PrintDoes anyone go to Whole Foods Market?
I live in Los Angeles and I have access to many Farmer's Markets, which I take advantage of, but it often gets pricy. I also often go to Trader Joe's and gasp!- Walmart. Yes, yes, Walmart is evil, but you have no choice when you're young and consistantly broke, but feel compelled to cook healthy, homemade meals often. Anyhow, There are many Whole Foods Markets around me and I've never stepped foot in one out of fear that I'll blow my entire grocery budet on cheese alone. Does anyone frequent Whole Foods Market, and if so, how are the prices? I'm very interested in new cuts of meat and fresh fish, which I'm aware is always pricy, but sometimes I get sick of eating the same chicken/pork/beef dishes week in and week out. So, how's Whole Foods Market?
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33 Comments:
I do the bulk of my shopping there, with the rest at Costco. Their prices are less expensive than most supermarkets for natural and organic themed foods, but higher for conventional products. In other words, a package of organic spaghetti will cost you less at WFM, but a roll of Charmin and an English cucumber will cost more.
zapatista at 4:19PM on 03/20/08
I go to Whole Foods on occasion. There's one that's close enough to not make it a road trip, but far enough that I have to plan to go there instead of making it a stop-by-on-my-way kind of thing.
When the farmer's markets here are open, that's my first choice. WF is where I go when I'm looking for something I can't find elsewhere. They have greek yogurt that I've never seen anywhere else, and they've got fish that I can't find elsewhere. Veggies as well. That's the only place I've ever seen Meyer Lemons, for example.
The bulk section has some interesting selections, and since you can buy small quanities, it's not a budget-breaker.
I couldn't afford to do all of my shopping there, that's for sure. Like anywhere else, you need to watch the prices. Sometimes the prices are good, sometimes not. I suppose the comparisons would also depend on what prices are like at your local markets, but overall, if I'm shopping at WF, I know it's going to take a bite out of the budget.
dbcurrie at 4:22PM on 03/20/08
Whole Foods is expensive, but you can get out of there cheaply if you stick to the dried goods. Most fresh things are shockingly expensive, though worth it if you have the cash. I go there to stock up on interesting grains, beans, flours, sweeteners and other things I can't get at the grocery store (agave nectar, pomegranate molasses, farro, quinoa, etc.) Interesting cuts of meat might be OK as long as you stick to less expensive cuts like pork shoulder.
Honestly, you're probably better off sticking to Trader Joe's if you're on a budget. For a food lover, walking into a Whole Foods is like shopping at Coach when you're on an Old Navy budget - you want absolutely everything, but know you really shouldn't. The specialty cheeses, salts and sugars are especially dangerous!
bitchincamero at 4:24PM on 03/20/08
I take the opposite approach to Whole Foods than many others: I go there for the expensive stuff -- meat, cheese, veggies and specialty products -- and get everything else (cleaning products, canned goods etc.) someplace else. Meat and cheese ARE expensive, anywhere. If I am going to spend $$ on it, make it count. The quality of their meat and veggies is superior to most chain grocery stores. The veggies I buy there last longer and taste better, so it may cost more but I throw out less due to spoilage. Smaller portions of really good meat is better than lots of average meat. And I cannot get muscovado sugar at many other places ...
kjgibson at 4:38PM on 03/20/08
@kjgibson - Totally agree with you - everything at WF tastes better. But, if you really are on a budget, it can be a pretty tortuous place :)
bitchincamero at 4:52PM on 03/20/08
A Whole Foods opened practically in my backyard--while I would love to make it my go to store, it just isn't in the budget. I do shop there when I need something special or have not gotten to the local produce market. I always buy my fish there, because I know it's going to be fresh. I will buy meat there when we are able to indulge. I really love that I can buy small amounts of spices and bulk items as well.
jsd517 at 5:03PM on 03/20/08
I would like to register my disappointment on the lack of Trader Joe's in Texas/Austin. Maybe Whole Foods has managed to keep them out of its home turf, or maybe they haven't gotten around to us, I don't know.
Here in Texas, we have Whole Foods and we have Central Market, which are very similar. Given the choice, I pick Central Market everytime. Basically the same produce, meat, dairy selections, but the inner store area is more gourmet/international than organic/healthy (although those are obviously overlapping). I dislike Whole Foods because of the atmosphere: store is way too crowded and I don't like places that are so aggressively styled to make me have this Whole Foods "experience." (I know TJs is ridiculous, too, but at least it's cheap).
I remember the smaller Chelsea WF was not like that, but since then I've only been to the Time Warner location in Nyc and the flagship location here in Austin. Neither are places I could ever imagine going into for milk and eggs; it's an endeavor to shop there.
