Whole Foods or Trader Joes..

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  • michielyn
    michielyn Posts: 47 Member
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    Trader Joes.

    Although, I love Whole Foods ready to go food better.
  • kaycru
    kaycru Posts: 10 Member
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    Love them both! Trader Joe's is cheaper but Whole Foods has a bigger selection... at least that's how it goes in my area! We have a small Trader Joe's and a very big Whole Foods!
  • Chaskavitch
    Chaskavitch Posts: 172 Member
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    They are just now building a Trader Joe's in my town, so I have zero things to say about them (except that my sister in law is SO sad that the Denver store has the only liquor license, so she can't get two buck chuck in our store once it opens).

    I second whoever said Sprouts, though. Whole Foods has delicious but ridiculously expensive for many many things, and Sprouts has great produce, bulk products, and meats, and decent prices on their eggs and packaged stuff, at least the house brand. I think Sprouts are only in CO, AZ, and CA, though.

    That being said, we got our wedding cake from Whole Foods and it was amazing, and less expensive than even a wedding cake from King Soopers because we didn't get it stacked. Chocolate Berry Chantilly cake...yum :)
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Trader Joe's has a bottle of wine with a cat on it.
    I've only shopped at Whole Foods once, but I will prefer TJ's for that one reason

    Literally the best reason I've heard. You can't beat two buck chuck and the cat on the bottle is like icing on the boozy cake.

    Hahaha. It really is the only reason to shop there. Who doesn't like cats and wine?!
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
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    Here you go OP. A convenient flow chart to help with your decision.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/trader-joes-or-whole-foods/2014/03/21/33a0232e-b144-11e3-95e8-39bef8e9a48b_graphic.html

    Haha! Love this!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Whole Foods, mainly because my TJ's has an atrocious produce section. Not to mention, half of TJ's is prepared foods and most of what I buy is plain meat and vegetables, making it impossible for me to do a full week's worth of shopping there. I do love TJ's for certain things, I just would pick WF over TJ's if I had to pick one.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    trader joes- I go for wine and dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Their meat selection is lame. ;

    I hate Whole foods.

    And wegmans.

    I know- seriously- I know- but it gives me anxiety.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    Whole Foods. They pay a living wage at least. But I do need to venture into the scary and unknown world of the Farmer's Market. We have one, I need to use it.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    Honestly, because I shop at Aldi (if you can't tell by all the "fit and active" yogurt I have been eating lately), I will probably shop at Trader Joe's over Whole Foods... Whole Foods is just so expensive...

    But since I'm not driving to either... I will shop at neither... I'm lazy like that considering I can't count on two hands how many other stores (usually multiples of Albertsons, Kroger, Tom Thumb aka Safeway, Aldi's, Walmart) I have within a 5 mile radius of my house... and Trader Joes and Whole Foods are not anywhere near that radius.


    BUT I hear rumors that we are getting a Sprouts and I can't wait.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    dark chocolate covered espresso beans

    I picked a couple of boxes of those at Aldi's... I'm thinking about bringing them to work to share... as I can't eat them fast enough.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    The whole idea of trader Joe's is to keep cost down by providing their brands, it's really trail and error and also personal preference... btw trader Joe's and aldi both started in Germany and have really interesting info on their sites, but whole foods truly is a magical wonderland and I wish I lived there!



    Trader Joe's started in Pasadena, CA in 1967 (not Germany). My parents used to drag me to the very first store (still standing) as a child. Hated going there, but I LOVE Trader Joe's now! :smile:

    Trader Joe's may have started in CA but they are owned by the sister corporation from Germany that owns and operates Aldi... There is an Aldi North (Nord) and South (Sud). One runs Aldi's USA and the other runs Trader Joes.
  • thatjosiegirl
    thatjosiegirl Posts: 362 Member
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    I shop a combination of both! They both have great things about them. I like Whole Foods produce better than TJ's.
  • culo97
    culo97 Posts: 256 Member
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    TOPIC: Whole Foods or Trader Joes..
    Which typically has more brands that you trust?
    The two stores compliment each other. When both carry the same brand, like in personal supplies, Trader Joes is almost always cheaper.

    Whole Foods always has the best produce, hands down. Wider selection of baked goods from breads to sweets.

    Trader Joes house brands like extra pulp orange juice and frozen Mac & Cheese are good quality for good prices.

    I'm a big fan of both brands.
  • fit_rox
    fit_rox Posts: 83
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    Trader Joe's. I can't bring myself to buy more than like 3 things at Whole Foods, no matter how fresh it is.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Whole Foods. The quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables are higher--fewer discards, almost all are firm and yummy. The quality of the frozen products is higher--most TJ's microwaved items are full of sodium or saturates fats. The selection of goods is wider--especially when it comes to meats, dairy, juices, and ready-to-eat items. I also like that Whole Foods stocks and support local and smaller companies.

    They also support Monsanto.
  • HornedFrogPride
    HornedFrogPride Posts: 283 Member
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    Trader Joe's by a mile! :bigsmile:
  • pattykaye33
    pattykaye33 Posts: 177 Member
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    My Trader Joe's is rather small so I usually go to Whole Foods or Central Market.

    Knew you from Texas when I saw Central Market :-)
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    Whole Foods. The quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables are higher--fewer discards, almost all are firm and yummy. The quality of the frozen products is higher--most TJ's microwaved items are full of sodium or saturates fats. The selection of goods is wider--especially when it comes to meats, dairy, juices, and ready-to-eat items. I also like that Whole Foods stocks and support local and smaller companies.

    They also support Monsanto.

    http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/gmomonsanto-buyout-rumors-untrue

    Rumor No. 3: Whole Foods Market recently decided to start selling food with GMOs. Wrong again! As long as GMO crops have been in this country, GMOs have been in the US food supply. The most effective action we can take now is to label the food that DOESN’T include GMOs. That’s why we’ve enrolled our 365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic product line in the Non-GMO Project Verification Program, and have encouraged our branded vendors to do the same – and many, many have.



    Now of course this is marketing speak from a marketer, so do I trust every golden syrupy word? No. But I'd like some counter evidence that they are in bed with Monsanto, please. Because if they are, that's another reason for me to venture into that scary, scary farmer's market at some unholy hour of the morning required to get the good stuff.
  • alaskagrown86
    alaskagrown86 Posts: 8
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    Sprouts has my heart (and wallet) for produce. To be fair though I haven't shopped at TJs before but their building one here that should be open in a few months and I can't wait to try it out! I like Whole Foods, I do, but I like having money in my bank account more.

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