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Hey Lenoir, are you getting fresh with us? It sure looks that way now that you’ve welcomed one of our favorite health food stores to the neighborhood! We couldn’t believe our luck when we discovered the new Healthy Home Market right there at 1208 Hickory Boulevard.

On behalf of all the nutrition buffs, frugal foodies, and eco-friendly shoppers in Lenoir, we couldn’t be happier to have this specialty store located right in the heart of it all. Shopping at this family-owned grocer and full-service natural health store is sure to become one of our favorite things to do in Lenoir NC.

Healthy Home Market has four stores in Charlotte and neighboring mountain towns in North Carolina. Branded “Farm 2 Family Foods” (or “FF2F”), this newest location in Lenoir features all the same great offerings local health-conscious shoppers have come to love – gluten-free, organic, and special-diet foods, fresh deli cuts, smoothie bar, extensive bulk food section, vitamins and supplements, and locally brewed cold draft beers – plus an expanded selection of fresh produce and meats, all of which makes the Lenoir location the largest of the four stores.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the cool things we discovered as we sampled and shopped our way through the February 2017 grand opening of the Lenoir FF2F store:

Buying in Bulk

Of all the awesome offerings we explored, this one’s definitely worth writing home about. After all, bulk shopping is what Healthy Home Market is known for. When founders Betty and Jerry York opened their first store in 1979, it was a bulk supply shop known as The Home Economist. Today their business has grown into the Healthy Home Market chain we know today. But these family-focused health food stores maintain their strong ties to the community and their commitment to all things locally owned and locally grown.

Why is buying in bulk so popular? According to the staff at HHM, there are tons of great reasons! First of all, bulk shopping is a money-saver. Whether it’s “a pound or a pinch,” you only buy what you need. This personal portion control not only helps you budget, it keeps you from buying extra food that ends up going to waste.

Bulk buying also helps eliminate excess packaging. How many times have we bought a big bag of chips only to find there’s mostly air inside? That’ll never happen with bulk shopping. What you see is what you get! And if that’s not reason enough to bulk it up, think about the good you’re doing the planet by keeping landfills free of all that excess packaging.

The F2FF bulk department is the largest in the area with hundreds of items to choose from. They’ve got a fabulous assortment of baking ingredients, grains, beans, legumes, spices and herbs, dried fruit, coffees, teas, popcorn, snack mixes, and all kinds of pantry staples. There’s also a machine for grinding your own preservative-free nut butters. And when you fill up on local honeys and syrups, be sure to save your container to bring back for refills – another great way to go green!

The Main Squeeze

When you’re browsing through the delectable deli, be sure to sample the smoothies or enjoy a shot of wheat grass at The Main Squeeze juice bar. Pick your favorite smoothie or fresh-prepared juices. They’re fresh, healthy, delicious, and made-to-order for you to grab and go. They’ll even add a dash of protein or a dropper of vitamins to up the nutritional value of your tasty juice drink.

Meet your Meat Cutters

Tom, Mike, and Craig run the F2FF meat department. These friendly and knowledgeable meat cutters are more than happy to help you plan your meal, and they’ll even educate you on how to make the best selections from among a wide array of quality grass-fed beef, fresh seafood, pork, poultry, and even organic meats.

Need an Extra Boost? 

When you’re looking for products that cleanse, nourish, and replenish, the dedicated wellness staff can help you select top-quality wellness products, including vitamins, natural remedies, herbal supplements, essential oils, incense, and candles. The vitamin department stocks your choice of vegan, vegetarian, or animal-produced proteins. And supplements come in liquid, tablet, and powder forms. There’s even a homeopathic section that features Boiron products, Beach Flower Essences, Rescue Remedies, and a variety of gentle and safe products from industry names you know and trust.

We could go on and on! And, in fact, on the day of the Lenoir store’s grand opening we did go on and on – through bin after bin of dried cereals and grains, shelf after shelf of delectable condiments and dressings, row after row of fresh artisanal pastas and breads, and a whole range of grab-and-go snacks, sweet treats and protein bars. Then there were the beverages – What a fantastic selection of wines, local craft beers, juices, flavored mineral waters, and soft drinks. The kind you don’t find at your average grocery store!

This was one grand opening we’ll never forget. We came for the ribbon cutting, the raffles, the discounts and the goody bags. But we stayed for the amazing shopping experience. And we’ll be coming back week after week to stock up on fresh, healthy delicious foods that live up to the healthy lifestyle standards we’ve become accustomed to living in the mountain towns in North Carolina.

It’s true, we couldn’t believe our luck when the new HHM opened up in Lenoir. And according to HHM, the feeling is mutual. Their marketing director called Lenoir “the perfect place to expand our Healthy Home Market brand,” and we think we know why…

Those of us who live in Lenoir – like so many others living in mountain towns in North Carolina – are people with a passion for healthy living. We value physical fitness, and we get plenty of it in the great outdoors. We tend to be financially smart, socially conscious, and eco-friendly. And while we welcome all our neighbors with open arms, we have a special fondness for fun-loving foodies with an appreciation for good music, good food, good beer (preferably a local craft brew), and good friends! Because if there’s anything better than gathering friends and neighbors together to share the best life has to offer, we can’t think what it is.

When it’s time to make a move to the mountains, take a tip from us and tour The Coves Mountain River Club. If you value health and wellness, The Coves has got you covered. With a year-round schedule of heart-pumping activities (including yoga Mondays), plus a landscape with endless paths for dog-walking, horseback riding, biking, and hiking (elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,700 feet), and a state-of-the art fitness facility, outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, this popular gated community with riverfront living and spectacular views of Lenoir’s majestic mountains represents the best of North Carolina mountain real estate… not to mention it’s the perfect place to enjoy those retirement years, living the peaceful, healthful, relaxing-but-active life we’ve all been dreaming of.

The Coves is ideally located in Lenoir, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge foothills, where nature meets luxury living. And did we mention there’s a Healthy Home Market in town?

Call us at 828.754.0700 to schedule your visit to this gorgeous mountain community. And we’ll point you in the direction of the F2FF juice bar, where you can treat yourself to a protein smoothie to celebrate your decision to follow your mountain living dream!

If you’re exploring the area for the first time, ask for our 84-page complimentary Western North Carolina Visitor’s Guide, which gives you more information about living in the foothills.