Lately I hit a regional chain of smaller markets called Sun Harvest. They are now part of the WF family, though, since they appear to be under the Wild Oats branding. But the store is manageable and the prices around the perimeter are great, on both organic and conventional produce. They carry good eggs, have fair prices, very friendly staff, all around a good place to shop.
renzata at 5:25PM on 03/20/08
Watch for sales, particularly in the meat dept. Some good stuff to be had.
BaHa at 5:36PM on 03/20/08
In the Washington, DC area, my first choice for produce and some meats is the farmers market, but we get the bulk of our canned, frozen and dry goods delivered by Peapod, which is a significant expense but I just can't sacrifice the convenience of having my bags of groceries brought into my kitchen within a two hour window every weekend (even in the rain). We go to Whole Foods every two or three weeks, usually to get fish or bulk grains or nuts or grass fed milk, but it's not a requirement. They don't call it whole paycheck for nothing though! But we spend so much on food that it doesn't seem so bad really. Peapod is the most expensive portion of our food bill.
Otabenga at 5:36PM on 03/20/08
I'm with everybody else on the meat front. i feel confident that it will be natural and usually some of the highest quality around. If you are into one stop shopping the cheese/gourmet section is usually good but there is probally a better cheese/gourmet place around.
coolname at 5:56PM on 03/20/08
There is a Wild Oats in Tampa - and that chain was recently purchased by Whole Foods. (i.e. BF got me a gift card at Christmas and it was a WF card.)
I love that store. It's like The Fresh Market on steroids. Produce is fabulous and their meats are pristine.
Lots of great bulk pastas, grains and natural snacks. Beautiful honeys and jams.
The cheese counter...OMG. Wonderland. The chocolate is right next to the cheese. It's chunked in varying sizes. I saw an entire bar and asked the cheese girl its price. "Twenty seven dollars, honey, and worth every penny," she replied, almost stripper-like.
The chocolate bar went in my cart.
Lock up your debit card.
chiff0nade at 6:30PM on 03/20/08
I'm a gal on a budget as well- I feel your pain. WHole foods can turn into whole paycheck real quick.
Things I LOVE about Whole Foods:
I can buy 5 different types of sausage- 1 link at a time!
The cheese gal will cut the cheese down to a managable size for me so I don't have to buy 3lbs at a time. (I get to try more cheeses this way)
They have smaller loaves of fresh baked bread (perfect for 2 without waste)that are $1!
Is it more pricey? I'm sure it is in some ways but I consider the variety of items that I wouldn't get to purchase if they were in " family size" packaging as well as having less food waste and it feels like a bargain to me!
bisbee at 6:35PM on 03/20/08
i love whole foods with a passion. i do agree that some items have to be bought elsewhere for budget reasons but the meat is pretty (and i hate meat). i also adore the bulk section you can try something new and really cost pennies and then you are not stuck with a jumbo bag of something you hate. perfect for special recipes where you only need a small amount and it is not a normal item for you.the veggies are wide in variety and lucious in color. the meat is the most expensive thing i have found a closer butcher that has nicely treated animals for about half the cost. the suasage is wide variety and tasty my fav is a spinach and apple and something with cherries hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so good. i will stop rambling on as i havw made myself hungry.
love2cook at 6:45PM on 03/20/08
Whole Foods is definitely my store. My husband used to call it "Whole Paycheck"! They have made an effort to get more reasonable and I have seen that in the store I visit. I do buy my bulk item (mostly paper goods, etc.) at Costco. If we are entertaining a large crowd, I will buy some food items at Costco.
crazyspice at 7:41PM on 03/20/08
I find that Whole Foods is good for:
1) cheese ends (makes it easy for a single girl to put together a one-person cheese plate
2) organic cereals and granolas
3) organic yogurts (though you'll get a better deal at TJs)
4) bulk grains and beans
5) some items I can't find in other stores (artichoke bottoms, pomegranate molassas, truffle oil, rarer produce)
Other than that, I can find cheaper produce at other stores.
KarynMC at 7:57PM on 03/20/08
I never used to go to Whole Foods in NYC, but I do here in Baltimore. Most of the supermarkets here are way more expensive than the ones in NYC (who knew?!?!) and Whole Foods actually has some reasonable prices depending on what you get.
I buy the following exclusively from Whole Foods (their 365 Everyday brand, not their organic line)
Canned beans - they don't package theirs with salt or preservatives and they're still cheaper than any other brand I've seen at a number of supermarkets around here.
Canned tomatoes, tomato paste in a tube, jarred olives and sundried tomatoes, and pretty much any other canned good - much better quality than any other product I've tried due to the fact that they don't use preservatives, and, again, still cheaper than many brands at regular supermarkets
Tofu - their firm and extra firm mtofu is a mere 99 cents for a package whereas it's $2.99 or even $3.49 at every other supermarket I've been to around here!
