Community Chat

[sidsmom]

What I love about Whole Foods is their attention to the wellness of their associates.  They have an 8-day Whole Foods Immersion Program for their at-risk associates.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/programs/healthy-employee-program/

The teachings are conducted by one of my favorite plant-based leaders, Dr. John McDougall. Here's a before/after video testimony from Frank, a Whole Foods Team Leader.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/stars/stars-video/frank/

Another reason I like Whole Foods is their selection of Engine 2 no-fat products. Again, Rip Esselstyn, Forks Overs Knives, The Engine 2 Diet, as well as the McDougall Diet...all which Whole Foods supports...focuses on a low-fat, whole-foods, plant-based diet. I find many of my condiments which are compliment to my WOE at Whole Foods.

[FUTURE]

We have a away near us, but I prefer Sprouts. Sprouts is less expensive and has great produce, as well as sales. I go to WF if I need a specialty item, flowers, or baked good/prepared food. I do LOVE their salad bar. Their 365 products are good and not as expensive as many items. I also think their employees are great, and they appear to treat their employees really well, which I appreciate. I'm just not going to buy all of my groceries there. Can't wait to get a TJ's!!!!

[sidsmom]

@FUTURE

Sprouts, Trader Joe's are both good stores, as well.

Do you have a 'Natural Grocer'?  Everything is organic. That eliminates the getting-the-right-bag for organic produce vs conventional!  

I'm lucky to have  all these stores, as well as conventional stores w/ a very nice organic section, to complete my weekly shopping.  I'm also really lucky to have a simple diet so quality is paramount. 

[FUTURE]

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@sidsmom wrote:

@FUTURE

Sprouts, Trader Joe's are both good stores, as well.

Do you have a 'Natural Grocer'?  Everything is organic. That eliminates the getting-the-right-bag for organic produce vs conventional!  

I'm lucky to have  all these stores, as well as conventional stores w/ a very nice organic section, to complete my weekly shopping.  I'm also really lucky to have a simple diet so quality is paramount. 

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@sidsmom, we do have a natural grocer, but Sprouts and WF are more convenient for me. But I've bought a few things in there when in the area!

[shoekitty]

I have a great local supermarket with a huge organic produce section.  Most of the food is local or at least grown in my state.  Whole Foods has those hard to find items, but their prices are outrageous, and they go out of their way to buy over seas.  Most all of their 360 is grown in Asia.  All the frozen veggies are from China.  4.95 for a small bag of organic frozen broccoli (1 cup!).  Broccoli is a huge product in our state.  They need to import it from China?  I hardly ever shop there.  The used to be wonderful.  In the old lays they were bread of Life.  Then Whole Foods bought them, and a few other community markets.  After that they are too "conventional" for me. I have to travel far to go to one, it is huge.  They have clothing, make up...you name it.  More than half of the produce is conventional.  They sell farmed fish, for 16.99LB..Don't get me started.

[jaxs mom]

The problem with Sprouts and Natural Grocery is they have a limited selection of items. At least Whole Foods could be one stop shopping if I wanted it to be. There is no way that Sprouts, Trader Joes or Natural Grocery could be a one stop shopping place for me. 

[sandraskates]

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@shoekitty wrote:

I have a great local supermarket with a huge organic produce section.  Most of the food is local or at least grown in my state.  Whole Foods has those hard to find items, but their prices are outrageous, and they go out of their way to buy over seas.  Most all of their 360 is grown in Asia.  All the frozen veggies are from China.  4.95 for a small bag of organic frozen broccoli (1 cup!).  Broccoli is a huge product in our state.  They need to import it from China?  I hardly ever shop there.  The used to be wonderful.  In the old lays they were bread of Life.  Then Whole Foods bought them, and a few other community markets.  After that they are too "conventional" for me. I have to travel far to go to one, it is huge.  They have clothing, make up...you name it.  More than half of the produce is conventional.  They sell farmed fish, for 16.99LB..Don't get me started.

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@shoekitty - PLEASE - stop perpetuating this lie. I look at country of origin on everything I buy and your statement is not true. I don't know why you go on this tirade against WF. . .

[shoekitty]

@sandraskates

I shop there all the time!  I buy the few same items there every week, I do my major shopping at 3 other markets.  The 360 frozen veggies are from China, you need to read the country of origin. At leats they are here in our WF in California.  Also, depending on season most 360 canned veggies,  and other canned items are from Mexico, Peru, Thailand or china. Yes, they have USA products.  I am saying for a market that promotes organic and healthy food, the source their items from all over the world, often when local organic is available.    Then go to the produce, compare organic to conventional. They have more conventional than organic, at least our WF does.  Two weeks ago, some of the tomatoes were from Israel, I asked and he went in the back and got list. I have been buying only organic for almost 20 years.  I look and research all the products.  .  I know Whole Foods went through a whole problem with the GMO thing.  They marked many GMO as organic.  In truth, they didn'y know because they failed to research where the stuff was coming from.  Their labeling is better now, but they had to change resources.  They have changed in the last 7 years. They still offer specialty products  that cannot be found easily. 

[AspenGrove]

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@shoekitty wrote:

@sandraskates

I shop there all the time!  I buy the few same items there every week, I do my major shopping at 3 other markets.  The 360 frozen veggies are from China, you need to read the country of origin. At leats they are here in our WF in California.  Also, depending on season most 360 canned veggies,  and other canned items are from Mexico, Peru, Thailand or china. Yes, they have USA products.  I am saying for a market that promotes organic and healthy food, the source their items from all over the world, often when local organic is available.    Then go to the produce, compare organic to conventional. They have more conventional than organic, at least our WF does.  Two weeks ago, some of the tomatoes were from Israel, I asked and he went in the back and got list. I have been buying only organic for almost 20 years.  I look and research all the products.  .  I know Whole Foods went through a whole problem with the GMO thing.  They marked many GMO as organic.  In truth, they didn'y know because they failed to research where the stuff was coming from.  Their labeling is better now, but they had to change resources.  They have changed in the last 7 years. They still offer specialty products  that cannot be found easily. 

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@shoekitty, I find that very odd. I just went into my freezer and checked my 3 frozen bags that I bought at WF about a week ago. Every single one shows that the veggies (and one is fruit) in them were grown, packaged, and shipped from Watsonville, CA. (The names and contact info of the actual CA farms where the foods were grown is even listed!)  So clearly, our WF stores in CO are very different from yours.

[sandraskates]

@shoekitty @AspenGrove

I am in CA too. As much as I'd like to, I just can't backup the claims made in your post @shoekitty.

Tomatoes from Israel? Never seen them (except when I have traveled abroard). Mexico - yes, when they're out of season here.

The frozen veggies I've picked up have mostly been produced in the USA or from our neighbors to the North and South, and I've never picked up a bag that said China on it. However, I will keep reading the labels as I've done for years - and that's on everything I buy, not just food. :-)