Whole Foods Wholly Disappointing
A few days ago, after visiting my brother in New Jersey, my family and I decided to stop at a Whole Foods Market, which we don’t have near us. I always think how fun it would be to have one nearby, but after this visit, I’m almost glad I don’t have that particular temptation. This is just the sort of “fun food field trip” I love, but this time, it seemed more like a regular supermarket than I had remembered.
First of all, perhaps at this particular branch (let me know what your nearby Whole Foods do in this department), there was a lot of produce, but so little of it was organic. What’s the big deal, then? The produce department at my local Mother Earth’s is a fraction of the size, but everything is organic, so I don’t have to waste a lot of time looking at signs designating “conventional,” “transitional,” and organic.
Since we’d be getting home around 7 pm, we decided to pick up some prepared foods for dinner. I picked up what I thought would be the makings of a nice meal that I could just pop out of the containers: Cashew curried rice, broiled tofu steaks, white gazpacho, and blueberry muffins. It all looked so nice on the plate, but most everything was so unpalatable that most of it will go uneaten. The rice was dry, but salvageable once I put a little water in it and warmed it up. The tofu steaks were topped with, not a layer of flavor, but a layer of charcoal. The white gazpacho had a grainy almond base, though it was supposed to be made with white beans, and aside from cucumber, contained nothing but tons of raw onion and garlic, which I loathe. The blueberry muffins tasted like pastries from the sixties, you know, the kind that taste like bricks and mortar. Oh, dear, they were not good for more than one bite.
Since most of this healthy looking dinner was inedible, I quickly made some hummus, and made some wraps with lettuce and tomato. We had, luckily, picked up some good whole wheat wraps, nice and soft, so the wraps came out quite yummy.
How about you? How has your experiene been with Whole Foods Market? Do you think its nickname, Whole Paycheck, is fitting? Have you had any similar experience with the prepared foods, or have your experiences been better than mine?
Chris said,
May 31, 2006 @ 6:34 pm
I have a love/hate relationship with Whole Foods. We shop there some, partly because it’s just down the street from where I work, but sometimes I lament their mass market appeal. I agree with the Whole Paycheck moniker, but unfortunately we have no co-op here and though we do have two independent natural foods stores both of them have much higher prices than even WF. For better prices we make a couple hour drive to Trader Joe’s every so often.
I’ve gotten decent food from the deli counter at WF before, but I’m usually irritated at their lack of good vegan options.
Krista said,
May 31, 2006 @ 7:31 pm
We love Whole Foods even though it is expensive, and we’ve decided that it really depends on which one you go to. We found way more organic produce at the Whole Foods in West Bloomfield, Michigan, but yet another Whole Foods in Michigan didn’t have a cafe in which to eat your treats! The Whole Foods in West Palm Beach, Florida has less organic produce (however, it could be the time of year), but great vegan prepared foods (at Thanksgiving, you could buy vegan mashed potatoes, stuffing, tofurkey and vegan pumpkin pie!) and a fantastic vegan bakery. The Whole Foods in Toronto, Ontario doesn’t have the great range of vegan products that the American Whole Foods does, and the Whole Foods in Fort Lauderdale had great soup!
Jennifer said,
May 31, 2006 @ 7:41 pm
I think Whole Foods stores vary widely depending on location. I’m originally from Austin, TX and since that is the headquarters, the stores are better than what I’ve encountered elsewhere.
I’m finding less and less organic produce at my local Whole Foods so I only shop there I when I need frozen organic fruit and almond butter. We have Earthfare here in NC and their produce selection is better but not always. Ultimately I’m happiest buying my produce at the farmer’s market and cooking my own food.
It’s sad to think that we may have better organic produce options at Wal-mart, which I refuse to shop at.
Anjelica said,
May 31, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
I am pretty lucky, the market near me has good prepared food (usually). Something I find upsetting though is there is no vegan option at the sandwich bar, and some unexpected things have eggs and such in them (i.e. falafels).
