After my Saturday Weight Lifting class at the club I like to visit my local green-grocer-to-the-max, Whole Foods. I always feel like an impostor in this store. Do they realize I am not one of them?
As I wandered the aesthetically engineered produce department I sampled fresh tortilla chips and guac, a little pineapple and Rocky Ford cantaloupe. Today's highlight in produce was a tiny fingerling potato (grown organically in Colorado) roasted in olive oil and seasoned just right. On a good day there are offerings at the fish counter. Today it was smoked salmon salad on a cracker - yum! In recent weeks I sampled tortilla chips and salsa that theoretically had all the Omega-3 good stuff as a serving of Salmon. In frozen foods I tried a couple offerings from Boulder Ice Cream, Raspberry White Chocolate being my favorite. Over in the meat section I found a chicken sausage that was quite good. I'm not a fan of cheese so I skipped through there and headed for the bakery. My favorite is Seed-duction bread though all the breads are good. There were not any sweet treats offered today from the Dessert Counter, but last week was a delicious Carrot Cake. Often there are several samplings throughout the store, but it was a little light today. Yes, it's true, I only came for the free lunch. Occasionally I actually buy something, but today I wandered back out empty-handed thinking through the list of things I needed from a REAL grocery store.
I like Whole Foods as a concept. And there are a few things that I regularly purchase there. I like the bulk section and stock up on oatmeal, local honey, and HempPlus granola which is great mixed in yogurt. In the vitamin section I buy Fish Oil tablets and Elderberry which the Mr. swears keeps the canker sores away. I occasionally buy sushi and eat it on the patio. Seasonally, the Cioppino (tomato based fish stew) warms me from the inside out when the wind is biting. If, in my wanderings, I see something that is on sale and a good deal, I will get it. But in general, things are more expensive and I just feel like I'm being taken advantage of for the sake of atmosphere and good intentions.
The big chains have come a long way in improving the environment and overall shopping experience. My local King Soopers now carries bulk foods and has an excellent selection of gluten-free items. My favorite Safeway is just finishing a major remodel and the ambiance of the produce department is as inviting as Whole Foods. I can find everything I need, and watching sales and using coupons make me feel like I'm getting a good deal. Savings at the gas pump doesn't hurt either. The big three, Safeway, King Soopers and Albertson's, are all within a few miles of my house, whereas Whole Foods is across town. During the course of a week I typically visit them all. But the main reason I will continue to do the majority of my grocery shopping at Safeway and King Soopers is I feel like I belong there. When I visit Whole Foods for my Saturday free lunch I feel like a wedding crasher.
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