1) Forget about keeping the doctor away, an apple a day actually whitens your teeth. This sweet, portable, and unbelievably good for you wonder fruit is at the top of our list, and at 75ish calories each, they are truly the perfect snack.

2) Meet grassfed beef, the other red meat. You are what you eat, and, as it turns out, so are cows. It’s probably a good time to stop consuming the garbage, stale cookies, poultry manure, chicken feathers, bubble gum, and restaurant waste that makes up conventional cattle’s diet, and, consequently, your steak. Cows who eat greens transfer the benefits to you, via more omega-3’s and less saturated fat (but more good fat).

3) A spoonful of raw, local honey IS medicine. So put it on everything. Plus, it tastes great. Raw honey holds antibacterial power over more than 60 types of bacteria, and, unlike antibiotics, doesn’t carry the toxic risks.

4) Leafy greens are the gateway drug to good health, but ONLY if they are fresh (so local helps too). Save that spinach a plane ticket from Mexico or California because the prepackaged greens you are used to are probably about two weeks old and have lost many of their nutritional benefits. Not to mention they taste, well, bad.

5) Agree to eating baked goods with real ingredients, because it’d be crazy to forgo Saturday donuts or birthday cake, so just be rational and skip the cellulose gum (extracted from wood and cotton pulp) and Red #40 (actual Twinkie’s ingredients).

Now comes the fun part–go shopping!

• More varieties of apples than you ever imagined

• Grass-fed beef, including beef sticks for good snacking

• Raw honey to get you through cold/flu season

• The freshest greens and lettuces (even in the winter!)

• Every kind of ‘real food’ baked good, including gluten-free and paleo options

Not sure about this whole Co-op thing? Try us for free for six months. Choose ‘Trial’ under Membership Type when filling out our registration form. We’d love for you to join us!

Lastly, Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you a year of good food.