Any "Whole Foods" store lovers?

I just like WH store so much since I use organic ingredients for my cooking. I go there like 3 times a week or more. Anybody found great stuff there that you like to share?
I also like to ask any healthy food lovers who eat organic and if your group has an opening.( with daily logging members )

Sun. Apr 29, 5:32pm

I love organic foods there..but I call it "Whole Paycheck", as opposed to Whole Foods. Totally overpriced.

Sunday, April 29, 2007, 11:31 PM

I far prefer Trader Joe's - all the foods I'm interested in at a fraction of the price of Whole-lotta-$$$. I do purchase Green & Black hot chocolate there though - it's my special treat to myself. They also have the best sushi in my area. I get there maaaaybe once a month or so.

Sunday, April 29, 2007, 11:58 PM

I like Whole Foods, but I also like Trader Joe's.
Some of the Same things are at both... (Of course I go to the cheaper one...)

However, I buy most of my fresh produce from WF--they have a really good selection. I do, however, try to be mindful of the fruits and veggies that are better organic (i.e. ones with thin skins vs. thick). I also like WF fish counter-- their fresh fish is fabulous-- I rarely buy full price, and I like that they try to stick with sustainable fish industries....

TJ has great deals on other things... (Frozen foods, wines, sauces, etc.) I mix it up, and I've noticed that my old grocery store (which I rarely visit now) has even started carrying organic goods to try to compete with both WF & TJ!

Monday, April 30, 2007, 12:38 AM

There are WH & TJ in a same shpping mall in out area so I usually go to TJ first and get whatever I need then I go to WH to find what I couldn't get from TJ.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 9:21 AM

Whole Foods 365 brand tends to be reasonably priced. I try to get as much as I can by going th 365 route.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 9:59 AM

i use organic and alternative medicine. just started a group called Fit and Firm Friends. why dont you join

Monday, April 30, 2007, 10:01 AM

Whole foods is my favorite. I like the tomato sauce there and I also like the 365 brand peanut butter (without sugar).

Monday, April 30, 2007, 10:02 AM

I love the WHole Foods whole wheat sourdough bread ....I love it too much! Some stores have a prepared tuna fish w/cranberries that is delicious. Their fish is always fresh .. but it is so expensive. They also have a better selection of fruit juices. Their garlic green beans in preapred foods .. the lentil burgers ...great!

One complaint I have is that I have tried several shampoos and conditioners from WHole FOods .. and they have all been horrible! I think that some organic bath products are just bad ... that they have no benefit beyond being organic, even though the prices are really high.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 12:04 PM

Funny, my experience with Whole Foods shampoo is just the opposite, I love it. Then again, i'm a guy and would not notice good shampoo if it bit me.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 12:10 PM

I was at WF the other day - I bought some vegan blueberry cornbread which was GREAT. Also, as far as shampoos and deodorants, I quite like the 'Kiss My Face' range. Bought a deodorant the other day and love it.

I agree though, WF does tend to be pricey.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 3:09 PM

to be fair, they are more expensive because they do not accept the same kind of cost-reducing incentives that most grocery chains accept. they are extremely careful about choosing the "proper" products to support and sell, as far as the environmemntal impact and the promise to realize animal rights. they sponsor all kinds of free classes and seminars, which one might normally have to pay a pretty penny for elsewhere. they accept any item they sell as a full-return if you are dissatisfied for any reason, even w/o a receipt. the personnel are not just shelve stockers, they are true customer service relations personnel, at least in my experience. i ask many questions (nightmare customer, probably), and if the clerk in the department i am in cannot answer my questions, he/she will find someone who can (or refer me to a website that can answer me, when i need to know where certain ingredients come from). i feel totally comfortable paying a bit more for the type of establishment and the knowledgable sales staff, and for the quality produce, too. i do not work there, but i go shopping in many places where the staff is completely helpless and shows no noticeable work ethic. i feel like even though i am paying for more than just the food i am taking home, it's worth it.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 4:28 PM

agreed 4:28! There are very very few items that I buy regularly at Whole Foods that I can a. Find at other stores OR b. Find at other stores cheaper.

I buy soy milk and can get my brand at Whole Foods for $1.98. Local chain: $2.98, TJ's doesn't carry it. Whole Foods for what i buy is a great bargain compared to other options in my neighborhood.

