<p>I admit that I have some preconceptions (misconceptions?) about Whole Foods being essentially an overpriced if fancier version of my regular grocery store. But I am making a big effort to eat healthier these days, including eating out less, so I am thinking that I ought to consider whether there might be some things hat Whole Foods sells that would be worth buying.</p>
<p>Opinions?</p>
<p>The only thing I buy at Whole Foods is organic cherries if I cannot find them at PCC.</p>
<p>Actually the produce and fish at our local grocery store are just as good as, if not better, than that at Whole Foods.</p>
<p>And our local grocery store offers just about everything that you would find at Whole Foods.</p>
<p>But your neighborhood may not have a grocer with good prepared foods, interesting cheeses, artisan breads, more obscure staples like wheat germ, rye flour, dried fruits, etc. – in which case Whole Foods is the place to go.</p>
<p>As it is, the one thing Whole Foods has that I can find nowhere else is frozen cherries, which I use to make cherry pie.</p>
<p>I think Whole Foods has a wider selection of wild caught fish than either of my regular grocery stores. Their store brand chicken seems to be in the range of Bell and Evans quality.
I buy their non nitrate bacon by the slice. And, they carry a more natural hot dog - reminds me of how good tasting hot dogs were when I was a kid.
In the bakery section I love the cinnamon crumbles breakfast muffins.</p>
<p>everything I used to get at Whole Foods, I now get at Wegmans. And it’s cheaper…including the fresh fish. Before Wegmans, I got fish, organic chicken, Oikos yogurt, produce, peanut butter, bread. and some natural cereals. And once in a while, grass fed beef - which I might buy in the winter for beef stew. Now TJs, THEY have some different stuff including yummy frozen mangoes. And peach salsa. I could go on…</p>
<p>Some very good pimento cheese, and I found some rolls last week that were the best bread I have had since last trip to Germany, and then there are those deep fried pita/tortilla cheese…to die for (literally!), excellent Mediterranean tuna salad, bakery cookies…I ration my trips there.</p>
<p>I love their cheeses - they have the greatest variety of any store in my town. It is also the only place where I can consistently find no-sodium chicken broth and canned black beans and light coconut milk.</p>
<p>I often purchase their prepared dinners They have a large dinner and salad for about $15 that we can eat off for several days - they have pasta dinners, tex-mex, turkey loin to name a few. It’s a very good and can easily feed a family of four or more.</p>
<p>Finally, they have the best sushi in town (outside of the restaurants).</p>
<p>I recently started shopping at whole Foods more. I’ve made a conscious effort to eliminate as many pre-packaged, artificial ingredients and high sodium foods from my diet as possible. Still, Whole Foods is more of a supplement grocery trip for me. I still do most of my shopping at Publix. Now I shop the edges of the store instead of the middle aisles where all the junk is located.</p>
<p>About 100 years ago, I lived in Austin and would go to the original WF for smoothies or salads at lunchtime. Wow, amazing that it is everwhere now.</p>
<p>I love their instant oatmeal. It’s good, and it’s cheaper than that “other” name brand sold at our local grocery stores.</p>
<p>Grass-fed beef, free range chicken, wild caught fish–basically, non-factory-farmed meat. Much of it local. I’d have to go veggie otherwise. Sometimes these are available at regularly grocery stores in my area, but the choice is limited.</p>
<p>I rarely buy the beef at Whole Foods because it is so expensive, but it is hands-down the best supermarket beef I’ve ever had.</p>
<p>I go there most often for bulk grains, and it’s the only place I know near me that sells quinoa.</p>
<p>I get bulk couscous, frozen pizza dough, and bulk hand soap (the kind that comes in various-sized chunks). These items aren’t carried at any other grocery store near me.</p>
<p>Their selection of organic fruits and vegetables is wider than at any other store in my area. Organic berries, grapes, peaches, tomatoes, onions, kale, several varieties of lettuce, mushrooms, cucumber, and all are fresh and ripe. Their organic chicken and free range beef are also the best around. I also like finding organic spices and chocolate.<br>
I have noticed a difference in quality depending on the location. When I was on the east coast, the veggies were not as fresh and crisp as they are here in California.</p>
<p>bakery goods and cheese! Yum!</p>
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They sell it at Costco.</p>
<p>WF seems to have gotten even more expensive lately. I do buy fish there because I find it tastes better than that from my local fish store and other “good” supermarkets and I look for whatever is less outrageously priced on a given day. I buy some meat there on theory that the animals were better treated and more healthily fed, but when available I also buy meat of that kind at other local supermarket. Produce at my WF is good but generally not great; farmer’s market stuff is better and other upscale chains just as good and sometimes cheaper. I also buy organic milk and other regular dairy products at WF but pick and choose between WF, Trader Joes, and regular supermarket for things like butter and eggs. Bottom line is that price and quality don’t always match at my local WF–that is, prices almost always high, quality inconsistent, and service/attitude often notably poor or slow.</p>
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<p>I just bought some on sale the other day, so it was merely expensive rather than exorbitant, and it was delicious. Since there are only two of us in the house now, and we eat beef only occasionally, it doesn’t amount to a big expense and is certainly (IMO) worth it. Unlike mattmom, I’ve found the service to be truly helpful and friendly at our WF, as well as at Trader Joe’s, where we shop a lot.</p>
<p>As I’m only six months into the growing/harvesting cycle, I’ve found that WF is the only store around us that I can count on keeping in stock fresh bulk pecans.</p>
<p>I’m vegan so I shop between our local farmer’s markets, WF, My Organic Market, TJ, Safeway, Giant and Harris Teeter. Our closest Wegman’s isn’t close enough to use regularly - DC metro area but closer to DC and the Wegman’s are in further suburbs</p>
<p>WF though is where I can get daiya “cheese” (a non soy, non dairy meltable cheese that is very good), they carry Whole Soy yogurt (my favorite brand) and they readilly carry my preferred brands of vegan mayo, cream cheese and sour cream. I do get some of my produce from WF because their prices are actually comparable in our area to other stores but it depends on the produce. I also get a lot of nuts at WF, and bread - because it can be hard to find packaged bread that is made without HFCS or dairy/eggs.</p>
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<p>We moved to our current city about three years ago and were horrified to find that the nearest Costco is two hours’ drive away. We have Sam’s Club…blecch! It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that proximity to Costco is going to factor into our next relocation.</p>