Examining the Way I Buy Food

I made a special trip to Whole Foods yesterday after I got back to Louisville. Yes, Whole Foods and then onto KFC, I'm not going to explain that logic.

However I will say I wanted to really compare Whole Foods to the grocery stores I frequent, just to see how the products and prices stacked up.

On any given week my grocery routine is something like this:

Walmart: only every few weeks for big bulk items. These include: large jars of olives, peanut butter, jam, Hidden Valley Ranch, and A1 Sauce. As well as large boxes of Honey Nut Cheereos, 2 1/2 dozen eggs, Cheez Its, Bisquick Mix, and 2 pound containers of yogurt. I don't like to do a ton of shopping at Walmart, however it's the closest place I've got with decent bulk item prices and I'm in there every few weeks for one of Dad's prescriptions.

ValuMarket: I like to buy our ground sirloin, or chuck if it's all they have, here. I also pick up my new favorite white flour, whole wheat flour, and flax meal here. In addition, our bread, deli items, my Dad's favorite ice cream, sometimes chicken if they have the natural brand I prefer, and produce. And local items, like honey from a beekeeper in Fern Creek, Mike Linnig's tarter sauce, Rebecca Grace Salsa and Mark's Feed Store BBQ sauce.

Country Mart: My go to meat place. Love it. And produce, they have kick ass sales on produce. Which is where I've recently scored .49 cartons of blackberries, .69 cartons of blueberries, and .99 hydroponic tomatoes.

Kroger: All of the above, but very rarely. And only if I'm in dire need of a change in my shopping routine and want to get out of the house.

Feeder's Supply: Our dogs only eat specific food brands. I'm a stickler about this. They eat grain free, all natural, organic dog food. Because grains like corn upset a dog's stomach and messes with their digestive track. Unfortunately most dog food is full of corn because it's cheap and a nice filler. Once I learned this food was the root of many our dog's problems I switched them to Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core. Jack's coat got shiny and soft, Jill stopped throwing up and having diarrhea and Molly has just never known any different. Also, good dog food eliminates the "dog smell". I can stuff my nose into Jack's fur and not smell anything. Which is how it should be. They also eat less of the good stuff, which justifies the little bit of money we spend per month in this area.

Dollar General: cokes, cleaning supplies, baby asprin, 100 count benedryl. They've recently become the cheaper option on medicine again over Walmart. I'm here to tell you Walmart is not slashing prices, they are jacking them up.

Walgreens: I coupon here. The only place I coupon anymore. I score lots of things, it varies from week to week, but I typically leave saving anywhere from $20-$60 while only spending $10-$20.

Other notes: We rarely buy processed stuff. No hamburger helper, no mac and cheese from a box, the only canned foods we buy are beets and asparagus, and none of those potato kits that I'm not sure are actually potatoes. However, I won't lie: Jon enjoys ramen noodles and Chef Boyardee. So we buy these two things.

Our vegetables are all fresh or frozen. We buy cheese already shredded because according to my price check everyone else is lying and it is cheaper this way. We go through 2 gallons of milk per week, I've yet to change this to organic because milk is expensive and I don't have a daughter who I have to worry about early puberty with, it already happened to me. We no longer buy convenience food. If we want cookies I make them from scratch, same goes with waffles and pancakes and muffins. All of these freeze well so we can have homemade from the freezer for much cheaper than those boxes at the grocery.

Things I discovered at Whole Foods: the only good this trip would do me is if I was already in the area and wanted to pick up dried fruit that Mom can actually eat, raw sugar, soy milk on the cheap, or fish (for some ungodly reason). Or, if we went with the intent of eating there. The salad bar looked awesome, they have extensive prepared foods and a kick ass bread section.

Also, Whole Foods carried brands I can pick up at ValuMarket. Including the flour and flax I use, the milk I sometimes buy...etc. And the produce was overpriced in my opinion. And too much of it was from too far away. I'm still on my kick of refusing to eat produce from a zillion miles away from home. I can wait for most of it to come into season. Or I can grow my own this summer and plan better.

Final Conclusion: Whole Foods was overrated. Local stores are doing a decent job at stocking better options for people. And Eat Local folks!