Oils (canola, extra virgin) - excellent quality at great prices
Dairy products, frozen vegetables - cheaper and better quality
Bulk dry goods and nuts - great prices and you can get exactly how much you want so as to avoid waste (if you hate it) as well as spoilage
I avoid buying produce there unless something is on special or it's an item I can't find elsewhere (Key limes, Kabocha squash around Thanksgiving, Meyer lemons); I try to buy all my produce from the farmer's market but it's hard to do so in the winter.
I try to avoid the olive bar and cheese section with all my might but I usually lose that battle and end up buying like $10 worth of cheese. Oh well. You can't always win.
charm city cupcake at 8:32PM on 03/20/08
when whole foods opened in nyc i swore i would never, ever go there and i managed to avoid it for years, but now i must confess that i do... mostly because in the neighborhood where i shop, especially in the winter, they're the only reliable source for decent organic fruits and vegetables. {notice i didn't say affordable.}
in the summer i try to buy my produce at the greenmarket, and to go to the locally owned natural food stores for the rest of my stuff.
cybercita at 11:23PM on 03/20/08
ps -- i also try to shop at trader joe's when the lines aren't too ridiculous.
cybercita at 11:25PM on 03/20/08
@renzata: I got to go to Central Market once during a cross-county move. I loved it. I only wish there was one in San Diego.
beth1 at 1:01AM on 03/21/08
PumpkinBear- I'd encourage you to walk through WF a time or two without planning to buy anything... just simply check it out.
It seems as though the main issue you mention is you get sick of eating the same chicken/pork/beef dishes week in and week out. That's a different issue and perhaps different thread(?) than how is WF. Sounds like you want to expand your list of "go to" dishes...?
I have a great market closer to me than WF. There are a few things that I plan to buy when I'm near the WF, and I love to wander and check things like wines and cheeses out. With wines there are sometimes some great values and/or interesting new things to try. With cheeses I look, but rarely find anything I can't find less expensive or closer to home. If WF was my closest market, I'd probably feel differently. As it is, I'm glad the chain exists, but I don't go far out of my way to go there.
souvenir at 1:48AM on 03/21/08
Like most others have said, you gotta pick and choose. My family's addicted to the 365 brand "sandwich cremes" (read: Oreos). And they're cheap. Really cheap:
Oreos: 1 pound = $4.19 = 26 cents/ounce
365 Sandwich Creams: 1.25 pounds = $2.50 = 12 cents/ounce
(Oreos from Fresh Direct; Sandwich Cremes from TW Center WF, NYC)
Dee at 7:47AM on 03/21/08
Hehe Souvenir, easier said than done. ;) Walk in and check it out without buying anything. It's too easy to get something there.
I love their little restaurant. Also, we end up taking home stuff from their prepared food buffet area when it's late. With 3 counters of hot entree/sides, 1 counter for cold entree/sides, 1 counter for salads, 1 counter for desserts, 1 counter for barbecued meats -- it's pretty hard to walk by there without getting anything. ;)
This doesn't include their specialty dessert cases.
It is set up like an "experience" so I can see shopping there akin to being gullible to their marketing strategy...except some of their stuff is good or difficult to find.
Prices aren't exhorbitant if you like shopping someplace clean and neatly shelved. My husband refuses to go to Aldi and places that sell overstock because everything is typically haphazardly placed, some items expired or significantly crushed, and not well kept. I refuse to believe it's because we shop in the inner city, because our WF is there too.
Cassaendra at 8:06AM on 03/21/08
Where I live there are 5 supermarkets within a 15 minute walk of my house, the big Whole Foods (5 minutes), Trader Joe's (8 minutes), Harvest Co-op (10 minutes), the littler whole foods (15 minutes) and Shaw's the regular supermarket (15 minutes).
Generally speaking I go to TJ's for most of my staples. Their produce is good, their meats are cheap, their cheese is inexpensive but amazing, and their wine selection is just lovely. WF is on the way home and I get the things there that TJ's doesn't carry or that I think I can get better at WF. Like soda. TJ's doesn't carry. Or any cut of meat besides ground hamburger.
schwartz at 9:39AM on 03/21/08
I stopped shopping at WF regularly when Trader Joe's opened in NYC, but now that I work a few blocks from the Chelsea location, I go in once in awhile to pick things up. Since I'm usually pressed for time when I shop there, I rarely find their setup leads me to buy more...it usually just annoys me that things aren't logically arranged! In general I find their prices on produce much higher than the greenmarkets, and their prices on other staples higher than Trader Joe's, so I skip it.