The 365 brand is fantastic!

Monday, April 30, 2007, 7:34 PM

I love Whole Foods but they are way over priced, the only thing I get there anymore is the fish. They have the freshest fish around, still pricey but wroth it. I also get a lot of stuff from TJ's.

Monday, April 30, 2007, 8:05 PM

I love Trader Joe's and theirprices, I go there every Sunday. I love Whole Foods too, as a matter of fact I just finished some Beef & Mushroom Soup I got from there this afternoon. I also like Henry's and my farmers' market! I found this new line of whole grain foods at the market last week www.heartlandharvest.com. I tried their mushroom millet and one of their whole oat breakfast dishes....fabulous!

Monday, April 30, 2007, 10:03 PM

I think that 4:28 post was from a whole foods staffer ... too much detail for your average consumer.

SPAM ALERT

Monday, April 30, 2007, 11:27 PM

the simple fact that 4:28 states that she does not work there tells me she probably does. I like their deli and fish dept, but their produce I can say and this has happened so many times that I stop buying produce from them, it always rots if I don't finish it within a few days. Now I get my produce from my local PCC or farmers market.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 2:05 AM

People should be allowed to express an opinion without being labeled spammers or otherwise discredited.

What 4:28 posted is common knowledge to me and I do not work for WF, nor do I know anyone who does.

OP--I'm very excited about the 365 organics line. The prices are really good and the products taste great. I really like the pasta and pasta sauce!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 8:39 AM

4:28 here, at my office job...

first of all, even if i did work at whole foods, my response would not constitute what is described as "spam". secondly, i do not and have never worked at whole foods. i am a chef and i teach people how to shop as well as prepare meals in their homes. i often take people to whole foods to show my clients the difference between going to the run-of-the-mill grocery chain and having to guess about many ingredients and how to use them (or just pass certain items over completely because one doesn't know what it is, let alone how to prepare it), and going shopping at whole foods where one can ask the produce department personnel questions and receive reliable answers. i happen to feel a need to state that i have no affiliation with the company because some people who comment on this forum tend to write things about sinister agendas whenever someone supports a particular store or brand-name product. the OP asked a question about a specific store and what others have found at the store that they appreciate and would like to share. frankly, if i worked there, i may not have such wonderful things to say because it would be my job, and i'm sure there would be plenty that i did not like about it. i also would probably not have the same shopping experience as an employee, although i really don't know first hand. (can i assume that those who think whole foods is too expensive are actually employees of shop-rite or acme?)

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 9:22 AM

4:28--I am sorry that you were attacked like that. It is certainly not within the spirit of the Peer Trainer community to do that. It's very interesting to me that you are a professional chef and I appreciate the thoughts that you shared. Your comments on WF's staff being helpful is certainly true. The grocery chains in my area as far as you can get from helpful when asking about a product.

Also, the point about the "no questions asked" full refund is a good one and encourages me to try things that I may not be sure that I'll like. Great for trying new foods. And just for the record, although I don't care for TJs as much, they also have the same generous return policy.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 10:09 AM

does trader joes sell only in bulk? i live alone and don't buy too many food products in bulk. and do they carry ONLY organic, or is organic just an option on some products? thanks! (i heard they have a $3 wine. really? if so, is it drinkable?)

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 12:02 PM

The TJ"s that I go to don't sell anything in bulk. They also do not have wine ... so I can't comment on the $3 bottle.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 1:03 PM

TJ's is pretty well known for it's "3 buck chuck" wine; I've heard it's actually really good!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 3:32 PM

TJ's Wine

The $3 wines are a great value. The white and red are both drinkable, but I think the white is a little better (in general I prefer reds). They are definitely worth a try and if you don't like them you've only wasted a maximum of $6 right? But I can't imagine that you would be disappointed, they're both pretty tasty.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 4:17 PM

Personally I wouldn't drink 'em (pretty rugged), but they are better quality than most 'cooking' wines, so that's what I use them for.

