Organic on a Budget? The Publix vs. Whole Foods Challenge!

OK, we all knew this one was coming. Everyone has read the article, or talked to the friend who does, or shopped at Whole Foods personally in the quest of how much it would really cost to jump on the healthy foods bandwagon.

Many peoples’ resolutions for the year included saving money and the old given eat healthier/ lose weight. With the average ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ product costing 20-100% more than the national brand products you’d find in your regular grocery store, money is obviously the hurdle here. Produce tends to have the most sticker shock. However, I am one of the millions in the US have sworn off the bad stuff, so I thought I’d give Whole Foods the benefit of the doubt and put it up against my favorite place to shop, Publix.

I did what I always do before shopping- I check the online circular from the comfort of my couch and plan what to buy for what recipes to make for the week. This time, however, I checked out some online sources for what foods you really should be eating organic and which foods are not so bad. That way, if the prices on produce were getting too overwhelming, I had a list already made so I could run into my nearest Publix for resuscitation. I grabbed my Publix green bags and went!

First stop was the produce. Some things were on sale, so I did go for those. Avocados are actually the lowest on the list when it comes to foods you should definitely eat organic, but there were bags of 4 that were getting on the ripe side for $4.99. Well, that’s the same price you’d pay at the other grocery stores, so I thought what the heck? I love avocados, and they’d be great with the fajitas I’m making this week. I also picked up some other staples- celery, tomatoes, asparagus, kale, onions, green peppers, strawberries (one of the most important things that you do eat pesticide-free due to the high levels that are used on them), and bananas. Nothing too crazy, right?

I also got a budget recipe for curried lentils and rice, since all I needed to make this was the lentils. Whole Foods has a bulk section where you can get all kinds of dried fruits, beans, rice, whole grains, etc. One of the biggest benefits to buying from the bulk bins are the prices. You simply grab a bag, fill it with what you need, and tie it off with a twist tie that’s provided. Don’t forget to write the bin number on the tie so the cashier knows what you have! I also picked up some quinoa to make as a side dish. Lentils and quinoa were $1.99 and $2.69 a pound, respectively.

The fish counter is downright mesmerizing. You can find all kinds of seafood, either fresh, prepared, or marinated and ready to cook. There selection is by far the freshest and most diverse I have seen in Orlando (but please note I’ve shopped at 3 or 4 grocers, so please no hate mail!!) This week, the mahi mahi was on sale for $7.99 a pound, so I picked up 2 filets.

The meat counter was the next stop. Though rib eye steaks were tempting at their sale price of $10.99 a pound (not too bad compared to other grocery stores), I opted for chicken and pork. Chicken thighs are always my go-to meat when it comes to eating on a budget. I’m also making fajitas, so if you’re just shredding the chicken up to smother it in seasonings, veggies, and sour cream and wrap it up in a tortilla, why buy the fancy chicken breasts? Also, if you’re not a cook, thigh meat is very tasty and, best of all, the hardest to screw up by drying it out! Boneless-skinless thighs, about a pound and a quarter, cost me $4.50. Boneless pork chops were $5.99 a pound on sale as well. But some of the best features at the meat counter are the amazing semi-prepared foods. They have marinated meats, seasoned meats, homemade sausages or all kinds, and stuffed meats all ready to be cooked. Eric hates fruits, so the apple and cherry stuffed chicken breasts was out of the question. The feta and spinach stuffed one that sat right next to it, however, looked like a pretty good second choice! The best part was that it was only $3.99, and it will feed Eric and I both.

Dairy is one of those things that you should eat ‘natural’ or ‘organic’, but the price is something that pushes most away from it. Milk, fortunately, is one thing that does not have to be labeled organic- you just want to watch out for the hormone rBGH, which is a growth hormone given to cows to help them make more milk. Publix brand milk does have the label on it that says that it does not contain milk from cows injected with this hormone, and runs under $4 a gallon. The milks at Whole Foods, which were pretty much all certified organic, all ran over $5 a gallon. Guess where I will still be buying my milk? (I did make a mistake and thought the half-gallon size was the gallon, and it looked like the price was 10 cents cheaper than the gallon at Publix, so I did think I beat the system. I did not.) I also had to pick up some more staples, like sour cream and feta cheese. The prices didn’t shock me with those like the milk did. I also made a note of the eggs in case I needed some for next week- nothing too drastic for cage-free eggs from hens fed on a vegan diet. I’ll buy the eggs before I buy the milk.

From the dry goods, I grabbed instant mac and cheese and preserves. I saw that Kashi frozen meals were on sale, and since they make a good lunch it doesn’t hurt to have some on hand. I finally made it over to the real show of Whole Foods- their prepared foods section. Like a deli but ten times better, Whole Foods prepares a mind-boggling assortment of cooked meats and sides- from Asian-style roast beef sliced up and ready to warm to grilled leeks with lemon-caper dressing. There is also a buffet and salad bar where you can run in on your lunch break and pay per-pound on a feast of fluffy whole grains, delicious veggies that will make you swear off meat, and savory main courses like garlic tofu or tandoori chicken. This is Whole Foods’ answer to fast food, as well as the trend to have restaurant-quality prepared foods that a busy mom can just pick up and heat up. This week’s sale was grilled swordfish (yes, swordfish!) dressed with shitake mushrooms and tomatoes- for $9.99 a pound marked down by about $8.

I didn’t plan on buying all of my groceries at Whole Foods last night, but it was getting pretty late (I beat the crowds and went around 8:00 at night). So what was the damage? $101.31. Usually, I budget about $80 a week for groceries, which Eric and I split. I will also attest that I did get a little shop-happy, which is something that you have to watch out for when you try out a new store. I had shopped here last summer a few times, so when I saw these stuffed ravioli in the frozen pasta section, I had to get some. You can’t beat $3.99 for feta and hazelnut stuffed ravioli! They also had tofu on sale for 2 for $4, which is what I pay at this little Korean farmers’ market about 4 miles away from my house. I had to take them up on it! So you can see how those little things really can add up.

Whole Foods is also one of those places where the ambiance really makes you feel like you’re going good things for yourself and the environment. The colors are rich, there is an array of colors in the produce, and I love the people! The people who work here are so friendly, always saying hello as you walk by and they’ll have a real conversation with you while you check out. They seem to hire a lot of 20-somethings, and tattoos, facial hair, or dreadlocks can always been found. I think that’s what gives the store its awesome funky personality. Whole Foods is also credited as being one of the best places to work, since they offer great discounts and benefits to their employees. No wonder they’re always so happy! You can also get a chair massage on your way out. Shazam!! I think that if it means an extra five or ten bucks a week between Eric and I to know that we’re eating the best quality that we can, then I’ll gladly pay it. This place is the cat’s pajamas, so I think I’ll try to shop here for a few more weeks to see how my health- and my wallet- really feels in the long run.