Trader Joe's/Whole Foods Market

[surgtech1956]

In my area there isn't a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market, but I'm going to be going through a city that has. What type of products are available? Is it worth going there? What's the dif between the two?

[ilima]

In my area there isn't a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market, but I'm going to be going through a city that has. What type of products are available? Is it worth going there? What's the dif between the two?

Whole Foods is sometimes called Whole Paycheck. It has a very large selection of food and wine. But it is money.

I've never been to a Trader Joe's, but it is supposed to be much more budget friendly.

If I had to pick one, I'd go TJ's.

[Pedal Wench]

Definitely Trader Joe's. Huge selection of interesting nuts (lime/chili, black pepper cashews, tamari almonds, etc.) and snacks, dried fruits, their to-die-for ginger cookies, great frozen foods -- hmmm, I need to go shopping!

[Cataboo]

I love trader joe's. Whole foods is great - but it's really expensive, if $20 a lb for salmon or $5 for a loaf of bread or like $5 for a bell pepper is okay for you, then it's okay for you.

Trader joe's is a lot more reasonably priced - they don't have fresh meats, but they have a good selection of frozen meat & vegetables. I love the dried fruit at trader joe's - dried mangos, dried hibiscus flowers, dried bananas, and a lot of the more exotic asian fruit.

Grapeseed or olive oil is pretty well priced at trader joes, cereals, etc. They do have this nasty habit of discontinuing whatever is my current favorite trader joe's product.

[surgtech1956]

Thanks. Sounds like I'm going to make a stop at Trader Joe's(have to make sure I put my little cooler in the truck for refrigerated items). :)

[ridenread]

If you are a coffee drinker Trader Joe's also has some really awesome whole bean coffee. We stock up on large cans of dark roast whenever we go

[Pedal Wench]

My favorite TJ item: Flattened Bananas. It's like banana jerky - thinly sliced lengthwise, then dehydrated. Yum! Kinda chewy - like raisins - and intensely banana-y.

[GLC1968]

Hmmm, I like Whole Foods 100% better than TJ's. Maybe my local TJ's sucks compared to others...but they had lousy and expensive produce and 98% of their products were prepared items or snack foods. I wanted to buy basics or speciality items for making my own things and they carried none of it (like no rye flour!).

If you like convenince foods, you'll love it. They have rows upon rows of prepared frozen foods to chose from... If you would rather make your own from scratch, head for Whole Foods instead.

Our TJ's doesn't even have a very good wine section and I thought they were supposed to be known for good, inexpensive wines!

[Cataboo]

I guess it depends on what you go for. Whole foods does have a nice bulk section.

I tend to either get my produce at Costco, farmer's markets, or at Korean grocery stores. Usually nothing can beat the selection & prices on the latter. Costco's great if you want 5 lbs of organic spinach for $5.

Whole foods has a ton of packaged prepared foods as well.

I hven't noticed a problem when looking for ingredients from scratch at Trader joe's, but I don't live near one, so I really just pop in when I get a change and buy a bunch of the dried fruit.

[ny biker]

I haven't been to a Whole Foods in a long time, and I've never shopped there regularly, but I think they are bigger than TJ's and carry a wider variety of products.

I like the whole wheat cinnamon British muffins at Trader Joe's. And some of the fresh soups in their refrigerator case. I used to like the pizza bagels, but they don't seem to carry them anymore.

[Biciclista]

At Whole foods you have to be careful or you will spend a lot of money, very true. But you don't HAVE to buy all the expensive stuff, it's just there, the fancy chocolates and cheese, the prepared foods with fancy names, truffles, whatever; you name it. They also carry an incredible amount of gorgeous fresh fruit and veggies and if there's something special you like and have trouble finding elsewhere; they probably have it.

Trader Joe's on the other hand has a much smaller selection of everything
and is def. more working class.
They have a great frozen foods department.

both stores are great for chocolate.

[ny biker]

And at Trader Joe's, they wear Hawaiian shirts.

[PamNY]

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are completely different. Trader Joe's is more fun, and some items are a real bargain. I like their nut butters; teas and coffees are good, too.

I don't like Whole Foods; I'd suggest it only if there are specialty items you can't find where you live.

Pam

[Norse]

I adore Trader Joe's. And it is actually less expensive than so-called discount supermarkets. Just give yourself plenty of time to stroll up and down the aisles, and plenty of room to bring stuff home.

