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.

[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. 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. 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.