Whole Food stores...who shops there?

[FarmerChick]

I was in a store very very long ago. on a trip I stopped in on a whim. can't remember much about it.

the stores around me are a very far drive. not doable...BUT they opened one about 45 mins. away. still a good trip, but close enough where I wonder if it is worth going?

who shops there and do you like it and their prices etc? just wondering about experiences with this store....thanks

 

[elijahboy]

i went to a store that a copycat of whole foods called earthfare

they have the grass fed beef there and girl 2 fricking steaks were 65.00 but they were about 1 /34 thick and enough for atleast 5 people

the texture was alot different than you find in reg stores but it tasted lovely like munching on an alive cow thats walking through the field with steak sauce dripping off him..

 

[odd_duck99]

I live just north of seattle... there are Whole Foods EVERYWHERE! It's been a while since I was in one, but I remember it being expensive. Then again, being all concerned with your food and shopping at Whole Foods is kind of a Hipster, Hippy, Trendy thing to do around here <facepalm> so I am not sure if that drives up prices... like good for you makes it a specialty food. Plus the W.F. that I know of are in Seattle city limits where land/rent is more expensive, etc. The way that I do it w/o totally breaking the bank is to get grass fed/free range meat from a store like WF once a month (I go to Central Market, but they might just be local, I'm not sure). Then I get everything else from Fred Meyer, which is one of those "one stop shopping" places with clothes, housewares, food, etc. We buy the organic veggies and milk, etc from there and raise our own eggs. We try to eat meat according to a proper portion size, and maybe throw some beans on the menu sometimes in order to lessen the cost. Plus it's better for us!

Write down what you normally get from your usual grocery store, the price, and how much you get. Then wander on over to Whole Foods and compare. That's what we did! We learned that it was rediculous to get everything from the place we were getting the meat. In some cases, it was the exact same product for way more money. That way you know!

*Side note - don't forget to bring a cooler if you are driving that far and spending so much on a bunch of meat! You don't want to hit traffic or get stuck behind a tractor with a trunk full of meat warming in the sun!

 

[odd_duck99]

the texture was alot different than you find in reg stores but it tasted lovely like munching on an alive cow thats walking through the field with steak sauce dripping off him..

LOL! It's true! The "good" meat is SO much better!

 

[ORChick]

I used to go there on occasion when I lived in the SF Bay Area; it wasn't far from where I lived/worked, and they had things I couldn't easily get elsewhere - like grass fed beef. But they were/are expensive, no doubt about that. For that reason I only bought certain items there, and did the rest of my shopping in other stores.
The nearest one to me now is a 3 hour drive away, and I have found other sources for what I used to buy there, so I haven't gone in in years. And after reading this article - http://www.naturalnews.com/031296_GMOs_Whole_Foods.html - I probably won't go in again. I feel that a place that trades so very heavily on its "green, natural, organic" reputation, and charges such high prices based on that, should not be making compromises like those written about in the article. There is a local (well, local to western Oregon, but still an hour's drive away for me ) chain that also has good organic, natural choices, but also offers other, more "standard" items - but they are very upfront about it, and don't try to cover it all with a veneer of "green sustainability".

 

[pinkfox]

prices are on par with "brand" prices so if you buy stor brand alot youll be majorly sticker shocked...
and in terms of meat you could buy straight from the farm and custom butchered for about the same price per lb...

but if your ging check out their bulk bins, they often have some realy cool stuff, alternate flours, grains ect) and the prices on those arnt bad. same goes for the nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

 

[THEFAN]

I usually go to them when I am on the road. I find it's the only place I can go to get real food when I'm on the road or famrer markets. The prices are high butttt it's suppose to be better. As I look closer at stuff I am finding that is not so true with things. Don't get me wrong they are better than the 4 major food selling product companies in the industrial stores but I find a lot of organic can goods have a ton of sodium in them. ARGH!! As for meats I say buy right off the farm for the best price. If this is to much go in with someone. 2.29 hanging wait is awesome. So I pay about 4.00 lb for my meat. Grass feed orgainc all the way. Same with our lambs too. Honestly I find most of the stuff in the whole food storesto be a joke. Still owned by the big 4. Unless I see a local label now I won't buy it anymore. My family and I are going one step away and buying all we can local and grow our own. IMHO and 2 cents

 

[hqueen13]

We have a lovely store in the area called "My Organic Market" or Mom's for short. We LOVE it. They do have somewhat higher prices, but at least I don't have to try to dig through and figure out what is and isn't organic.
Our Wegman's grocery store is also very good, though you have to learn where in the store to go and not go, and the stores are HUGE, and often really crowded, so its a bit more of a hassle to go there.

 

[FarmerChick]

thanks all for giving me a heads up on Whole foods.

hmmm...I doubt it will my 'go to store'

One day when hubby and I are looking for something to do we will take a ride out and check out the store but I think in general it won't be a huge draw for me.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I liked getting their bulk herbs- spice & medicinal and they have their own generic/store brand line that was pretty good. Being willing to cook helps. The ready to eat stuff can drive the bill up fast.