I remember the first time I walked into to shop at Whole Foods Market. I was quite honestly nervous. I thought I wouldn’t find anything for me because it would be too expensive or that it wasn’t going to meet my needs in some way. But I was so wrong.
There was a little bit of something for everyone, every price point, and every dietary need. It felt as if I had found Narnia in the back of the wardrobe because it was too good to be true.
It was like nothing I had every experienced before in my life.
I was able to find products I couldn’t get anywhere else, meat and seafood counters that were clean and quite honestly amazing, seasonal produce that screamed “EAT ME NOW!”, an open bakery that made my sweet tooth cry to buy them all, and… electric car chargers in the parking lot.
WHAT?! They thought of everything!
And then there’s the cheese.
All it took was one view of those beautiful, glorious, and delicious wheels of dairy for my husband to fall as madly in love as I did.
Why your family should shop at Whole Foods Market
They value local, seasonal, & sustainable.
Local & Sustainable
Walking through the brand new Westford, MA Whole Foods Market, it was amazing to see all of the food offerings that were from towns nearby.
It warmed my heart to see the little green “local” tag on shelves or to read that ground beef came from a farm about 30 miles away. Even just the thought of supporting regional farms throughout New England made me feel an immense amount of pride.
I knew that this also meant that not only was the food was fresh but it didn’t have far to travel. This means less gas wasted transporting and fewer middle men to get food on my table for my family every night.
Seasonal
The first time I that walked in and couldn’t find asparagus, I asked where it was since I knew I had purchased it a few weeks prior. The worker kindly explained that it had gone out of season so they had rotated in some other produce.
At first I was disappointed, but I realized that in my efforts to get healthy and eat better, eating seasonally was a huge priority. And this was actually a way to keep me accountable to it!
Whole Foods Market aims to be transparent.
They have specific requirements of what can be in the food they sell.
To know I am not feeding my children artificial preservatives is one of the best gifts Whole Foods Market can give me. While I still read every label, I feel like I can rest easier when I shop at Whole Food Market because there’s at least a certain level of quality control I don’t even have to worry about that I just can’t find anywhere else.
They label “local”, “GMO-free”, “Gluten Free”, and have ratings for their meat, seafood, and poultry.
It’s nice to know I can put my money where my mouth is. So when I see local and GMO-free signs, I am more inclined to purchase it.
Plus, buying things like their organic Everyday 365 brand helps me save money while grocery shopping still buying high-quality.
In fact, I typically use the scales they provide like the animal welfare ratings and such to buy based on the budget I have for that week. While I know I would love to be at Step 5+ every single week, sometimes it’s just not feasible and I have to know what’s “good enough” for that week.
I am striving to raise non-GMO kids and while we firmly believe in the 80/20 rule to do our best eating clean and awesome 80 percent of the time, there are times when budget dictates not being able to buy the highest-end products. BUT I love that I don’t have to sacrifice quality when choosing products at Whole Foods Market and that they offer choices and variety to meet both my family’s dietary and monetary needs.
You can try any and everything, and even bring it back empty for 100% refund.
This, my friends, is the mystical, magical unicorn everyone says “doesn’t exist”.
It goes for food, vitamins, and pretty much anything.
When I was pregnant with my second daughter I was so sick I could hardly function. I went into my local store at the time and talked with their knowledgable staff in the supplement department.
I was sent some with a plant-based hemp protein powder.
And I really tried to love the it. I probably used 25% of it trying to make it work to get the protein I needed in pregnancy. But while it helped, I could taste it in everything I ate, which is not why I got it.
Whole Foods Market’s Vitamin and Supplement section is incredible!
As afore mentioned, I am a huge fan of their supplement section. I have never gone in an not gotten a straight answer. And every single time, they’re there ready to help me find what I need, alternatives, and more.
Right around the corner in the personal care section, they have even helped me find a natural version of what I would normally use.
They allow taste tests.
Don’t know what a Pluot is? Ask for a taste of it before you buy it.
See an amazing chunk of cheese but want assurance it will pair well with your favorite meal? Ask to try it.
You can buy in bulk for less waste.
This means you can get as much or as little as you need when getting nuts, grains, chia and other seeds, and so many awesome food and ingredients. And they even have some candy options to satisfy your sweet tooth if needed.
Whole Foods Market offers both big and little ways to save money.
Buying cases of favorite foods = 10% discount.
Our family has certain staples we eat through on a regular basis. So instead of continually buying them individually, we have worked to change our grocery buying habits to where we buy cases of food in rotation.
It means we stock our pantry and save some money too.
They have great coupons.
In fact, so great you’re not going to forget them at home because they’re in an app for your phone.
And that second unicorn your friends say doesn’t exist?
Coupons for produce and fresh goods.
Money spent there does more than “just” go back into your community.
They very thoughtfully choose farmers, great causes, and support important projects both in the communities they occupy and around the world.
Whole Foods Market puts a lot of thought into everything they do.
The whole store and the entire mission they have is very well thought out and planned out.
From finding ways to incorporate elements from the local area like reclaimed wood from the surrounding Massachusetts area in their Westford, MA store. In fact, the store purchased display cases and stands from a place in Lowell Massachusetts that supports disconnected youth and helps give put them on a path of success.
You will even find great features planned out for kids like a special area, a snack and stickers for them to play with while shopping, and more.
Each store is unique with their own special fonts and designs. And every store has custom elements that are geared towards the local area. Even adding re-usable elements like price placards that are wipe clean to reduce their consumption, they have thought of every little detail.
Visit the new Westford, MA location & also Enter to win a $50 Whole Foods Gift Card
Check out the absolutely beautiful new location in Westford at 160 Littleton Road, Westford MA 01886 anytime between 8am-9pm.
##Enter to win a whole foods gift card!
Recipes to make after you go shopping
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market. The opinions and text are all mine.
Kara Carrero
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
