RIP OFF ALERT!
Holy Cow - I do most of my shopping at my local co-op and at the neighborhood Hannaford. I buy the same staples every week and usually have the same splurges and treats, as well. So I know what things cost.
Whole Foods does not stand up to the price comparison game in my area! The local grocer and co-op beat them hands down. The organic meats were insanely overpriced, in fact, anything labeled as organic was insanely overpriced. They price gouge like crazy on the items that appeal to their target audience.
Example: The organic sunflower seed butter that I buy at my local grocer was four dollars more expensive at Whole Foods!
Simple staples like produce, eggs, etc were stupidly expensive.
And the quality wasn't anything to talk about!
The creepy produce display was weirdly bright colored, way too shiny, and I know from years of experience buying produce, would not taste fresh.
The produce department was way too small for me, too. Terrible variety. The whole store focuses on premade foods in general. Not my scene. Premade tends towards preservatives, chemicals, and ingredients that I'm not sure what they are.
I like to know what I'm eating!
I haven't said this in a long time, but food is the best preventative medicine you can have. I still believe that and practice that 100%.
Foods that I ate today: wild organic blueberries, organic sunflower seed butter, cottage cheese, flax milk, pumpkin, beets, roast chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans, cantaloupe, almonds, carrots, summer squash, onions, garlic, olive oil, organic dark chocolate.
The only processed item? The chocolate - and I pay significantly more for good dark chocolate with minimal ingredients when I do have it (and Chris and I have stopped having it every day to save $).
So, in the end?
Not going back to Whole Foods - it seems to be the epitome of "healthy" marketing in this country ... Lots of people pouring their money into the idea of healthy but missing the point.
Sorry if you love your Whole Foods- but for my area, it is a waste of time and money when you look at the nearby alternatives! My opinion is obviously colored by the stores and stuff available to me.
I guess if Whole Foods was the only option in my area, I'd go!
I did get some local honey and organic almond milk and organic broth on sale and used my coupon, so not a wasted trip haha :)
I just think it's great that you have found places that you like to shop at!! I think it's amazing that you source such great produce - especially organic meat. Well done and keep shopping where you normally do.
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote (vast amount of processed) is my experience also. Bothers me to be in that store in general. And if you watch, the bloggers who rave about shopping there, ARE buying processed.
ReplyDeleteA Whole Foods is opening in my town very shortly... down the street from a long-running local organic produce market. Lots of friends are actually looking forward to shopping a this shiny new store. Thanks for the review, I'll keep your points in mind when I get around to checking it out.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Whole Paycheck! The only thing I get at WF is decaf herbal tea that isn't in the regular grocery store.
ReplyDeleteI hit up Whole Foods when I was started my last "get healthy" kick before actually getting healthy. I won't go near the place with a ten foot pole now.
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