I am rarely able to go to any kind of grocery that focuses on healthier foods (Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc.). Trader Joes is nowhere to be found in the midwest and the closest Whole Foods is over 2 hours away. BUT, this weekend we are taking a special overnight trip for my son's birthday and will be in a city that has a Whole Foods Market.

I am looking for things you may have found there that are "must get" items for someone who can rarely go there! So what have you bought at Whole Foods that you just love? What can you get there that is great for your eating plan that a regular grocery would not have?

Looking forward to maybe trying some things I don't usually get!

I always get their whole wheat pasta (the store brand, called 365). It's the only whole wheat pasta that I like--doesn't taste like it's whole wheat at all!

Also, if you're able to bring back frozen stuff, they have great frozen seafood (cuts down on those last minute trips to the store on seafood days!) I buy the salmon and the sea scallops. I imagine they'd have other stuff as well.

And they have great chicken sausage by the meat counter. Many different flavors, I prefer the spicy ones. They're good for breakfast.

The 365 brand stuff is awesome but really I love the bulk bins. I also tend to buy produce that is cheap and I can often find stuff, especially stuff in season, cheaper than other super markets.

I love their produce, but would definitely get items you an freeze, as that will last a long time such as, meats, fish, breads, pita's and even fruits and vegetables. All of these items can be frozen. Additionally I love their pastas and whole grain rice, which are items you can use in many meals.

Oh I am definitely going to have to check out their 365 brand. Thank you! I have never heard of chicken sausage, I believe I will be picking up some of that as well. I am not a seafood person.. but I think I will take along a cooler to put some frozen things in. Good idea as well about the fresh produce & anything I that freezes well!

What kind of pitas are the best there, mygrits? The brand I can get up here seems so dry.. I didn't buy them again.

Thanks ladies - keep 'em comin!

Dried or Canned beans (if you like beans). I like the no salt added Eden brand canned beans. Purely Decadent brand non dairy ice cream. They have so many flavors there and it's so yummy and creamy. I hate the soy dream ice cream.

Assuming you eat meat, they also have all typs of grass fed meats and organic free range chicken/eggs. In their deli section, they have low salt or no salt added turkey & other deli meats (hubby gets it for his lunch).

I'd suggest make a list and then go shop also check out all aisles just to see what they have and what you'd like to get. Make sure to allocate some time to shop there .

They also have organic, chemical free soaps, shampoos/conditioners etc. Lots of vitamin supplements. I also bought a box of electrolytes packets - 30 in 1 box for like $11. Each packet makes a liter of citrus flavored electrolyte water. It is 0 calories and no added extra crap.

Thanks, pinto! How are their prices on grass fed meat/free range chicken? I bought some steaks from a local farmer that raises grass fed cattle - the price was really HIGH - also the free range chicken in the grocery here is $10-11 per whole chicken!

Thanks for pointing out the chemical free soaps, shampoos, etc! I am adding that to my list.

Hotwings - I don't eat meat but my suggestion is try to find pasture raised chickens/eggs if you can. "Free range' is a little misleading and really just means cage less. Cage less is good but usually free range means hundreds of chickens, roaming free in a cramped indoor area. I've only been able to find pasture raised eggs (for my dogs) at one place around here

Yes, unfortunately, the prices for all grass fed meat/poultry is pretty high. I haven't bought any from there yet as I still had some in my freezer that I bought from Wegmans. But, if I remember correctly, it was around $7-$8 per pound for chicken. I don't get a whole chicken but only boneless skinless chicken breast.

