Whole Foods/Trader Joe's vs. Regular Grocery Store

Options
pouringraina
pouringraina Posts: 106 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going shopping today, and I thought I would take a look inside Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Are there any foods that WF and TJ carries that are WAY better than regular grocery store brands? I don't really know what to look for!

Replies

  • Mybeautifullyinsanelife
    Mybeautifullyinsanelife Posts: 11
    Options
    I find that whole foods is really expensive, but Trader Joes has a lot of different items and that can sometimes help when the diet gets boring.
  • susjan
    susjan Posts: 105
    Options
    I love Trader Joe's and if you like peanut butter, they have something called "better than peanut butter" and it's 100 calories for 2tbsp. Very good.

    Also, check the frozen prepared meals- they have some great meals!
  • angebean
    angebean Posts: 195 Member
    Options
    Whole Foods is so fun to go shopping at, but they are very pricey. There's not a Trader Joe's in my area, but we have Sprouts, which is a smaller and, for lack of better term, generic brand of Whole Foods , but same great products and less expensive.

    They are known for their organic foods, so meats and veggies are what I go shpping there for. Other items that are packaged can normally be found in the regular grocery store.
  • RiverWild
    RiverWild Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    I'm a bit of an organic nut. I love the produce at Whole Foods, and find that it keeps better than anything I get at regular stores. If you are vegetarian, the variety is better for meatless choices as well.
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    Options
    I LIVE at TJ's and WF.
    WF is where I get deli stuff, meat, produce, wine, cheese, and baked goods. Their tempeh and tabouli salad, and their cheese selection are amazing.

    I think TJ's is awesome for their frozen foods and snack stuff. I'm obsessed with their mushroom risotto, and they have these little frozen cubes of minced basil, garlic, and cilantro (made by Dorot, I believe) that make cooking SO much easier.
  • jae6704
    jae6704 Posts: 458 Member
    Options
    I love TJ orange vinigeret and wight balsamic vinegar
  • genielross
    genielross Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    I shop both stores, having a child with Autism and ADHD, they do not use any artificial food coloring in any of their foods. I love being able to go into the store and not have to worry about what I am feeding my kids.

    Bananas are only $0.19 each at Trader Joe's, that works to about $0.43 a lb.
  • ngory07
    ngory07 Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    I've been to WF once and I fell in love!!!! But its 2 hrs away from my house :( Me and a friend are making a special trip there tomorrow so Im bringing plenty of cash and a cooler. Im thinking of making it a once a month or once every 2 month trip and just freeze a lot of stuff.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Options
    I do my weekly shopping at WF. It actually isn't more expensive than the regular grocery store if you buy all natural stuff. I don't buy food with chemicals and whatnot, so the WF's 365 house brand is usually cheaper than my grocery store for all natural and organic stuff. Of course, I avoid the $25/pound cheese and whatnot at WF. I buy meats at WF that are unavailable to me elsewhere, like bacon and deli meats that contain no preservatives or nitrates and beef without antibiotics. WF is great for their bulk bin area. I can just take what I need (no waste!) and it is useful to try new things without committing to a box of it.

    I like Trader Joe's but their produce section stinks (at least the stores near me) and most of the store is boxed and frozen stuff, not whole ingredients. Their pre-made stuff is good though.
  • frugal2
    frugal2 Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    WF 365 products are a GREAT value. It's true that they carry a lot of expensive products, but I don't think it's difficult to find items that are reasonably priced. Also i find that the quality of meat and produce is far better than any other grocery store AND the produce lasts longer.

    I shop at various markets. At some of the cheaper places I've had to throw out produce as soon as I buy it becuase it just isn't good, so it's not worth the calories to force myself to eat bland or even bad fruit, for example. At the same time, it's so cheap that it's not worth my effort to go back for a refund on $1 worth of peaches....Alternatively, I never have that prob at WF. Sometimes, I think it's worth paying a few cents more for good stuff to eat, especially when I'm restricting my calories. Gotta make sure I eat yummy foods at 1200cals/day!

Categories