What are your staples you like to get at Whole Foods (or Trader Joe's)? We don't have a Trader Joe's here but we do have Whole Foods.
I only get to Whole Foods about once every month or two, but I've decided I want to go there on a more regular basis. The fruits and vegetables I've been getting at my local grocery store have not been all that flavorful, so I'm hoping I can get better tasting produce at Whole Foods.
When I do go to Whole Foods, I always get some wild salmon, nuts (various kinds, but I tend towards walnuts and almonds), organic skim milk, olive oil, sometimes fruit juice (I like blueberry pomegranate), organic rolled oats, dark chocolate, Boca burgers, green tea, fresh fruits and vegetables, and I like to make myself a salad from their salad bars.
What do others like to get? My list didn't include specific brands, but if you do, that would be great to hear about!
We are lucky to have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Henry's, Sprout's, farmer's markets and other organic, healthy options to choose from within a 5-10 mile radius here in Arizona's East Valley!
We moved here last summer from an area in Virginia that only had stores such as Kroger and Food Lion...definitely not our cup of tea, so we had to travel 45 min. each way to the only Whole Foods in our "area." We'd go 2 - 3x a month and buy 365 (whole foods' brand) organic garlic-cheese and vegan veggie burgers, organic PB, organic fruit preserves, organic milk & buttermilk, organic yogurt, organic cereal (especially the Organic Ancient Grains in the bulk bags), 365 brand organic tofu, organic mayonnaise, organic 365 brand salad dressings, organic tamari shoyu sauce, organic extra virgin olive & canola oils, organic whole wheat flour tortillas, organic ketchup & mustard, organic granola, organic rolled oats, organic quinoa, organic whole wheat flour, organic whole wheat pancake mix, organic couscous, organic bulgur, organic amaranth (once or twice), organic turbinado sugar, organic sea salt, organic brown basmati rice, organic veggies (bok choy, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, celery, etc.), organic apple cider, organic fruit, organic beans, organic hormone-free meats, & organic whole grain bakery bread. I love their samples, too.
Sick of the word "organic" yet?
Now, we're lucky enough to have easy access to as many organic, whole foods stores as we can handle!
We are lucky to have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Henry's, Sprout's, farmer's markets and other organic, healthy options to choose from within a 5-10 mile radius here in Arizona's East Valley!
We moved here last summer from an area in Virginia that only had stores such as Kroger and Food Lion...definitely not our cup of tea, so we had to travel 45 min. each way to the only Whole Foods in our "area." We'd go 2 - 3x a month and buy 365 (whole foods' brand) organic garlic-cheese and vegan veggie burgers, organic PB, organic fruit preserves, organic milk & buttermilk, organic yogurt, organic cereal (especially the Organic Ancient Grains in the bulk bags), 365 brand organic tofu, organic mayonnaise, organic 365 brand salad dressings, organic tamari shoyu sauce, organic extra virgin olive & canola oils, organic whole wheat flour tortillas, organic ketchup & mustard, organic granola, organic rolled oats, organic quinoa, organic whole wheat flour, organic whole wheat pancake mix, organic couscous, organic bulgur, organic amaranth (once or twice), organic turbinado sugar, organic sea salt, organic brown basmati rice, organic veggies (bok choy, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, celery, etc.), organic apple cider, organic fruit, organic beans, organic hormone-free meats, & organic whole grain bakery bread. I love their samples, too.
Sick of the word "organic" yet?
Now, we're lucky enough to have easy access to as many organic, whole foods stores as we can handle!
Wow, you are lucky to have access to several healthy options stores!!! I'm envious!!! Even the Whole Foods I go to isn't all that close, but it's worth the trip! I never get sick of the word "organic"...
I ran into this list awhile back and couldn't find it again, but ran into it last night:
"Because organic foods can stretch the grocery budget, Prevention (the magazine) suggests opting first for organic versions of foods highest in pesticides: apples, apricots, bell peppers, cantaloupe, celery, cherries, cucumbers, imported grapes, green beans, peaches, spinach, and tomatoes."
I'm not that wlling to pay for organic produce (I know I should care, but I just don't), so I rarely get produce at Whole Foods.
I DO care about my meat quality, though, so I get chopped sirloin and flank steak there. The beef is grass-fed, meaning I don't fear Mad Cow disease.
The spices at Whole Foods are a great bargain, though! They have them in tubs now. You get more than in the spice jars, and for only $1.99 each.
Sometimes I'll get bulk stuff, like lentils and nuts.
I've started getting cheddar cheese there, because they have a medium cheddar, and the regular stores usually only have mild, sharp and extra sharp. But they used to have a low-fat cheddar, and I can't find that there any more.
I confess I usually get stuff there as a treat, like the salad bar or prepared stuff from their deli.
There's some crackers they sell I really love... a company called Dr. Kracker. I like the sunflower and cheese. They are made with smelt, though I confess I do not know the alleged benefits of smelt. They are not low fat, but I find I can eat 4 crackers with my cottage cheese and they go perfectly and add 50 calories.
I liked when I lived in Austin cause they had one only 6 blocks away from my place. It was closer than HEB and about the same distance as another main store chain ( I don't recall the store cause there isn't one in my current town, it was a while back too). Still, I went rarely, even to the close store chain one cause they can get expensive on a student budget. I would have to take a freaking bus to get to HEB but it was worth it cause I could buy so much more eventhough I at a number of times got tuna and a 2 day supply of meat to compensate, usually steak. I would like to eat more organic stuff but I wonder how it would affect me now that I have been on the other stuff for so long. I don't even think we have one here in this town, at least not the last time I checked.
Do any of you have problems with STALE steel-cut oatmeal and whole-grain pastas when you buy them at Whole Foods? I have given up ... the last ones (oatmeal) was McCann's. It was stale ... same thing with pasta ... STALE!!! I live about 20 min. from the store, and it isn't worth driving it back, but will not buy it there anymore! I sometimes wonder if people buy this stuff all the time, and don't realize it isn't supposed to taste rancid!! It's happened to me so many times with more natural products.
I go to Wild Oats, Trader Joe's, and rarely Whole Foods - I love organic Pink Lady apples (and right now, Minneolas--crossbreed of grapefruit and honey tangerine, VERY juicy and sweet).
I also like the wide variety of Amy's Kitchen stuff that Wild Oats sell - the enchiladas and the pesto tortellini are delish (esp. when you throw in extra veggies to soak up the leftover sauces)
As for the steel-cut oats, the brand I buy is silver palate and it tastes consistently good.
Magma Plus It is a green powder made from Barley Grass and also it has a whole bunch of herbs in it. It makes me feel strong and energetic and very healthy and refreshed. It doesn't taste bad either although you would think it would since it actually smells like grass. I usually mix it into some orange juice. It is extremely healthy for you since Barley Grass is one of the best sources of nutrients there is.
We dont have a Whole Foods in Tampa (although there is one in Sarasota where I am moving back to in Aug) but we have a Fresh Market, and coming soon another organic chain coming, I am blanking out on the name though. We also about about 20 different organic and whole food stores through the city. There are about 4 that I frequent.
I always get produce and veggies from there if I can afford it. I usually can. I always get my brown rice from there. Always get my tofu from there as well. They also carry the cabot light cheeses that I like. And I usually get any whole wheat pasta there. I like Bionature's brand. I also really like to get any nuts at that store since you can decide what portions you want.
What's your favorite items to get at Whole Foods?
