WholeFoods...wow, how can people afford to shop there?

[mumto2]

Whole Foods is in the next town over, but I still find a way to get there every few weeks DS2 is hooked on the gelato he gets for being good while Mommy shops!

I agree, it is expensive for many things, but if you are comparing apples to apples, usually I find it on par with Publix organic foods, with a wider selection. For example, I buy organic milk, which is around $3.50 a half gallon at Publix. At Whole Foods, I can buy a gallon for a little over $4

I am really trying to get my family on the healthy path. I'm not a fan of processed foods in general. The recent stories of scary ingredients in imported foods also concerns me.

I don't forsee being able to shop exclusively at Whole Foods due to product availability, but I love having them as an option.

 

[M 'n C]

I love whole foods. I usually hit them up for fresh produce since the produce at Kroger and walmart around here comes with fruit flies (ick!!), the salad bar, wine sometimes, and then the cheese selection and the speciality chicken sasauges. I agree its pricey but its worth it on somethings and its actually cheaper on other things like my luna bars and kashi cereal.

ilovejack02- I hit up fresh market in Destin, FL in May and wasn't really impressed. I found it pricey and didn't have nearly the selection as whole foods. I love the whole foods in Baton Rouge. I wish the ones in Houston were that good. the prepared foods and the gelato are my favorites. I'm so jealous.

 

[Tikicampers]

We dont have a Trader Joe's but I wish we did, Baton Rouge is growing by leaps and bounds since Katrina and ya never know. Fresh Market, which is like Whole Foods, but I think cheaper is getting ready to open.

Our Fresh Market is very nice, but it is small, more like Trader Joe's than Whole Foods. It is also pretty expensive. Since Trader Joe's opened, I haven't been to Fresh Market or Whole Foods.

 

[precious pixie]

We shop at Whole Foods not just for the expansive organic selection but also the wild fish, meats, and poultry. I am big into health and I have trained my DH that just because it is organic doesn't mean it's healthy. I find in the stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market the ingredients list is much healthier on a lot more variety of foods. I am very specific about what I want going in my body.

That being said we are not super wealthy but about 5 years ago we decided to start making the transition to an organic lifestyle. We started out only buying a few things adding more and more allowing our budgets to become adjusted. I advise doing it this way bc it is a sticker shock but well worth it. We can now clearly taste the difference but also feel the difference. DH use to always catch the colds and flus going around and it has been a very long time since he even had a runny nose

Wow sorry to ramble but 1 more thing...while at Whole Foods check out the homeopathic remedies instead of typical drugs, they work great.

 

[Duchie]

I don't like Whole Foods, Central Market is better (and cheaper) in my opinion. Plus, it has more variety I believe. Keeping in mind I live in the city where Whole Foods and Central Market started and have their flagship stores.

Hey neighbor! I live in the same area, and I have to agree that both DH and I like Central Market much better. The only person I know who shops regularly at Whole Foods has a child who is allergic to corn and all corn products. She has to buy a lot of food for him there.

 

[shortbun]

I can't wait for Whole Foods to open here, we don't have Trader Joe's.

And in terms of food, we go for quality over quantity.

Yep-that's what you'll get at Whole Foods-quality. I shop there for many things. I also get the best price there on a few things. Luna bars for one. At Whole Foods, they are $.99 @. My local grocery wants $1.45 and sometimes $1.29. Gluten free, organic that has taste, great wine for less money. Whole Foods has my business often.

 

[mrsv98]

Hmm, this has been very enlightening.

I did not get very far into looking around the store. 1)I had severe sticker shock at the produce prices and 2) it was extremely crowded.

I am always looking for new ideas of easy to prepare dinners so maybe I will go have a look at that section on a weekday when it is quieter.

I did not get any reusable bags at WF. I did buy a couple at TJ's last week and will use them for there but I feel funny taking them into Dominicks. I found a great set of 5 for a reasonable price online so I bought them this afternoon and should get them this week.

Ever since DD was born, we have been adding more and more organic. Our Dominicks now has a large selection of organic foods so the variety is there and their produce is very good.

It is always interesting to see what other people think about stores and to get new ideas!

 

[M 'n C]

The produce varies. I usually stick with what is in season and on sale there. I love their selection of apples there - there are just so many different kinds. Good luck when you go back. It is definetly overwhelming at first.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I love going to Whole Foods and similar stores, but agree with the sticker shock! The closest WF is 2 hours away, the one I usually go to is 3.5 hours, but just a few minutes out of the way on the trip between home and where my parents live.

I get there 3-4 times a year and buy things I can't get locally at the new (much smaller and much pricier) gourmet store or my local grocery. Or if WF price is significantly cheaper. I was there yesterday and bought organic strawberries, bulk granola and grains, fresh ground peanut and almond butters, sausages at the meat counter, and weird cheeses. I picked up some coleslaw and a premade sandwich for supper in the car and a few loaves of bread from the bakery.

I am trying to be more conscious of what food I'm eating. It may not be organic but I like to know where and how it was produced. In a perfect world, I would buy all organic and locally produced but that's not going to happen.

Milk - I buy from a small local dairy, it's not organic but is antibiotic/hormone free. I also love their ice cream. Milk is $3.75/gallon for skim.

Eggs - locally raised free range, not organic

Produce/fruit - get what we can from our garden and the local farmers market. Organic fruits are hard to find here, in the stores there are just some tired red delicious apples (not a variety we like) and horrifically priced strawberries. This is one area where a Whole Foods or similar store would be nice to have around.