[sgtiger]

Never actually shopped at TJ's, but I've had their humus and chocolate covered cookies of some sort. Yum! I've lived sorta near a TJs in all my previous addresses but they're kinda out of the way from my normal errand routes so I don't shop at them. There are a lot of places in Oregon and Washington that carry the kinds of items that both places carry, so I guess I've never felt like I was ever really missing anything. I shop at Whole Foods, on occasion, because they share a parking lot with the closest REI. Usually I go in to get a couple of items that are hard to find elsewhere (mostly skincare products) and look around for specials on produce.

[surgtech1956]

Looks like there is a Whole Foods just down the road from TJs, I'll have to stop in to check it out. Thanks for the info ladies. That banana 'jerky' sounds yummy..........:D

[GLC1968]

There are a lot of places in Oregon and Washington that carry the kinds of items that both places carry

Yes. I should have mentioned that while I'm biased against TJ's, I've only been to the one local to me, once. I've only been to my local Whole Foods twice, and the first time was just to see it during the grand opening.

I usually shop elsewhere, too. Neither store is very good about carring local items and that's important to me, so I'd rather give my business to locally owned/locally supported businesses (like New Seasons).

[PamNY]

I usually shop elsewhere, too. Neither store is very good about carring local items and that's important to me, so I'd rather give my business to locally owned/locally supported businesses (like New Seasons).

I agree, and Whole Foods is putting some small stores out of business in my neighborhood. Whole Foods here has some local produce, but I don't see why they can't have more. I think they just carry a few items to validate their annoying moralistic signage.

Their fish department used to have a big sign saying "Straight from the Fulton Fish Market" -- well, duh, that was the wholesale location that most fish came through in my city. That particular wholesale market closed, but the sign stayed.

TJs bother me less because they don't claim to be anything other than fun and cheap, but like you I prefer locally-owned or locally-grown when possible. Of course, none of this has anything to do with the original question, but I love to promote buying local.

Pam

[malkin]

Trader's has DRUID CIRCLES!!!


Druid Circles are what Malkins like BEST!

[SlowButSteady]

We don't have Trader Joes so I'm not familiar with the "concept" but we do have a Whole Foods in our region.

For fresh local food, choose a farmer's market!! Whole Foods stuff is labeled as to where it came from, but most of it ain't local. I can buy eggs organically grown in my hometown from free range chickens for $1.50 a dozen. Better taste, healthier, greener and more humane. Not to mention inexpensive.

Whole Foods is slickly packaged and marketed. It's, dare I say, trendy. I liked our local organic grocery/vitamin/cafe but, yeah, Whole Foods put them out of business.

I go there for a treat to graze off the food bars and buy a few select items.

Their wine selection is great and WOW, very, very inexpensive for many wines.

[OnTerryOh]

Whole Foods has a bigger selection of produce. Their fresh fruits and vegetables are usually very good but expensive.

Trader Joe's costs less and offers more food that's fun and exotic. These are staples I buy at Trader Joe's -- my favorites:

* Trader Giotto's Bruschetta -- "an Italian tomato topping with fresh garlic and fresh basil". I use this in soup, pasta, on crackers, mixed with hummous, with scrambled eggs and more. I always keep a few jars on hand.:)

* Trader Joe's Diner Classics -- Chili Mac with ground turkey. This is a refrigerated dinner with about two servings. I spice it up with Trader Giotto's Bruschetta. Great stuff!:D

* Vinta crackers, made by Dare. These come in a red box and are so good!

* Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, imported from Ireland. Costs less at Trader Joe's.

* Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. Tastes like homemade brownies. Add butter and egg, mix and bake. Absolutely delicious!:)

[salsabike]

I like them both, for different things. I love T Joe's enchilada sauce, and some of their frozen meals. I like Whole Foods' baked goods and they have one of the best cheese shops in town. I really like lemon meringue cookies, which T Joe used to have, and Whole Foods has now.

What are Druid Circles?

[ny biker]

* Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. Tastes like homemade brownies. Add butter and egg, mix and bake. Absolutely delicious!:)

Good to know!

I tried their hummus with kalamata olives recently, and it was good.

[Trek420]

Thanks. Sounds like I'm going to make a stop at Trader Joe's(have to make sure I put my little cooler in the truck for refrigerated items). :)

Cooler? Bring a trailer. :D I loooooooove TJ's. It's one place I really don't need a shopping list because practically everything is healthy and good. Even TJ's chocolate on chocolate Jo Jo's

I do rankle at the produce. I prefer to choose my own and for example eggplant in a container of two, over packaged, you gotta get two, can't get one or 3 or 5 .... so produce at the farm market but other stuff at TJ's when I can.

[smilingcat]

TJ really drives a hard bargain with the suppliers. :mad: but as a consumer, prices are pretty darn good. They seem to carry overflow items packaged in their own label.