Lilo said,
May 31, 2006 @ 10:58 pm
Whole Paycheck is definitely fitting—thank the Gods for farmers’ coops and Mambo Sprouts coupons! I think it’s a little too precious, too.
Rebecca said,
June 1, 2006 @ 8:03 am
There is Whole Foods by my house in Wheaton Il, and I love it. It does have some coventional produce but most of it is organic and their prepared foods section is out of this world fantastic. It can be a little expensive but I have learned how to shop there without spending a whole lot of money. I can fill my cart up and only spend $100. I don’t buy a lot of packaged boxed snacks and I stick to buying mostly the Whole Foods organic line 365.
Nava said,
June 1, 2006 @ 8:51 am
I see that Whole Foods has its pros and cons. I do remember that the one in Sarasota seemed a lot nicer and had better food to eat in the cafe than the one we just stopped at in NJ. So even though they are a bit inconsistent, at least each store has its own character; better than being a totally homogenized “big box” experience.
I wonder if Wild Oats is still growing; I don’t see or hear of those as often, but the few times I’ve been in a Wild Oats store I have found that it’s very nice.
In my area and throughout the northeast, Hannaford’s, a conventional supermarket, usually has a big natural foods section called “Nature’s Place” and often a decent amount of organic produce. So its nice to see that natural food can be available almost anywhere. Oddly, it didn’t seem like the Whole Foods in NJ and the Hannaford’s near me were that much different. Kind of the merging of the supermarket and natural foods store, in both directions.
Angel said,
June 1, 2006 @ 9:05 am
We lived in Denver, Colorado for a year and liked the Wholefoods there…the selection was great and the store was nice and big…the employees friendly and they always played really great music that got my 7 month old dancing…We did prefer Wild Oats,mostly because the stores were less ‘grocery store’ like.
Now that we are back in Toronto I don’t think you could pay me enough to go back to the Wholefoods here…the employees are rude…usually standing in the way and blocking the aisles.Things are super expensive…we’ve gone three times just to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke,but each time we left cranky and depressed…I’d much rather support and independent health food store anyhow.
Teddy said,
June 1, 2006 @ 9:15 pm
When I lived in San Diego, CA the whole foods there was pretty good. I had just become vegetarian then and I was super excited about it. I haven’t been to one in a long time (2 years or so) b/c there isn’t one within a 20 mile radius of where I live in Orange County. Sorry to hear about the bad experience though. I think it really depends on which branch you go to.
Now I go to a store called Mother’s Market. It’s great TONs of vegan/organic stuff. Actaully, I just got back and the kitchen is calling my name.. Dinner time! : )
see you tomorrow
Teddy
JJ said,
June 2, 2006 @ 5:50 pm
The closest one is about an hours drive for me (but to get to the other big city, it’s about the same amount of driving the other way). I’ve been there twice. I wasn’t all that impressed, but I enjoy the stores in Richmond. And I’m quite surprised by the amount of organic foods that Kroger’s is now carrying! I admit, I am spoiled by the stores in Richmond, Ukrops isn’t too bad, and then there are two admitidly (sp?) pricey health food stores there too. I found the same prices at the stores in Charlottesville, so I usually just stick to the ones closest to where I work (Richmond). I think whole paycheck unfortunately fits.
Alanna said,
June 3, 2006 @ 11:47 pm
When I lived in Texas, I looooved Whole Foods. The first one in Dallas was a kinda scary place on Lower Greenville, my goddaughter would scream going in because she thought the workers were all frightening (she … and the rest of us … hadn’t seen so many mohawks, tatoos, piercings etc way back then). Then WF opened a great store in my northern suburb … I used to LOVE the experience of shopping there. Now there’s one of the hugs fru-fru nothing-to-eat places just a few miles away and I rarely stop in, except to buy free range chicken. It just seems to have lost its way … way too trendy … way too over the top. It’s just GROCERIES, people!
that from a certifiable foodie …
kaivegan said,
June 4, 2006 @ 8:37 am
Nava, I just came across your blog, so hi!
