annthreecats

Just found out that we are getting a Whole Foods Market in our city to open in 2013. Anybody want to tell me about what they buy at Whole Foods that's good? How are the prices, are they reasonable or high?

charity-crafter

Produce prices are extremely expensive. Not everything is organic, you have to really check the signs. I usually shop at an international market for my produce, it's cheaper then everything else in the area.

On the good side, they have some good bulk items that are reasonable priced like oatmeal, flax seeds, nuts and strange grains that you may want to try but don't want to buy an entire bag in case you don't like it. I shop there a few times a year if I'm in the area.

They have really fresh and a big variety of meats and seafood. Oh, and the cheese selection is out of this world. I tend to go just to sample the cheeses on weekends. I also get tofu and meat substitutes sometimes when I want to go vegetarian for a bit.

Jingle

We don't have those stores here. For produce I go to Sam's Club. I don't buy organic anything.

MissSandra

I love whole foods but remember its also known as whole paycheck

Sheila_H

Whole Foods can get pretty pricey fast! We're supposed to be getting one here as well next year, we normally go to the one by my sister's place when we visit her. They do have some pretty good priced stuff for kitchen stuff, but I find the food prices can be pretty high. We use Costco to do most of our food purchases at least the fruit and veggies last longer

katiebear1

Personally I was not very impressed by Whole Foods. I went tryning to find some fresh herbs All they had was cilantro and flat leaf parsley and Kroger carries that. I found the produce department to very dissapointing. Kroger and Meijer have a much better selection.

sew cornie

We have a number of food allergies in our family and I find Whole Foods has a good selection of things that meet our needs and which I can't find at a general grocery store. I don't buy much produce there because I prefer our locally-owned market.

maryjbird

I like whole foods for their variety but love Trader Joes

Elise1

I often go there for lunch. They have a huge buffet of hot foods, soup, and salads. The food is delicious and tastes fresh. It's fun to try new things, (you can serve yourself just a bite or two). At checkout your lunch is weighed and you pay by the pound. I can have a really nice lunch for about $6.

My daughter loves Whole Foods for their many vegetarian options.

Lisanne

Most of their food is quite expensive, but you will find some bargains.
Some of their spices are nicely priced, but they seem to have cut back on their selection.

Meat prices can be competitive with supermarkets, if you buy the premium stuff. And they have levels of beef, for example, so there's no antibiotic/no hormones, then a higher level would be that plus grass fed, and so on. I like ground sirloin, which I can't find in local supermarkets, so I sometimes shop at Whole Foods just for that.

They have a good selection of gluten-free foods for people with celiac disease.

Some of the "health food" type items are better priced than at other stores. One example is Bragg's apple cider vinegar, which is $2.99 there vs. $3.99 at a local supermarket chain (Giant).

The buffet section at the larger stores is excellent, but quality and selection vary by store. Besides a salad bar and soup area, you may have a few hot food buffet areas, such as a vegan one, a comfort foods one, one with a selection of ethnic meat dishes and sides, a sushi area, a "smokehouse" grill area (these last two aren't buffet - you order and they cook it). There may also be a dessert buffet area. Pricing is no worse than eating out, I suppose.

They also have a deli/prepared takeout section, and depending on the cooks there, it may be wonderful or not so great.

Their baked goods are gorgeous, and some are worth the prices.