Living in Westport all my life, I am no stranger to health-nuts. I’ve seen the smoothie junkies, and the moms who eat some expensive, sour yogurt on the way to yoga class, and I think that’s great for those who insist on a consistent healthy diet. But the way I see it, the variety of food available in Westport is turning from a delicious, inexpensive mixed salad, to an expensive cube of bland tofu. Pricey, healthy choice stores are taking over.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about eating healthy, but I’m a slave to McDonald’s fries every now and then. I don’t eat junk food all the time, but if I want a healthy option, I don’t want to go to some organic market, and pick up some preservative-free food that tries to convince you it’s worth the extra money.
To me, the health food craze really escalated from Shaws, the old grocery store that went under in 2008 only to be replaced by the infamously expensive “Fresh Market.” Then, the same situation happened with Ben & Jerry’s, a delicious, authentic ice cream store located in downtown Westport closed down Oct. 28, 2009.
The store was replaced soon after by an overpriced establishment called “Top This” (a name that still makes me quite uncomfortable) where you are charged by weighing your cup on a scale. And your nonfat ice cream costs like seven bucks! What happened to good old small medium and large anyway?
Trust me, I’ve tried every restaurant/market from Whole Foods to Embody, and to me, it tastes the same. Not a bad taste, but maybe not worth the high price.
This may seem a bit off topic, but it all ties into the overwhelming question I have of why Westporters are so obsessed with these “healthier” establishments. It’s gotten to a point where the average monthly cost of food for us picky suburban natives is about $940 according to Bundle.com. And it’s only going to increase as we keep spending on food that is the same at every store in quality, but not in price.
Now, as a lot of people have been buzzing about, Freshii has recently opened up downtown, and I’ll have to get down there to see what all the fuss is about. But, I think by now, I know what to expect.
