POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints Freya R. Brier, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as a director of Wild Oats Markets, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules thereunder;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5,
complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and file such form
with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock
exchange or similar authority; and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of
the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and
shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might
or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or
such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause
to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact,
in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, is not
assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's
responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to
the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to the foregoing attorney-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 6th day of May, 2003.


Signature:  /s/ James B. McElwee

Print Name:  James B. McElwee