Tips for shopping at Whole Foods on a budget


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Photo courtesy of SF Gate

Photo courtesy of SF Gate

I’m just going to come right out and say it – the formidable #CollegeBudget is realer than your Freshman Fifteen struggles in EVK and Cafe 84.

It’s true.

But just because that Freshman Fifteen got the better of you doesn’t mean that your money (or lack thereof) has to, too.

For those that don’t know, Whole Foods Market opened up a brand new store here in Downtown LA (788 South Grand Avenue … I don’t have the address memorized, what?), bringing some healthy, organic and fresh apartment options for you, to you!

The problem? Whole Foods has the reputation of being stupidly expensive – and I get it; $7.00 asparagus water is beyond pretentious, no doubt – plus, TJ’s homemade desserts are kind of way too good to turn down, right?

I’m not going to say you have to sacrifice those beloved TJ’s and Ralph’s adventures – please, no – but I am going to reveal to you the widely unknown yet crazily life-changing realization that Whole Foods, too, can be affordable.

  1. Don’t buy the pre-cut buckets of fruit – you’re essentially paying extra to have someone slice and chop the pineapple for you. Save yourself dollars by just getting a normal pineapple and cutting it yourself
  2. Speaking of fresh produce – buy what’s in season! It’s not only better for you, but often cheaper, too, and may even have some discounted deals as well!
  3. The ‘do-it-yourself’ hot food bars are more pricey than you expect, too. Opt for more ingredients within your kitchen and create a dish of taste once you get home.
  4. Certain staple ingredients are cheap and highly flexible; garbanzo beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, rice, granola…
  5. The packaging and deliverance of foods matters, too. For example, buying a whole bunch of broccoli with the plans of eating it all fresh and steamed before it goes off is – for most of us – unlikely. But — if you buy organic bags of frozen vegetables, they not only cost less, but last longer, and when defrosted in a microwave, taste and work just as well as your freshly steamed bowl of “health!”
  6. Speaking of microwaves, they can do a lot – and this is especially useful for those of you in dorms. Things that are both cheap and able to be cooked in a microwave? Potatoes, 90-second rice and quinoa sachets, frozen vegetables, oatmeal…
  7. Refrigerators can be life-savors, time-savers and money-savers, too; try making a cacao chia seed pudding overnight for breakfast, or keeping your bread, bagels, desserts and bananas fresher for longer in the freezer.

Oh, and a bonus tip for you: check out www.instacart.com for same-day home delivery services right here in DTLA. #Winning