Our local Whole Foods usually have good hot food in the deli area, but everytime we have lunch there it always almost cost like eating at a restaurant.
We ‘re a member of a (very nice) co-op but still shops a lot at WFM. Believe it or not, everything we buy seems to be cheaper at WFM than at the co-op.
I’ve heard some negative experiences from local people about WFM, but I’m still glad they are here and that it provides some more options for families like us.
paula morris said,
June 4, 2006 @ 7:11 pm
Where is the closest Whole Foods to Rome, Ga. Thank you
Susan Fogel said,
June 4, 2006 @ 7:53 pm
The take out foods section in the northeast is not the same quality as in the south. When I’m traveling to Florida I love to eat almost all my meals in the Boca Raton store. I’m convinced that it is the best branch of Whole Foods in the country. All the prepared food is delicious, especially the quinoa vegetable burgers and the millet yam patties. The wild rice salad with cranberries is also excellent. I must admit I also love the ambiance. My husband and I seem to enjoy the food more than any restaurant except for Sublime, a vegan restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.
Nava said,
June 4, 2006 @ 8:14 pm
Paula, you can find a store near you on Whole Foods’ site. There is a section called “store locator.”
Susan, it does sound like the Whole Foods in Boca Raton is great. While it’s kind of nice that each branch is a bit different, so that it’s a totally generic “big box” experience, I wonder about the inconsistency. I would so love to visit Sublime! I’ve heard it’s incredible.
By the way, there was just a segment on 60 minutes interviewing John Mackey, the founder and CEO of Whole Foods, just before. I’m not sure if it was a rerun. Very interesting—they do some admirable things. But they do sell lots of meat, and even though a lot of it is supposedly humanely raised and “organic” it is still bad for the environment.
Anne said,
June 4, 2006 @ 10:09 pm
We shop at a couple of small local health food stores, but I was intrigued by a large store my friend goes to. We happened to be near it last week, so we stopped. It’s like Whole Foods, but a different name. Anyway, I didn’t enjoy it. The prices were higher than our smaller stores. There were lots more choices, but I felt like I was in a huge overpriced supermarket. The organic carrots were a good price…and the bulk dept. was huge. But I realized after wandering quite some time, that I could get everything I wanted closer to home..from the smaller stores and this time of year, the farmer’s market. I was even quite hungry, and went out of the store with only peanut butter and yogurt. The deli was so high priced that I opted to wait out the long ride home…as sandwiches were 3 times what I pay at our local store.
Suz said,
June 5, 2006 @ 6:35 am
I like our Whole Foods in Ridgewood, NJ. I don’t buy a lot of organic produce there because it is super expensive. I tend to buy more at the nearby Trader Joe’s.
Anyway, with our Whole Foods, they have a pretty nice prepared counter. I am picky about what I buy and don’t buy a lot. I like the grain dishes. They never have enough or any low fat items. I like their baked goods but I wish they made some with whole wheat flour and lower fat. Their breads are great.
Jennifer W said,
June 5, 2006 @ 9:06 am
I also go to the one in West Bloomfield, MI - I have never tried the prepared foods there, but of the people who have, the opinion was less than approving.
I like this one versus the one in Troy, MI, because it is a bit larger, and the staff stays out of the way.
I prefer Trader Joes now, there is one super close to where I live, and the prices are a lot less expensive than a traditional grocery store, plus they shop really hard for good values on good food. The organic produce is beautiful, and everything else they have has a vegitarian option as well - frozen prepared meals and boxed mixes. Very healthful and inexpensive - I love it!
Mira said,
June 5, 2006 @ 11:07 am
If you don’t mind saying, which one in NJ did you go to? (I live in northern NJ.) I feel ambivalent about Whole Foods because they do not use locally grown foods (with very rare exceptions), being a mass-market chain. Also, they do not have unionized workers, unlike all the other supermarkets in my area. On the other hand, it’s so convenient, and I have so little time… . At least I can get organic foods more readily than at other stores in the immediate vicinity, and the prepared foods are almost always excellent at this particular supermarket. Bakery is also very good at this one. It’s kind of like the Borders/Barnes & Noble big box phenomenon: It’s sort of evil but it does fill a need for me.
