Whole Foods

monicastryin
monicastryin Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

For those of you that buy your groceries from, lets say, WalMart and Whole Foods; do you find any difference?


Thanks,
Monica

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Any difference in what?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Whole Foods is more expensive.

    But you'll find organic products and a wider variety of "health" foods than you can find at Walmart. However, weight loss is about calories, so it doesn't matter where you shop - as long as you eat less than you need for maintenance.
  • monicastryin
    monicastryin Posts: 40 Member
    Any difference in what?

    In the stores.... Does WalMart food taste any different from Whole Foods?
    Basically, if I gave you a chicken breast from WalMart and one from Whole Foods, would you know the difference?
  • monicastryin
    monicastryin Posts: 40 Member
    Whole Foods is more expensive.

    But you'll find organic products and a wider variety of "health" foods than you can find at Walmart. However, weight loss is about calories, so it doesn't matter where you shop - as long as you eat less than you need for maintenance.

    This is exactly what I was trying to find out. Thank You! ☺
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Boxed goods are boxed goods, for the most part.

    The difference comes in meat and produce.

    And yes, I absolutely can tell the difference between a chicken breast from the farmers market or from the local meats case at Wegmans vs. either a Walmart one or even the cheapest stuff I can get at Wegmans. They cook differently in the pan, they behave differently, because they are raised and processed differently. The difference in beef, especially ground beef, is even more noticeable

    Cheap meat, wherever you get it, is flabby and flavorless and pumped with so much water you can't brown it - it just steams in its own sad grey juices. Walmart (and other stores) are allowed, now, to add 15% water and artificial meat flavoring to ground beef. Buying cheap meat anywhere -especially walmart - is like buying Soylent Green. If it were my only option, I'd go vegetarian.


    (disclaimer: I current don't shop at either walmart or whole foods; I mostly shop at Wegmans, and the farmers market).
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I prefer shopping at Whole Foods because their merchandise selection is pre-edited. I don't shop at WalMart, so I'll use Target for an example - At Target, I can buy some of the same products for less, but there will also be many other options that are less healthy and I will have to scan the ingredient labels more carefully. For example, I recently went grocery shopping at Target and later noticed that my granola bars had artificial flavors, which I try to avoid. At Whole Foods, these options simply aren't there, so I can spend less time evaluating the items. For example, all their eggs are cage-free, they have a thorough rating system for meat and poultry, and all their seafood is sustainable. There are many common artificial additives that Whole Foods does not use in their products. Of course, if you're looking to save money, it's best to shop at WalMart/Target for the things they offer for a lower price, but Whole Foods is a good destination for hard-to-find healthy options.
  • OneThrone
    OneThrone Posts: 77 Member
    Just to add to that, I recently began participating in my employers online health and wellness program and learned that I receive money back on a Wal-Mart shopping card every time I bought foods that were labeled "Great for You". I looked a little further into these "Great for You" foods and found that it was a pretty thoughtful initiative by Wal-Mart to help people make healthier choices. These foods have been carefully selected through a process outline in the link I shared below, and labeled to easily be identified as a more nutritious choice. I've shopped at Whole Foods before and let me tell you with a family of 6 my dollar doesn't stretch very far, so it's nice to continue to shop at Wal-Mart and be able to find healthy products that are inexpensive.

    http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/hunger-nutrition/great-for-you.
  • monicastryin
    monicastryin Posts: 40 Member
    Boxed goods are boxed goods, for the most part.

    The difference comes in meat and produce.

    And yes, I absolutely can tell the difference between a chicken breast from the farmers market or from the local meats case at Wegmans vs. either a Walmart one or even the cheapest stuff I can get at Wegmans. They cook differently in the pan, they behave differently, because they are raised and processed differently. The difference in beef, especially ground beef, is even more noticeable

    Cheap meat, wherever you get it, is flabby and flavorless and pumped with so much water you can't brown it - it just steams in its own sad grey juices. Walmart (and other stores) are allowed, now, to add 15% water and artificial meat flavoring to ground beef. Buying cheap meat anywhere -especially walmart - is like buying Soylent Green. If it were my only option, I'd go vegetarian.


    (disclaimer: I current don't shop at either walmart or whole foods; I mostly shop at Wegmans, and the farmers market).

    Great info... Thank You ☺
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Whole Foods has a better wine and beer selection, a better variety of freshly baked goods, and of course they have the organics for people who care about that. The reality is that for basic items there is no difference except price, but you have to compare like items to like.
  • monicastryin
    monicastryin Posts: 40 Member
    Just to add to that, I recently began participating in my employers online health and wellness program and learned that I receive money back on a Wal-Mart shopping card every time I bought foods that were labeled "Great for You". I looked a little further into these "Great for You" foods and found that it was a pretty thoughtful initiative by Wal-Mart to help people make healthier choices. These foods have been carefully selected through a process outline in the link I shared below, and labeled to easily be identified as a more nutritious choice. I've shopped at Whole Foods before and let me tell you with a family of 6 my dollar doesn't stretch very far, so it's nice to continue to shop at Wal-Mart and be able to find healthy products that are inexpensive.

    http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/hunger-nutrition/great-for-you.

    Wow, I work at a medical lab, a very health conscious medical lab, I might add.
    I am definitely going to do a little research and maybe get my company on board.
    We currently have a weekly box that we can purchase from local farmers that includes different fruits and veggies, but this would be a great addition. Thank You! ☺
  • _firecracker_
    _firecracker_ Posts: 185 Member
    Whole Foods has a better wine and beer selection, a better variety of freshly baked goods, and of course they have the organics for people who care about that. The reality is that for basic items there is no difference except price, but you have to compare like items to like.

    I don't know....Walmart in my parts is getting on the organic bandwagon. There's more of a selection of organic and locally grown produce, some cereal, yogurt, etc. I even saw a gluten free area.

    There's still the dilemma of waiting in line forever....:grumble:
  • MzPix
    MzPix Posts: 177 Member
    I never shop at Walmart. I grow a lot of my own food. When I shop, I mainly frequent Farmer's Markets, buy from neighbors, or shop at Kroger. I also buy some products from Schwans. I can definitely taste a difference between the meat, cheese, and produce I get from local organic farmers and that from grocery stores. There's also a difference in price though. I have to balance health and nutrition, income, convenience, and ethics.

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