Here are some of my favorites from Whole Foods:

• Lou's Famous Buffulo Blue Cheese Chicken Sausage (comes pre-packaged). At only 110 calories per link, these rock!
• Lavash wraps. 60 calories for 1/2 wrap. It makes a great sub for hot dog buns or a wrap for a sandwich.
• Tea. Lots of great different varieties.
• Flours and grains. If you have any recipes that call for nut meal, white whole wheat flour, quinoa, bulgur, chick pea meal, or other "exotic" flours, rice, and grains, Whole Foods is a great source. They have a huge variety of flours, meals, rice, and grains in bulk, so you can buy as much or as little as you want. Just be sure to note the nutritional info before you leave.
• Rick's Picks Pickles. Love these! They don't provide nutritional info, but you can see from the ingredients that most are probably pretty low cal. I especially love the Windy City Wasa Beans and the pickled okra.
• Casa Sanchez Tamales and Pupusas. Around 175 to 250 calories each, they are great for lunch. I especially love the Bean and Cheese Pupusas. I eat them with a little wilted spinach, salsa, and a fried egg on top.
• Caper Berries. Another pickled product; these might be an acquired taste, but I love them.
• Marinated Mushrooms. I'm big into pickles.
• Soup in a carton. I love their soups that come in a carton and they have a ton of different flavors. I use them as a base and add my own meat and veggies to make an easy meal. For example, I add ham, carrots, celery, and black-eyed peas to the split pea soup. Or I add turkey, corn, red peppers, celery, and black beans to the black-bean soup.
• Teas' Tea. The only unsweetened iced tea I've had that I like. I especially like the Jasmine tea and the Rose tea flavors.
• Fruit infused water.
• Blue Diamond Nut Thins. At only 130 calories for 16 crackers, these are some of the lowest calorie crackers around.
• Condiments. I love the gourmet mustards and the flavored and specialty vinegars. Try some flavored balsamic vinegar.

I also love their fresh chicken sausage but I suspect that it is pretty high in calories since they don't indicate how lean it is. I'm sure it is both white and dark meat and may even have some skin ground in (I'm afraid to ask--I don't want to know if it does), which would make it almost as bad as pork or beef sausage. So I only eat it as a treat and I eat it as part of a salad, not on any sort of bread product.

They also have a great salad bar. I like to get a small carton of stuff (e.g., some gigante beans, pickled cippolini onions, pickled mushrooms, roasted red pepper, and artichoke hearts) to take home. Then for dinner that night, I toss some lettuce with a vinaigrette, add my fixings from the salad bar, and top it with my fresh chicken sausage. It makes a nice treat.

I mostly get fruit and veg there, they have had some rockin' cherries here lately. Also they have these Thai Kitchen microwavable noodles (if your into that kinda thing). Thai Kitchen also make stove top noodles that are even better (and usually availble in the regular grocery)

wow.. these are all great ideas! I am so glad I asked. Thanks for the nice list, too.. BlueToBlue Definitely going for the Lavash wraps!! Also the fruit infused water sounds good. I wish I had more recipes for the bulk stuff.. I'll likely find a recipe that looks yummy after I get home and probably won't have what I need. LOL! I am going to look for brown and wild rice in bulk though.

Thanks ladies - I can't wait to look around in there!

If you are at all into pickled eggs, the Rick's Picks pickle juice is great for pickling hard-boiled eggs once you've eaten all the pickles. (Yes, I'm a complete nut for just about anything pickled.)

We love that place but we call it "Whole Paycheck"! I get quite of few things out of the bulk bins. I like their whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, Israeli couscous, french lentils. Whey-low sugar and Whey-low gold substitute. They have a feta olive salad that is great. I love being able to try all of the different salads on at the salad-to-go bar. Fage yogurt, brown rice sushi rolls, parsnips, teas. One of the best things is their granola and I suspect that it isn't very low cal and pretty sweet. Amok crackers, fresh chocolate hazel nut butter. My biggest SIN is a wood fired bread that is made with flour, salt and water and comes from Pennsylvania; thick dark crust; can be kept in the freezer if wrapped tightly in heavy duty foil. Every one of my GK get a special cupcake for their birthday that is $3.98 each and so nicely done.....I digress. LOL! I live in Amish country and I have to travel about an hour to get to Trader Joes and Whole Foods and I'm always in awe when I go there.

What part of the Midwest are you from? If you ever get to Wisconsin.....just remember we have 2 trader joe's. One in Madison, and one in Milwaukee. I am in NE Wisc. I get to SE Wisc to visit fam, but never have time to go to Trader Joe's, so I feel your pain.

Try your local farmers market if there is one available. It has been very helpful for bf and I.