Nava said,
June 5, 2006 @ 11:33 am
Mira, I feel a bit bad admitting this, since Suz, above said she liked this particular branch, but it was the Ridgewood branch we visited. I don’t know, maybe it was an off day for our prepared food and baked goods choices, and certainly I was surprised by how little of the produce was organic.
The story on 60 minutes made it sound like employees get a really good deal in terms of benefits, etc., even though they are not unionized, and they get to make a lot of decisions democratically. I hope that’s really true, as that would speak well for the company. Plus they donate 5% of profits to local community charities.
A few people mentioned Trader Joe’s in this discussion. And I know a few people who are just crazy about this store. I think I’ve been to a couple of them, at least the one in Boston. It did have a kind of quirky charm and seemed more intimate. I really would love it if there were one nearby. There is one about 45 minutes from me near Danbury, CT, but I’m not one to spend 1 1/2 hrs in the car to go shopping if I can help it!
I understand the “big box” dilemma. I can spend an entire day at the local Barnes and Noble, between the books, magazines, music, tea, and cozy chairs, even though I know how many independents they’ve put out of business …
Raquella said,
June 5, 2006 @ 3:01 pm
I’ve had to shop more and more selectively at Whole Foods (WF) in Massachusetts. Quality is going down and prices excessive. I expect to pay more for organics, but it seems at WF they charge as much as they can get away with. That feels hostile to me, especially when Stop & Shop, makes an attempt to have organics in some of their stores for not much more than regular produce. I appreciate that WF pays their employees better, but that’s not supposed to translate into exhorbiant costs for consumers.
Also, this is probably only relevant to a few readers, but I continually find their seafood employees giving absurd exlanations as to why the fish they carry is so high-priced. And it always sounds scripted to me.
Emily said,
June 7, 2006 @ 2:07 am
We shop at WF almost daily, as it’s right down the street from us.
However, we MUCH prefer to buy our produce at the smaller health food stores where all of it is organic or at the farmer’s market. I agree that despite it’s “certification as the nation’s first organic grocery store”, only about 25% of the produce is organic at any given time.
I do agree that the quality of prepared foods and vegan availability totally varies by store. We LOVE the WF in portland for their amazing selection of vegan baked goods and for their vegan options in the hot food section. And the WF near our friends’ house in LA has an awesome selection of vegan grocery items. I think it really depends on who does the selecting and buying for the store, and how hard they look for good items. And of course, the cooks.
We enjoy the food at the WF in San Francisco’s hot case but rarely get it at the one near us. But the banana-blueberry vegan muffins are awesome at the one near us. Go figure!
lori said,
June 11, 2006 @ 12:14 pm
I love Whole Foods. In fact I came across your blog Googling for a recipe for their curried tofu, which I think I may be addicted to. At times I get something I don’t love, but overall I really enjoy shopping there, and I’ve found if you shop smartly you can get things cheaper there than at a conventional grocery. I stock up when things are on sale, and their canola mayo is a lot cheaper than what is sold at other grocery stores here.
Alyssa said,
June 16, 2006 @ 4:55 pm
I love wholefoods for certain items. It is great when 1st trader joes doesnt have the items i am looking for and 2nd wild oats doesnt either. I really like the selection of bulk items they have, and for those items the prices are not bad. but i stay away from their prepared food, other than a danish here and there
we have such a large selection of organic markets here in Santa Fe that I use whole foods as a last option.
