When you walk through the doors at Whole Foods Market, you are greeted with a BEAUTIFUL display of fruit and vegetables.
Your eyes tell you to grab one of everything! Therefore, to experience a pleasant shopping trip, (and keep a portion of your paycheck), it is best to plan ahead when shopping at America’s Healthiest Grocery Store.
The First Whole Foods Market
The first Whole Foods Market opened in Texas in 1980! It all began when two families decided to bring a grocery store experience to natural health food customers. The stores motto is “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store”.
My first Whole Foods Market experience was in the mid 1990’s in Boulder, Colorado. My sister and I were on a road trip together in Colorado, and I needed food without refined flours, sugars, and dairy. Wow! I couldn’t believe we stumbled on this incredible health food store. At the time this was the largest health food grocery I had experienced. Beautiful produce. Smoothie bar. New products. I felt right at home in this store. Since my first shopping experience I have visited Whole Foods Market stores in Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, Illinois and everywhere in between.
In 2016, Unites States had 435 stores open for Americans to purchase premium groceries. People are drawn to the ambiance of the store and the healthy produce selection!
Consequently, after your first shopping experience you will notice it is easy to spend a small fortune on healthier food. Friends have even commented that they blow their entire food budget on one shopping trip. In order for your shopping experience to be both successful and economical, I recommend always shopping with a list!
Here is my personal recommendations on what to purchase at Whole Foods Market (WFM) and what NOT to buy at WFM.
6 Items to BUY at Whole Foods Market
- Produce. This department is beautiful! Great prices on brussel sprouts, micro-greens, parsnips, organic apples, mushrooms, sun-chokes, and lettuce varieties.
- 365 brand. Quality organic butter, frozen stir fry veggies, frozen veggies, sourdough bread.
- Meat & Fish. WFM has a reputation for offering the consumer, sustainable fish and quality beef, chicken and ham. Look for meat that is antibiotic free & hormone free. They carry reasonable prices on pasture-raised beef and bison as well.
- Dairy-free & Grain-free Products. Excellent selection for dairy-free ice cream and dairy-free yogurt. They offer grain-free products such as baguettes, and bagels. Products are often labeled if they are tree-nut free, but read the labels to be safe.
- Bulk foods. Nuts, seeds, and spices.
- Snacks. The snack aisle gives you healthy ideas! This will be your kids or teenagers favorite aisle! My teens like the garlic plantain chips, banana bites, Lily’s chocolate, Go Raw products, and Epic jerky products.
6 items to pass by at Whole Foods Market.
- Conventional produce. Read labels carefully when you shop in the produce department.
- Processed foods. Proceed with caution when shopping for gluten-free items like cereal, crackers, and snack items. The prices are higher and the ingredients often contain corn and high amounts of sugar.
- Kombucha. This refreshing probiotic drink is expensive. The average price for a 16oz. Bottle is $3.65. It costs under $1.00 to brew a gallon of your own at home.
- Hot food bars and deli. Read the labels carefully. The salad bars contain a variety of organic and non-organic items. Items can contain gluten, tree nuts, sugar, and unhealthy oils. Since it really depends on the store, just proceed with caution when putting together your meal.
- Household products, toys, yoga supplies. Many of these are convenience items and are offered to save the consumer time, but not money.
- Bakery. It is best to “window show” the cute little cakes, cookies, pudding creations, and confections. Once you read the ingredients label, you will have much disappointment in the refined sugars, flours, milk products, and oils used in these sweets. It is fun to admire the beauty and creativity of the confections, however it is best to not buy. It will save you money and a belly ache.
Plan Ahead
In conclusion, the next time you shop at a Whole Foods Market; plan ahead, make that list, and enjoy your experience! I usually buy the same grocery items every time I shop at WFM. To make life easier, I keep a WFM list on my ipad. Saving a list on your phone will work as well!
If you have never experienced “American’s Healthiest Grocery Store“, you can find a store nearest you here. I hope your next Whole Foods Market shopping experience will be a pleasant one!
Since we all have different reasons for purchasing health food, I would enjoy hearing from you!
Do you have favorite items you would recommend to others?
P.S. Would you like to save more money on healthier food? After much price comparison I found the best prices online. More details can be found at Save Money at Thrive Market.
Click here for a FREE printable online Shopping List!