TJ's is actually awesome for anyone living alone or in kidless coupledom - they have numerous items packaged in single or double portions (love the frozen salmon fillets - best quality frozen fish anywhere and the small bags of pre-washed lettuce). They also have a great selection of frozen dinners. I can often find both organic and non-organic fruits and veggies, but at TJ's you don't seem to spend more on one vs the other. Their sauces and dressings are also excellent (and cheap) and like Whole Foods you can easily find items that contain no sugar (like pasta sauces which are usually loaded with it).

I do love Whole Foods precisely for their bulk foods - you can find so much there that's reasonably priced and great quality. I just bring it home and package it up myself (quart mason jars work great and you can often find people giving them away).

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 5:11 PM

items WF only carry

There're many items & service that I find only at WF. They have organic grss fed beef, they chop organic whole chicken into an inch size if I like that way, if I mention that one of apples I got was not fresh they let me pick one w/o the receipt, they have HIGH quality sandwiches & wraps-it's big, too-under $6 and you can eat in their nice cafeteria (if you find same quality food in other restaurants, it's way more than just $6), they serve organic coffee for $1.50. Whenever my kids want ice cream treats, I take them there and choose organic ice cream and it's cheaper than icecream stores and your kids eat way better quality treats for their little precious bodies. I love Whole Foods.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 10:15 PM

Whole Paycheck

Whole Paycheck is great if you're upper middle class or don't mind spending a large portion of your paycheck on your food. I find it incredibly overpriced. I belong to my local food coop and I shop seasonally at the local farmer's market, both are much cheaper then WPC. Also, while WF may do nice things, they are a coperation first and foremost. Money is their bottom line. When they first came into some areas, they put the smaller health food stores and coops out of business. Several in our area went under when WF came to town. Again, it's about money and it's a coperation. Many national chains are also carrying organice now, such as Krogers and Meijers.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 7:15 PM

Isn't money most people's bottom line? You, yourself say that you're watching your money..so how are you any different than what you are claiming the folks at Whole Foods are? Is it really a bad thing that we all want to prosper? I don't think so.

The word "corporation" is not a dirty word and simply describes the legal form that a business takes. A corporation can be a one person company or a company of many more. Many "corporations" are started by entrepreneurs who frankly are not as interested in the idea of money as we are making our businesses thrive. Read up about the founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, ..he's an interesting guy..not what you are probably imagining.
http://marketplacemoney.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/02/23/conversations_from_the_corner_office_john_mackey/

Yes, it is true that the opening of a Whole Foods in a new market may indeed close the doors of local health food stores. However, there are owners of local health food stores who have made out quite generously by the buy-out of their stores by Whole Foods. There are plenty of health food stores in non-Whole Foods Markets who are also closing their doors because local grocery store chains are starting to carry many health products and their own organic lines. It's just the way the market is moving.

If you don't want to shop at Whole Foods, that's fine but the OP started this thread for people who do like Whole Foods so it's probably not helpful to him/her if all you do is bash Whole Foods and not answer the original request.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 8:01 PM

I definitely agree with 8:01. I'm so glad that there's WH store near by and I can get all kinds of high quality organic produce & products at my convenient time. I do compare price w/ ones at T Joe's if they carry what I need, though. But I find myself spend about equal amount of money at both stores monthly. TJ's focus on popular items. WH has pretty much everything, even things that most of people never heard of. I love WH.

Thursday, May 3, 2007, 10:40 PM

Intrigued

I am truly intrigued by the rise in tone of 8:01's response. Hmmm, you're right, coperations in and of themselves are bad, but in our area, WF did shut down at least one coop and at least one other health food store. These were not bought out, nor did they make a healthy profit from being run out of business. The bottome line is, WF's bottom line is money. However, I'm intrigued by the ire this subject has evoked. I'm grateful that Trader Joe's has come to town, as they are giving WF/WPC a run for 'their' money. TJ's has forced WF to lower their prices. In our community, Trader Joe's is a hundred times more generous as well. Just some random thoughts.

Friday, May 4, 2007, 6:34 PM

Think about influence that WF's presence does in their neighbor. There're many people don't mind spend money somewhere else but didn't know how important to choose good wholesome food for their bodies. I see many parents are pretty lose on spending small money here and there for their kids. Then how important to feed your precious child wholesome food and establish a good habit to last their life time.

Sunday, May 6, 2007, 1:13 AM

Whole Foods organic dried apricots and dried figs are great!

Sunday, May 6, 2007, 4:51 AM

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