Deb Britt said,
June 22, 2006 @ 11:16 am
It’s always a treat to shop at Whole Foods, as they have such a wonderful variety of foods, all beautifully presented. My major complaints are that the one near us (in Providence RI) is ALWAYS very crowded, and of course you pay a premium price for all that lovely produce. There are some items, like tofu or various soy products, that are actually cheaper at WF than the local grocery store, and their store brand is usually a good value, so you just have to be careful about what you pick. I also have to avoid that temptation to load up the basket with all the tempting and exotic gourmet treats. We shop at WF occasionally, for fun and also because there are a few things we just can’t get anywhere else, but it is a little bit pretentious. I’m more of the co-op sort, but unfortunately we don’t have one nearby. It has also been a great trend to see ordinary grocery stores expand their natural food items; there is so much more available now than when I first became vegetarian (more than 20 yrs ago). I can even find Boca Burgers and SILK at Target!
Kris said,
June 27, 2006 @ 3:26 pm
Whole Foods is definitely pricey any more. I live in NJ and go to the one in Marlton maybe 2x per year. I love Trader Joes which is much more economical, but my greatest bonus is the new grocery store they built in my neighborhood. It’s called Stop and Shop and they have organic everything. I’m the only veg in my family but they even have free range meat and lunch meat and seafood. There is a whole isle of natural products and tons of frozen, they actually have more vegan things than my health food store. The prices are very reasonable and with these gas prices I can shop for everyone at one place.
nicky said,
July 13, 2006 @ 10:31 pm
i am addicted to whole foods’ vegan chocolate pudding and the one at union square in nyc has a great selection of vegan goods.but everything else there is crazy pricey, save the 365. and the farmers’ market is just next door!
georgr christin said,
July 18, 2006 @ 9:58 pm
I am finding, as too often happens, that success breeds indifference and this has taked a toe hold a Whole Foods which, whether they like it or not, has become a large coporation designed to please the masses and not the individual. The decline in the quality of their prepared foods is a perfect example. At one time they listened to customers and reponded to what we had to say. This time, I am sorry to say has passed.
I have another example. For years I have been buying wine and beer at my local market in Wayland Ma. The last time I attempted to purchase a bottle of wine they asked me for identification and being 58 I thought for sure they were joking. It was no joke. No I.D. no wine even if you are 101. This seemed preposterpous to me and as an almost senior citizen I believe that I have the rigth to buy alchol without being inconvenienced for an I.D. I called the Atlantic States WF President to request an explanation but instead was called back by the store manager. His rationale was that it was too difficlutl to expect the cashiers to make even the most obvious distinctions between a 58 year old white haired man and an underage person trying to buy liquor. When I pointed out that the policy lacked all logic he made it clear that he would gladly inconvenience the elderly shopper before he would ask his cashiers to make reaonable judgements. The argument that no other establishment in the state had such a policy held no sway as any other options to their policy would require creativity beyond his reach. I told him that I found this very sad and he repeated his unwillingness to consider any less drastic measures.
This in itself is a minor inconvenience but also one that could have been easily remidied to my satisfaction if they cared to keep me as a customer. It is an example of sussess breeding indifference and robs Whole Foods of the personal touch that in the past so impressed me. I have sold my stock in WF and now buy my beer and wine at a lovely independent store that would never think of asking a 58 year old to produce I.D. This is a stuid policy that can and sould be changed and might begin to rekindle the personal feel that used to be so much of the WF charm. Your thoughts please.
Camilla said,
October 20, 2006 @ 12:43 pm
I shop at Whole Foods inBouldeer, Colorado. This market is one of the reasons that I moved from California to Colorado. I don’t agree with the Whole Paycheck analogy. I shopped at our huge flagship Safeway-complete with Organic produce, cosmetics…last night. My bill was almost twice what I pay each week at Whole Foods. I was overcharged a total of $10.00 which I had to go back to the store two times to clear up. If there is any problem or question with a product purchased at Whole Foods, they usually give it to you for free-no further questions asked. I may be spoiled because I live near an excellent Whole Foods store. Maybe they vary across the country. Nothing that I bought at Safeway last night tastes quite right and the shopping experience was draining in comparison to the exhilarating satisfaction I get shopping at Whole Foods.