Photos: Opening Day at New Leaf

We’ve all been eager for New Leaf to open, but no one than our teenage daughter Victoria.  A recently converted health nut, Victoria has struggled to find many healthy alternatives at the local stores.  Today, we had a hard time getting her to leave the store.

Victoria’s Top 10 things that make me happy at New Leaf

Salad Bar: I like the options at the salad bar, mainly because it gives a healthy alternative during our time off at lunch. They also have a hot entrée bar, olive bar, and well stocked deli. Yay options! One warning – the desserts are delicious and will call your name if you come anywhere near them.  Naturally, you have to go through the desserts to get to the salad.  Sigh.

Fresh organic fruits and vegetables: Between the millions of fruits and vegetables, I didn’t even know where to start. There was an intense amount of produce, and all of it was ripe, which is a nice change. Best of all?  Samples, samples, samples.  Who can say no to free fruits.  Not me.

Job opportunities: Working behind-the-scenes might not always be glamorous, but it gets the bills paid. New Leaf provides many job opportunities for teenagers, including some friends of mine.

Click below for more, including a surprise guest.

Pasta options: Not only can you buy a diverse amount of pasta; you can also buy some healthier options. New Leaf provides pasta made from flour, wheat, and even corn.

Soy milk: Many products are sold at New Leaf that are made with soy- including the ever-famous soymilk.  I had options.  I had choices.  Even coffee soy!

Cooking sauces: I love to cook.  I don’t love making sauce.  New Leaf has a whole section of sauces and dressings so I’m hitting the recipie book for some new unique dinner ideas.

Dairy selection: I love yogurt and you guessed it – soy yogurt.  Usually I’m lucky if I can find one variety at the other stores, but today I counted over 5 varieties of soy yogurt. You literally have enough options to keep you guessing which is best to buy, and best of all, which is best to eat.

Hair products: I could have spent all day in the great hair and beauty section.  Lots of testers, lots of samples, and great hair products from shampoo to shiners.

Mac and cheese without the guilt: Annie’s White Chedder Mac n’ Cheese.  Nuff said.

Soda alternatives: Although most people are fine with classic Coke, there are others who seek something new. Ever hear of Zevia?  It’s a low-calorie soft drink sweetened with stevia. And guess what – it tastes pretty good too.

And here are a couple more pictures of Half Moon Bay’s exciting New Leaf store.