Meat - we buy beef in bulk from a local producer about once a year. Pork and chicken we use are from costco. This is another area where access to organic is more limited and the prices at WF scare me. $18/lb for steak just isn't happening for us.

Awhile back on a thread here I read a list that I try to follow - as the budget allows:

1. organic, locally produced
2. local, non organic
3. organic, non local
4. non organic, non local

 

[Planogirl]

We have Whole Foods nearby but I rarely go because it is so expensive. We luckily have a store by the name of Sprouts not too far away. It's a bit small but the prices are great and the produce is quite good. We will be getting one in Frisco sometime soon and I'm thrilled!

 

[rie'smom]

I used to drive to New Orleans to get milk,butter and the fabulous freshly baked bread at Whole Foods but I just don't have the time anymore. Hopefully,because Houma is growing so quickly,they'll get one. If I'm in new Orleans though,i have to run and pick up stuff in the meat dept and the take away section.

 

[4chitlins]

I have shopped at Whole Foods, but only for things that I can't find at Trader Joes,which is much cheaper than Whole Foods.

 

[jipsy]

I found this:

Organic foods are currently more expensive for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the yields are on average between 10 and 20% lower than in conventional agriculture and, with some crops (potatoes, for example), it may be as much as 40% lower.

Also, production costs are higher in organic farming. For example, organic farmers don't use herbicides so they have to weed some crops, such as onions and carrots, by hand. Such a labour intensive method contributes to a more expensive product.

This explains why organic foods are currently more expensive, and also why the differences in price are more for some foods (e.g., potatoes) than for others (e.g., mushrooms). However, this explanation is very simplistic, as it doesn't take into account the hidden costs associated with food production.

The cost to the environment
Agricultural practices that make use of pesticides and fertilisers can be expensive because of the harmful effect they have on human health and the environment. The price we pay for our food does not take into account the cost of solving these problems - we pay for those indirectly through tax, which the government then uses to try and limit the damage inflicted by agriculture.

Some scientists have estimated that the use of just one agrochemical (methyl-bromide) contributes to more than 20% of the global ozone depletion. This in turn is estimated to double the incidence of skin cancer globally.

Our taxes are then used to pay for operations and the care of terminally ill patients. This money is currently not added to the cost of producing crops (such as strawberries) using methyl-bromide. If the environmental cost were accounted for, organic strawberries would be cheaper than conventional ones.

 

[Mamu]

I love this store. If you purchase specials and the store brand 365 they are about the same as the other markets around here.

I grow my own vegetables and shop at the local stands for my fruit and vegetables I don't grow.

I never purchase any snack or pre-baked sweets. Make my own.

 

[jacksonsmom]

I wish we had one close to us. We only have 2 in this state and both are at least an hour or more away

We do have a natural foods store about 45 mins away. It is a wonderful store and their wood fire all natural pizza is out of this world! They also have a deli and make wonderful salads. I never tried their meats because we are vegetarians but I am sure they are just as good too.
When we go here we spend about double the amount we do at a regular grocery store.

but I think it is important to eat organic/all natural as much as possible. We don't do it as much as we should, mainly because of the cost, but we give it a big effort.
I personally think alot of our society's health problems stem from the chemicals and junk we put in our process foods!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

We shopped at Whole Foods all the time when DH worked there and we had a 20% discount. We haven't even been in a WF since he left! But there are some thing I really miss from there. There is a new one opening in Orlando in Spring 08 so we'll go when it opens.

 

[arminnie]

I love seeing all of the interest in natural foods. My family has been heavily involved in the natural food industry for over 30 years.

Hardly anyone knew what I was talking about 30 years ago when I mentioned natural foods. John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods, has done an amazing job of taking one store in Austin and making it into a national presence.

We are hoping here that Whole Foods is allowed to buy Wild Oats. We have a Wild Oats store here in Little Rock that is just pitiful. I'd rather shop at the worst Kmart. There are some great Wild Oats stores, but boy ours is not one of them.

 

[goodeats]

I will get a great piece or fish or meat at Whole Foods or maybe some exotic produce. But there's no way we could do all of our shopping there!

I really like Whole Foods for lunch. I wish we had one close to my work.

 

[Crankyshank]

I shop there all of the time. I often find bargains there. Particularly on Tea (Republic of Tea is regularly $1-$2 cheaper there), asparagus (usually $100 per lb cheaper), chicken broth, and on quite a few gourmet cheeses.

 

[shortbun]

I love seeing all of the interest in natural foods. My family has been heavily involved in the natural food industry for over 30 years.

Hardly anyone knew what I was talking about 30 years ago when I mentioned natural foods. John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods, has done an amazing job of taking one store in Austin and making it into a national presence.

We are hoping here that Whole Foods is allowed to buy Wild Oats. We have a Wild Oats store here in Little Rock that is just pitiful. I'd rather shop at the worst Kmart. There are some great Wild Oats stores, but boy ours is not one of them.

We have a great Wild Oats here as well as two Trader Joes and a Whole Foods. I'll be sad to see Wild Oats go-or maybe they will stay open and become a smaller Whole Foods location. It's closer to us so that would be great. Is someone trying to block the purchase? I thought it was done.


I'm doing a Trader Joe's/Whole Foods run this afternoon. Just got back from vacation and running low.