@ renzata - The Whole Foods in Austin (across from Waterloo is the one I assume you mean) is totally insane. I can't believe how massive it is! I always end up picking up veg-friendly food there when I go to SXSW, and it takes forever to find anything. (Though sometimes the weird village-maze feel works and I find myself considering the purchase of e.g. organic cotton yoga pants which I totally don't need.)
@ cybercita - If you happen to have a non-traditional work schedule, the NYC TJ's is deserted on weekday mornings between about 9-12. It's the one good thing about my having Wednesday off instead of Sunday.
producestories at 9:47AM on 03/21/08
For the most part, WF is pretty pricey. However, like Trader Joe's, their private label goods (365, Whole Foods, etc.) are reasonable. For example, their rice crackers are about half the price of most other brands. I don't go that often, but when I do, it's usually for the really good quality organic fruits and vegetables, along with a few choice private label items.
hereandthe at 10:03AM on 03/21/08
WF is the only place I can regularly get skyr in NYC. I know that Murray Hill Cheese stocks it on occassion but I always seem to miss out. I agree to stick with the dried goods although when I do tend to buy out of season I spend the extra cash to get their produce. As much as the TJ price is great, the line at the NYC one is not worth it. I rather pay a $1 more and get in and out a half hour quicker than to wait 45 minutes in line.
souldawg at 10:04AM on 03/21/08
I drive 2.5 or 3 hours round trip to shop at Whole Foods (and TJ's) at least once a month. I totally agree with kjgibson's post. I go there when I want the best quality I can find. I bought my brisket there to make my own corned beef on st. patty's for instance. I won't ever eat a supermarket corned beef again.
Unfortunately in small town Ohio one of our stores, that my mom happens to work for the offices of, charges about as much as WF but the quality isn't nearly as good, so the prices don't really matter--though I don't get my staples there.
I am always able to find specialty ingredients there, and always feel such a sense of peace in their produce department because everything looks as good as it does at the farmer's market--even in January!
Granted WF isn't down the street from me, but no way could I walk in there and browse without buying! Also love their reusable grocery bags and use them in my hometown now.
bobcatsteph3 at 11:15AM on 03/21/08
Like so many others, my husband and I do some of our shopping at Costco and the rest at Whole Foods -- except during the summer months, when we add to that our local farmer's market. When that happens, admittedly, the amount we spend at Whole Foods does go down.
We haven't noticed an increase in our grocery bill since we began frequenting the new WF in our neighborhood. We only buy what we need and we buy on sale when possible, which also helps.
Personally, I LOVE WF and remember every time I visit why I was so excited when they decided to build one near us. They're a great addition to our community.
jenniferlynne76 at 12:30PM on 03/21/08
I love Whole Foods, but only go if I have something specific in mind to get--with the prices it can get dangerous to just roam the aisles. Their produce is acceptable, but way over-priced and under-fresh compared to farmer's markets. Having grown up on a small family farm, however, I might be a little biased and anti-establishment, but I will admit that WF is definitely an asset during the cold, barren winter months. Just as long as you promise to support local farms during the summer, go for it! (Their meat is incredible, by the way, definitely worth the price to have natural and tasty meat).
embolini9 at 4:24PM on 03/21/08
On the note about the lack of Trader Joe's stores in Austin, I believe WF actually started in Austin. There was also a store here in New Orleans on Esplanade Ave. called Whole Foods that was almost identical to the store in Texas. It was bought out by the Austin people near the beginning of the Whole Foods empire, from what I understand. I may not be remembering this correctly, but one of the major investors in Silk soy milk (and an original investor in the Whole Foods here in New Orleans) spoke to one of my business classes a couple years ago and told us the story. He is now involved with acai products. I digress...
I have to agree with those of you who say it's worth it to purchase things like steak, fish, and produce at Whole Foods. None of the other grocery stores in my area carry good produce that isn't already past its prime when it's sitting in the store. I'm willing to pay a premium for something I know will be good. It also makes cooking and eating a little more special when I know I've used premium ingredients.
kmnola at 5:19PM on 03/21/08
The Harry's Farmers' Market locations here in the Atlanta metro area are owned by WF, and that's where I do the bulk of my shopping. I find them to be a little less expensive than our WF locations, and they pretty much have the same products. The 365 line is great for pantry and freezer staples. I just buy food there, though. Toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies are really expensive there. Gotta go Krogering for that stuff.
Mnemosyne at 10:20AM on 03/22/08
I have been to a couple Whole Foods and you're right, it isn't cheap. I will say that I have found certain products like POM Tea for example (not necessarily what you're looking for) to be cheaper or the same price as other grocery stores. So while many things there are expensive, they don't blow up the prices of everything.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:03PM on 03/25/08
Here's some info from WholeFoods Markup on the east side.
http://phillymarketcafe.blogspot.com/search?q=wholefoods
gaetano at 6:26PM on 04/14/08