Tips for Saving Money at Whole Foods
About a month or so ago, I received an email from Whole Foods asking me about partnering together to create a one-week meal plan for me and Ryan that included two meals each day for the two of us for $125. (Full disclosure: I was provided a $125 gift card.) Since getting a little creative in the kitchen is one of my favorite things, I was more than game and immediately started brainstorming ideas for a healthy and delicious meal plan.
The first step in my meal plan journey involved attending a value tour at my local Whole Foods led by Jennifer, the regional marketing specialist at Whole Foods in Charlotte. Jennifer and I walked around the store and chatted for about an hour while she pointed out lots of money-saving tips and tricks.
Some key takeaways:
- Check the bimonthly Whole Deal brochure which features more than $45 of savings per issue on average (you can also find these coupons at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons) and check out weekly sales fliers, One Day Sales and sale items throughout the store.
- Sign up for your local store’s newsletter and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to receive bonus coupons, budget-friendly recipes, and notices of sales and more.
- Shop seasonally.
- Cut costs, literally. If you need only half a cabbage, sandwich, chunk of cheese, fish fillet, loaf of fresh bread, etc., simply ask a team member to help you get (and pay for) only the amount you need.
- Utilize the bulk bins to buy as much or as little as you need.
- Check out the 365 Everyday Value line for hundreds of affordable organics, including peanut butter, organic frozen veggies, pasta, sauce, canned tomatoes, soups and more.
- Consider purchasing Value Packs to help you get fish and meat at a better price, and allow you to use only what you need.
- Look for budget-friendly pricing on lesser-known cuts such as boneless sirloin, flat iron steak or skirt steak.
- Receive discounted pricing on most items when you buy a full case.
- Make the most of your leftovers with the Whole Foods Market recipes app, which allows you to save recipes, create meal plans and shopping lists, view sales items at your local store and more.
When it was time for me to create my two-meals-a-day meal plan, I opted for breakfast and dinner since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and dinner is often the meal that requires the most planning in our house. When I set out to do shopping for our meals, there were a few hiccups in my plan. My father-in-law was in town, so our dinners needed to be able to feed three people and I knew we’d likely be going out to dinner once or twice. Whole Foods wanted the meal plan to include two meals each day, but food I bought did cover breakfast, lunch and dinner for me and breakfast and dinner for Ryan. (Ryan actually did bring his lunch to work using food from our grocery haul a couple of times, but he also ate at his workplace cafeteria or out with coworkers during the week as well, so I’m not counting his lunchtime meals.)
And a few important notes: We went out to dinner twice during the week because we wanted to take my father-in-law out to some of our favorite local hotspots, so we did not consume two of the planned dinners on the “correct” days (Tuesday and Friday) but we ate the “dinners” for lunch for two of the days during the week. I hope this makes sense! The meal plan is just a guideline for our breakfasts and dinners, but I wanted to be sure to actually make and eat everything, too, which we did!
As I shopped for our food, I did a lot of price comparisons (buying in bulk ended up being the cheapest every time!) and clipped coupons to save money, like I usually do each week.
I was truly surprised when I went through the checkout line and only spent $69.76! I ended up going through the line again and picking up more food to use to get closer to the $125 total.
Our total for the week ended up being $115.20, but it did not include the jar of peanut butter I also used in the meal plan that we already had at home. (I figured being $10 under budget made up for the peanut butter since that would be an easy purchase within the budget.)
Here is what our one-week meal plan looked like:
- Breakfast: Tortilla topped with banana, peanut butter and cinnamon
- Dinner: Fish tacos with (frozen) mahi mahi, black beans, chopped romaine lettuce and pico de gallo
- Breakfast: Overnight oats made with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, honey and raw almonds
- Dinner: Turkey and ham rollups with romaine, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds, served with apple slices
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese topped with a sliced apple, cinnamon, almonds and pumpkin seeds
- Dinner: 365 Everyday Value whole wheat linguine with steamed spinach and 365 Everyday Value marinara, served with roasted broccoli
- Breakfast: Two waffles topped with a dippy egg and tomato slices, served with a plum on the side
- Dinner: Chopped salad with romaine, ham, tomatoes, black beans, edamame, wheat berries and pumpkin seeds
- Breakfast: Two waffles served with a cup of Greek yogurt
- Dinner: Baked chicken breasts with sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts
- Breakfast: Three-minute egg white oatmeal, topped with chopped almonds
- Dinner: Crockpot lentil wheat berry soup <—We loved this soup!!!
Crockpot Lentil Wheat Berry Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dry lentils
- 3/4 wheat berries
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (depending on taste)
- 1/2 – 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (depending on taste)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve and enjoy!
- Breakfast: Strawberry, mango and spinach smoothie
- Dinner: Leftover lentil and wheat berry soup
Giveaway
Now Whole Foods Market wants to give you guys a chance to shop at their store and create some healthy budget-friendly recipes.
FIVE readers will win a $25 gift card to Whole Foods!
To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post, telling me about some of your favorite Whole Foods finds!
I will randomly select five winners on Friday.
Good luck!
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It’s so hard to pick just a few but I love that Whole Foods here in NYC carries Steve’s PaleoGoods PaleoKrunch granola! It’s my absolute favorite Paleo granola and I love that I don’t have to order it online.
I love their trail mixes and hot bar!!!
