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My 2 cents about all the people who mentioned high employee wages as a factor in the WF costs- my sister worked at WF for a long time, and she would regularly run in to coworkers doing her shopping at the inexpensive grocery store across the street. They may pay more than your average grocery store, but it's still not enough for the line-level employees to be able to afford to shop there!

Its been a while since this thread has been refreshed, but I would just like to add my two cents...

While reading many of the previous posts to the OP, I noticed that people were comparing Whole Foods to other grocers like Wegermans, TJ's, Fresh Market, etc. IMO, these are all "high-end" grocery stores: Grocers that offer high-quality artisan products and an aesthetically pleasing decor. In a nutshell, they are selling more than just groceries: they are selling a shopping experience. The classical music, the distinct aromas in the store, helpful staff, samples.... In business, this is called "branding". I think we all recognize, know (and love!) the Whole Foods brand, just as by comparison we know and recognize the Wal-mart brand as well.

But when you compare two high-end grocer's to one another, I would say its more of an apples-to-apples comparison than, say, comparing any one of those high-end grocers to a Safeway or Albertson's. Prices between grocers like New Seasons, Wild Oats, or Whole Foods are all going to be roughly the same because they all are targeting the same demographic with similar brands.

I think the reason some people are offended by Whole Foods is that they already are used to the prices at their "go-to" grocers. Like many people have said, items (even "staple" items) are typically 2-3 times more expensive than other grocers, and some people have a hard time justifying why anyone in their right mind would want to spend that much money on, for example, pasta or flour .... even if their is a good reason for it (organic, free-trade, sustainable, local, etc.).

Now, I love places like Whole Foods: Like many have said, they offer high-quality products, many of them organic, and a lot of stuff that I just can't find anywhere else. (I have recently read "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and it has really gotten me thinking about the health benefits of buying organic .... There really is a big difference, and not just in taste!). I was never a big "cheese" person, but I am always impressed by their charcuterie, and beer and wine selection.

The problem is that I just can't afford to do all of my shopping there. I would love if I could buy all of my groceries there, because I do see the difference in quality that these kinds of stores offer. But when balancing the checkbook with things I need to buy and things I would like to buy, I wish I could say groceries were a higher priority for me. When I grocery shop, I still tend to buy mostly staples: bulk items, produce, meat, etc. I try and not to buy any processed or frozen foods, limited canned or packaged items .... this has helped me stretch my food budget. But when even staple items are usually 3-4 times more expensive than my local WinCo, its hard to justify the expenses, ESPECIALLY now that "times are tough" (or so I'm told by the news everyday).

I have a fantasic marshmallow recipe suitable for vegetarians and vegans which is posted on my website.
http://www.meatandeggfree.com/agar-marshmallows.html
It is made with agar agar, zantham and soy protein isolate. You need to get a fluffy mixture in which to incorporate the jell mixture. That is where the soy protein isolate comes in.

Charm City-can I please get that recipe for xanthan gum marshmallow recipe? Please email me at RJBrinkster@gmail.com. Thanks!

Whole Foods is more expensive for me because as soon as I hit the produce section I see abut twenty different things that I don't need but sure would like and after I finish loading up my cart with more food than my family could eat in a week I still have to go to the other market to get cat food and cleanser (I can justify spending extra for me but my cat is such a picky eater I end up throwing out half her food after he decides it's time to move on to something else)

I actually just went to Whole Foods today to find out the same thing. I usually shop at Winn Dixie (cheap southern grocery store chain) I have 3 people to feed total and cook about 4 meals a week plus snacks and lunches. We typically eat pretty healthy and I was getting tired of the lousy produce / meat selection at WD. I generraly spend 105 - 130 each week at the store depneding on what I need. I spent $107 at Whole Foods. I even bought a lb of Wild Salmon for 14.00 Pretty pricy! I did buy a lot of 365 products. Thats Whole Food generic brand, just as good though. I bought garbage bags, body wash and light bulbs too and still didnt break the bank. I also stayed away from the specialty items and just bought what I needed.

I think Whole Foods is totally doable for a family whos on a budget if you follow these 3 things:

1. Dont go hungry! Too many tempting goodies.
2. Make a list beforehand and STICK TO IT!! Stay away from any unnessecary specialty items.
3. If you cook out of a bag or box a lot this may not be the place for you, That kinda of stuff always costs more. Stick to fresh veggies, fruits, meat/fish and save more money.

Hope that helps anyone considering a trip to Whole Foods :)

Check out Food Tattoos group on flickr for ideas, or to add your picture of your food tattoo! http://flickr.com/groups/foodtatts/

Thanks everyone, for the tips. I didn't have time to get xanthan gum, or a vegan marshmallow kit, so I made them from a recipe I had found - it didn't work. The whisk went round and round for minutes on end... and it just stayed liquid. But I'll take everyone's tips for next time. Thanks!

Oh Hillary, that link brought back a flood of suppressed memories. Portioning that king of cheeses really is a rite of love and labor. In the shop where I worked, it was both a badge and a burden to know how to do it. I was the only female.

Back to the topic, I stopped in the other day to look for some veal. They had excellent prices, in fact, $6.99/lb for shoulder roast. It's the first time I ever bought veal, but I know that when I see it in other shops (rarely), it's in double-digit zone. Same price for lamb shanks, which is good to me. They were a nice size, too, suitable for one per person without being ridiculous behemoths. Since it's not too far from my home, I think I will look to it more in the future for meat. The smaller store in Austin (Sun Harvest) has been bad for me in the meat area, and Central Market can get hugely expensive.

But the produce is ridiculous. The only items I saw that were good deals were fresh herbs (anything other than parsley and cilantro are always $3 per stupid plastic clamshell at the supermarket $1.49 at WF -- still, .99 at Central Market).

Dairy was higher than any other store I visited, though.

And the service really is helpful. I was using their self-checkout and a couple of my items weren't in the computer. She overrode the system and I scored a bag of purple potatoes for a buck.

I do love their rustic French baguette.

Whole Foods is so expensive because they choose to purchase high quality products. For example, who else would spend their money on g-d knows how many authentic wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese just to crack it all at the same time to make a Guinness World Record?

Hillary
Chew on that

I basically spend my grocery money between Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and the greenmarket. I work in theatre, which is definitely not a profession known for making money, and so I have to shop around to make my grocery dollars stretch throughout the week. Then again, I'm in Manhattan, and it seems like WF is cheaper here? I walked out of WF yesterday with two stuffed grocery bags for $30. That's about what I would do at TJs.

@wookie: Be careful of those new Whole Foods! They just built a new one by my mom's house in Arizona, and we went there when I visited. I swear to you, I wanted to go buy a tent and set up camp by the sushi bar. Some delights it contained? A chocolate fountain, a panini bar, a "smokehouse" (when I was walking towards it, all I could smell was delicious bacon), an actual BAR that you could sit at and enjoy a beer... I thought my local WF was huge until I saw this one.....