocery store in town called "Sprouts Food Store." From the get go I thought that it was of the "Whole Foods" variety and assumed that it was just another overpriced organic health food store. You know the type. They sell chicken that is hand fed with grain that has been organically grown and rinsed with filtered spring water. The chickens live in a lavish hotels with room service, and beautiful women stroke their feathery bodies with handmade wooden combs.

When the chickens die of natural causes at the age of fifteen, they are sold to organic food stores where they then charge the customer $25.00 for a pound of fresh chicken. I can't afford chicken of that variety.

Sprouts Food Store was nothing like that. Their produce was inexpensive and looked great, and they had normal priced chicken and beef. The best section of the store was the "bulk food" department. The only time I have ever bought in bulk is when I purchased gummy worms and snack mix from the regular grocery store.

This bulk department was phenomenal. I strolled up and down the aisles carefully reading the labels of the bins which offered everything from trail mix to flax seed. What exactly does one do with a pound of flax seed? I decided to purchase some granola and a few scoops of sliced almonds. I like to put the almonds in my yogurt with sliced bananas.

Each aisle had a sign which read: "If you would like to sample something, please ask." I figured this was a simple request. It most certainly would deter people from grazing the bins for hours and leaving the store "bulked up" without spending a dime.

At one point I caught a small boy reaching inside the bin of cashews. The bin was the perfect height for him to lift up the lid and dip in his hand. On his second scoop and after shoving the contents, I mean stealing the contents and shoving them into his mouth, he looked up and saw my glare. He shut the lid and continued his chewing.

His mother was deliberately not paying attention in hopes I assume, of keeping her children occupied and content while she searched for other grocery items. His last dip was into the bin of gummy bears. Halfheartedly, his mother told him to move on and step away from the bin. I glared once more and he ran to his mother's side. I was not about to watch him steal another handful of food.

Another group of three people were snacking on some dried fruit. Why is it that people assume it right and acceptable to peruse the bin aisle, plucking samples at will? One or two is fine, but handfuls and multiple selections? Where are the "bin police" when you need them to write up a citation?

I left the store with plenty of summer fruit, some extra lean hamburger meat, and two chicken and apple sausages. My almonds were only $1.20, and the granola I bought to try in a bowl filled with skim milk was only $.68.

While I scored at Sprouts, some boy out there is skipping dinner. It just so happens that he isn't very hungry. Apparently he is all bulked up on cashews, gummy bears, and whatever else escaped my glare.