We LOVE Whole Foods here in Nashville! Some of our favorite Whole Foods buys are frozen fish/shrimp for stirfry and fish tacos, Whole Foods almond milk, protein powder, and their peanut butter (the best in my opinion)! The 365 brand is fabulous!
I love the bulk bins.
The Whole Foods 365 brand natural peanut butter is awesome. I also love that they carry local dairy products including things like cottage cheese! And, I just tried a chocolate-espresso flavored pumpkin seed snack product last week, and they are amazing.
It’s weird, I know, but the candied ginger from the bulk bins at Whole Foods is one of my favorites. I get really sick from the supplements I take sometimes, and ginger is one of the only things that can keep me from hurling. (Admittedly, the TJ’s ginger chews are great, too…but the ones from WF just taste fresher and more ginger-y!)
Also, I’m so impressed by what you were able to make for under $125 at WF! Really impressive, and such a neat project for WF’s marketing team to construct.
If you buy a case of La Croix at Whole Foods you recieve a discount!
I have not been yet, but we have a new store nearby and I would love to try them out.
Hands down Whole Foods cheese counter and bulk coffee is my favorite. Always great quality and selection!
Also love the bulk – nuts/nut butters!
Their bulk bins are the best!
I always forget about Whole Food’s coupon books! I do most of my shopping at natural food stores, and really, Whole Foods’ prices is about in line with the others most of the time!
I love pretty much everything from Whole Foods but their sushi is my favorite!!
I love the Whole Foods salad bar and their bakery! There is one opening up in my neighborhood at the end of this year and I can’t wait!
Uh, can I say the Hot Bar???
Its been so long since I’ve been to whole foods, would love the opportunity to go back and check it out! Typically avoid whole foods, due to increased food costs there.
I am obsessed with Whole Foods! I love their fresh, cold-pressed juices. And the hot bar? O yes 🙂
We just got a whole foods {Iowa} and I’m dying to go check it out!
I love the selection of all their unique teas!
I love my local fishmonger at whole foods. He’s so friendly and knowledgeable!
The cheese!!!
Well you definitely can’t go wrong with anything in the bulk bins! Granola, dried fruit, seeds, and so many more yummy things. However, one of my favorite purchases to date is the 365 vanilla animal crackers. They are so addicting and delicious!
This is great! Thanks for all of the breakfast ideas!
Some of my favorite whole foods finds are the vegan chocolate mouse, gluten free honey mustard pretzel sticks and the cauliflower bisque soup!
Love the salad bar the best! 🙂
Their quinoa sushi (and basically anything from the hot bar) is the best for nights I don’t have time to cook! I also love their wall of nuts, dried fruit, and trail mix! I always get dates and dried mango! SO GOOD.
I love the bulk bins (allowed me to try chia seeds and nutritional yeast which both turned out to be pantry staples) and grabbing lunch with my boyfriend after the gym. I live in a small city with tons of restaurants but when it comes to quick and healthy, Whole Foods is always my go to!
I love the juice at Whole Foods and the salad bar is always awesome!
the whole foods salad bar is my favorite for a treat in the middle of a busy day running errands!
I love the bulk bins in general (especially the yogurt covered pretzels), the cheese selection, and the olives marinated with garlic and lemon rind.
I wish there was one close enough for me to keep an eye on sales… it takes me an hour just to get to a Whole Foods 🙁
I love their cheese and breads!
I absolutely love Whole Foods – their homemade orange juice is my favorite indulgence, but I also love their cheeses, variety of fresh, organic produce, and the various meat selection. My husband also loves their reuben brats!
I love the variety of unique cheeses they have! Also, the salad bar is incredible.
I’ve never been to a Whole Foods! There is one close by, but I’ve always heard it was expensive. I’ve only heard great things so I should probably give it a shot!
I love their salad bar (and to be honest pizza also….)! But their cheese selection is also fantastic.
I am so inspired by seeing your Whole Foods receipt! Thanks for the tips! I usually go in and can’t believe the price for 1 or 2 bags of food. Although, it’s totally worth it. I love Whole Foods prepared food, particularly their Indian meals (ToFu Curry anyone?) Also love their pumpkin gnocchi. But on a not-so-good taste, I finally tried baba ganoosh last time I was in Whole Foods, thinking it was as delicious as hummus – not so much. But I love that Whole Foods had it there to try. 🙂
I love all the great vegan products they have!
The Salad bar is amazing! They also have a great selections of cheese!
I had no idea you could ask for produce to be cut to the amount needed. What an awesome tip!
I’m obsessed with Whole Foods! My favorite thing there is their big jar of peanut butter. It’s so much cheaper than natural peanut butter at other stores (even stores with much lower prices, like Market Basket).
I love any of their prepared tofu-why can’t mine come out like that?
I love Whole Food’s pizzas!
Whole Foods has some amazing pre-made guacamole! Perfect for game days.
You can’t go wrong with the bulk food section. Always find great things there and for a cheaper price.
I love the healthy frozen pizza options at whole foods!
I love the 365 Everyday Value frozen organic butternut squash. It’s perfect for making soup!
I love everything about their 365 line.
Whole foods Spicy Hummus is my favorite! It is a great snack and can be used as a spread too!
I love all of the options that are usually available at whole foods that aren’t available at our local grocery most of the time! I love their fresh bakery and the large selection of fresh fruits and veggies!
Love their bulk bins…..I make my own trail mix with dried mango/pineapple/coconut/cashews. YUM!