Hy-Vee Food Store

Careful when going to this Hy-​vee, because it is under some serious construction. Should be completed by next year.

My second visit to this place in as many years, and I’m pleased to report some real improvements!
First, though, I’ve got to give this review some context. For the locals who are reading this, my apologies. I am a snobby, Pacific Northwesterner. For my Left Coast friends, remember – my comments should be placed in a context. Don’t expect micro-​greens at this joint.
Okay, now let’s begin. Hubby’s family is sprinkled throughout the upper midwest (think Northern Minnesota and Sioux Falls). I love visiting, but in the past have been somewhat terrified about the food options that await (it doesn’t help that our visits also always seem to happen in the throes of winter …). It’s true, there are a LOT of carbs, very light-​colored lettuce, and oranges with a green hue that comes from being shipped while they are still buds. However, I’m encouraged by the changes I’ve seen in recent trips home and Hy-​Vee is at the forefront of my foraging schedule.
Like one of our smaller Fred Meyers, the Vee has a dedicated health food section built on the «store-​within-​a-​store» framework. Good yogurts, jam, and bread; decent salad dressings and marinades, and all the healthy snackys you can imagine. They also offer some organic produce (lettuce, apples, zucchini, carrots … I think that was it), and some decent cuts of meat. I saw no meat that was labeled «organic,» but there were hormone/​antibiotic free and free-​range options for an additional cost of approximately 25%.
I give the Vee a solid 3 stars but, I must confess, I’m excited to try out the co-​op the next time I’m in town. It would be great to see some organic options that were also sourced locally.