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Whole Foods Market is a leading store in the health food world, and it’s easy to see why. Products sold at Whole Foods are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats; they are safe and wholesome to eat. (Check out the full list of ingredients Whole Foods prohibits in their products.)
I love shopping at Whole Foods—especially their bulk food section—on occasion. However, I usually avoid the store for several reasons.
1. Ingredient Labels
First, I realize this point sounds a bit ridiculous, considering we’re talking about Whole Foods Market, and I just praised the extensive list of unacceptable ingredients they ban from their stores. But let me explain what I mean…
Regardless of the store I shop, I believe it’s critical to check the product label for harmful ingredients and added sugars. Eating wholesome food requires a level of awareness of what exactly you’re putting into your body.
However…because Whole Foods maintains an extremely high standard for the products they sell, I’ve found that I trust them a bit too much; I’m so comfortable when I shop there that I assume every single product is acceptable to my eating plan. And this is true…to a degree. But even though all items sold at Whole Foods do not have preservatives or artificial ingredients, they may still contain more sugar or sodium than I’d prefer.
Essentially, I believe that the best way to make informed choices about my food is reading (and understanding) food labels—regardless of the store I shop.
2. Competitive Pricing
As “natural” and “healthy” foods are becoming more common and in demand by consumers, many mainstream grocery stores are now expanding their selection of organic and non-GMO items. While I have full confidence in the quality of products sold at Whole Foods Market, the store’s competition continues to rise as many other vendors aim to make healthy foods accessible and affordable to the average family.
Our family of four currently spends around $350 each month on groceries, and sometimes that even includes diapers for our boys! (Note: We don’t buy 100% organic; rather, we stay as close as possible to the guidelines of the Dirty Dozen list.) To stay under budget, we prefer to shop at ALDI and Costco, as well as online retailers like Amazon, Grove Collaborative, and Thrive Market.)
Looking for more ways to afford a healthy lifestyle? Check out my money-saving tips.
3. Convenience
Similar to reason #2 above, I typically avoid shopping at Whole Foods due to the convenience vs. cost factor. If I can order an item using Amazon Prime for the same price (or even less!) with free delivery to my home 2 days later, what’s not to love? No wrestling the toddlers into the car and around the store; we can spend a day in our pajamas waiting on a delivery truck instead! 😉
Currently, our family lives 32 miles away from the nearest Whole Foods. If we are shopping in that area anyway, I try to fit in a quick stop; otherwise, this distance is unreasonable for our family to shop there selectively—we’d still need to buy the rest of our groceries at another store.
Update: Soon after I published this, Amazon announced a partnership with Whole Foods! Check out my post about Affordable Natural & Organic Food for Amazon Prime Members.
Whole Foods Market promotes amazing products and I in no way want to detract from their favorable reputation. However, I have found alternative solutions that work for providing my family with affordable healthy foods and ingredients.
Do you shop at Whole Foods Market? What strategies do you use to save money while shopping there?
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