Ifini Sheppard, Sevananda Natural Food Market and Conscious Grocery Shopping on a Budget

This is a longer conversation with Ifini Sheppard about many topics - her personal story, Rastafiri way of life, levity of food, Sevananda - a wonderful local natural food market in Atlanta, its offerings and what sets it apart, complete with tips on conscious cost-effective food shopping.

We will start with Ifini.

Born in Washington, D.C., and moving to Atlanta as a teenager, Ifini Sheppard considers herself a true ATLien. Learning about healthy living, from the Rastafarian influence of ITAL livity, she has been a vegetarian for almost 30 years and a vegan for over ten. Some people consider her the “vegan food police” because of her passion for sharing with others the knowledge about a healthier way of eating.

During the course of her many years in Atlanta, she often shopped at Sevananda and grew to love the iconic Co-Op, of course becoming a member owner. In March of 2010 she was hired as a cashier and went on to work the Customer Service Desk. When a position in the Marketing Department became available, she applied and the rest is history. Sistar Ifini was an Assistant in Sevananda’s Marketing Department, however, recently her job title changed to “Community Relations/Education Liaison” and among her varied duties, she coordinates Outreach, Store Demos, the “Be The Change” Program and the Artist Alliance Program.

Her topic is “Pay Now or Pay Later ~ Conscious Grocery Shopping on a Budget”. As a single mother raising 3 children, Sistar Ifini learned how to shop healthy on a limited budget. She shares her knowledge of what to look for when shopping at regular grocery stores, as well as specialty markets like Sevananda. With an emphasis on reading food labels and what to be aware of regarding conscious food choices, this is a really informative and engaging conversation.

Some of the tips Ifini suggests:

Cook your own food!
Stock up, shop in bulk
Buy in season and freeze/store if needed
Meal plan
Use your left overs and use them later
Do not shop when your are hungry!

Sevananda is a wonderful Natural Foods Market in Atlanta. It is a co-op, they offer classes, host event and are very picky about what foods make their way in to the store. Here are a few words from their website:

http://www.sevananda.coop

Since 1974, our consumer-owned natural foods market, has provided quality whole foods to shoppers and members in Atlanta and surrounding cities throughout Georgia. Our fresh market is owned and operated by our members and provides a natural source of healthy, local, and organic foods to the local community.

Sevananda is proud to support local farmers and businesses by selling local organic food, including seasonal produce, natural groceries, bulk herbs and spices, and other specialty health and wellness products in high demand. Offering locally grown foods allows us to live up to the commitment of our triple bottom line philosophy of economic, environmental, and social responsibility. By supporting our local community, we help to reduce the environmental impact of product transportation and provides our members and shoppers with the option of fresh, organic produce that is grown within 150 miles of our store, as well as many other natural foods, supplements, and health products.If you’re looking for the best in whole and natural foods, vitamins and supplements, you’ve come to the right place.