I buy my fruit and veg from the farmers market (things I'm not growing). We also have whole food near my house and I'm not crazy about them. Their brand label, "365 days", is manufactured in China. Soybean yup, tater tots yup,... I was not impressed with the fish selection, quality, variety, eco friendly... and freshness. Yes you can buy Chilean seabass. A big NO-NO. Besides, I'm not snooty like the crowds at my local whole foods. We prefer to spend our money at local farmers market, where I can talk directly to the farmers. Places we shop regularly are Sprouts, and TJ's.

I guess the bottom line is depending on what kind of person you are, you may prefer Whole foods (yuppy), or TJ's (working class, someone who marches to a different drummer). We hop-skip-and-jump to a different drummer.

[dingster1]

Funny this came up. I went to a Whole Foods today because they are the only place that sells the Diva Cup (yep, finally gonna try it). Its a pricey place. Trader Joes in my neck of the woods is friendlier and smaller. I live close to a Dutch Market so I try and pick up fruits/meats there.

[Crankin]

There is a Whole Foods in the next town, but I have never been there. It's in a direction I don't often travel. There is a TJ's about 3 miles from my house in Acton. I go there for certain things: the dark chocolate bars, huge flats of blueberries at certain times of year, some cheeses, etc. I find that the produce doesn't even come close to what's in the local chains and it looks limp and very small. So, I buy produce in the regular store, or starting in about a month at the local farm stands. The prices at TJ's are good. My son shops there for his regular shopping and he told me that it's about 30% cheaper for him.
I prefer to go the local natural foods store, which is homey, but has a huge selection, lots of prepared foods, and a bunch of people who actually know their customers (also free coffee and tea, reading material, tables, etc).

[Pedal Wench]

yeah - I don't go to TJ's for the fresh produce - they just don't have a large selection. I never pay attention to their prices for produce, because I don't really buy any there.

Whole Foods has nice produce, but yikes - it's pricey. Except for bagged lettuces, which I buy for my daily lunch (I eat a whole bag for lunch:o) and it's significantly cheaper - $1.99/bag versus $2.69 for the store brand and $3.69 for the Fresh Express at my supermarket.

[Cataboo]

If I go to a korean supermarket and I want to make curry - I can walk out of there with all the ingredients for about $12. If I go into whole foods, it ends up being something like $40 (I did it once and never did it again). And I find the korean supermarket'll have better selection. (However, maybe if I was trying to make meatloaf or a casserole, i'd find the selection pretty limiting in a korean supermarket). I haven't checked the produce section enough at trader joes to really know how feasible it would actually be, but I'd guess curry ingredients would be more on the order of $20-25 or so.

Now that's not taking into watching sales, etc and going with a specific list of ingredients in mind.

[msincredible]

I like Trader Joe's to stock up on things like canned beans and soups, frozen veggies, soy milk, etc. as they do have great prices. I agree about the produce though, most of the time it is not that good.

I go to Whole Foods once in a while for things that I can't get anywhere else, but the prices are too high for most shopping. Most of the time I go to local stores with good selection of natural foods, I generally avoid the big chains.

There is a farm store with nice produce, lots of lentils and beans, etc. that is ~7 miles away, I do a lot of shopping there on my bike.

[tulip]

I'm a Kroger girl, myself. Or Food Lion. Luckily there's a farm stand between me and Kroger/FL for my produce. And we have farmers markets almost every day now. I live on the Other Side Of The Tracks, and the WF, TJ, and our local healthfood store are on the Right Side Of The Tracks. I only go to that part of town for haircuts and sushi every couple of months, and my dog's overpriced dogfood. Everything else I can find Over Here.

Both Kroger and FL have organic milk, beer, dried black beans, cheese, salsa, cereal, flour for my bread, the occasional Dr. Pepper, orange juice, yogurt, soup, spaghetti, and canned tomatoes for my sauce. My veggies I get from my backyard or from the farm stand or farmers markets. I get my beef and chicken from a farm.

[Norse]

Agree on TJs produce. I grow it, get it from the local Farmer's Market or from the local grocery store. But for nifty, fun, tasty, usually all natural, often organic and inexpensive stuff, it's TJs.

Special loves: their peanut butter, garlic hummus, fruit cereal and trail mix bars, cheeses (and what a selection), lamb marinated in burgandy with pepper (easy roast one night, great leftover lamb sandwiches the next night), salsa, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen lunches - especially the eggplant parmesan and spinach lasagna - their puddings, No Pudge Fudge (just add yogurt, I cannot believe how rich it tastes), biscotti, Apple Blossoms, which we have with the soy vanilla ice cream, and oh, the gruyere and ham tart/pizza is to die for.

Now I am hungry.