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Dr. Mercola

June 25, 2007
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Whole Foods: The Whole Truth

Whole Foods

Whole Foods, the fast-growing chain of upscale "healthy" supermarkets, may not be quite as wholesome as they would like you to believe.

It's important to remember, though, that not everything at Whole Foods is automatically healthy and good for the environment.

Money Magazine has highlighted some of the key issues to be aware of when shopping at Whole Foods so you don't end up spending your whole paycheck on not-so-great foods. Among them:

  • Whole Foods offers only a limited supply of local produce, meaning the environmental damage it causes in transportation is just as high as most other supermarkets.

  • Although Whole Foods doesn't carry products with trans fats or artificial coloring, everything else is fair game.

  • The in-store prepared foods do list ingredients, but there's no nutritional information provided.

Money Magazine June 24, 2007


Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Whole Foods Market has certainly helped to bring organic foods to the mainstream market, and is now the most popular and fastest-growing health food chain in the United States. But, like most large corporations, it does not have a perfect track record. And while Whole Foods does offer a wide variety of organic foods, they tend to sell foods at a higher price.

They have been roundly criticized in books such as Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

For many in urban areas Trader Joe's seems to provide similar healthy but less expensive options.

It's important to remember that buying local is often even better than buying organic, because you get fresher foods that didn't use up excess fuel to be transported a long way. Studies have determined that the long-distance transportation of organic produce causes an environmental impact large enough to cancel out any benefits.

Whether you choose to buy your food at Whole Foods or another store, make sure you are buying foods that are fresh and, ideally, grown nearby. Farmer's markets and community-supported agriculture programs make great alternatives to markets like Whole Foods, and they tend to be much more affordable, too.

For more tips on eating healthy on a budget, check out Your Family Could be Eating Organic Food for the Same Price as Processed Foods -- or Less.

Related Articles:

Supermarket Secrets Revealed

Organic Foods Continue to Grow

Finally -- Consumers Turning to Local Farmers Instead of Supermarkets
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Article's Comment     ( 97 Comments )
 
 
 +16 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY johanna :-)   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on July 10, 2007 ]
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whole foods is THE ONLY large scale corp that actually also supports its own competition in order to promote its ideals--which include local food consumption as well as the slow food movemnt.. believe it or not, they actually help local farmers become certified organic not only by helping to pay their yearly fee, but also in education. i ws amazed when i found this out--from the regional director-- in response to a query i had concerning local foods. (i am from So. Cal.)
of course i shop at local farmers markets for what i can, but whole foods products are next in line. and of course, be picky there!! you don't have to buy processed food! they have great selections of all kinds of (local) quality fresh foods and packaged stuff like oils, especially. 
and their stuff is MUCH fresher and better quality, AS WELL AS MORE LOCAL than trader joe's!!!!!!!!!!
this is one large corp that actually DOES have some conscience.

 
 +15 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY La Torquemada   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 04/07 ]
[ Posted on July 10, 2007 ]
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At least here in Pittsburgh, the big difference I see between Whole Foods and my local co-op or regular grocery is that the produce at Whole Foods is at least fresh. I love my local health food co-op for some items, but in general, the produce is old and in poor shape. Overall, I find the prices very similar if you are shopping the perimeter of the store -- prices of junky manufactured foods in the middle of the store vary, but you shouldn't be buying those anyway. I try to buy produce at my farmer's market, but they are only open May to Oct here, so that is not always an option. Finally, our WF seems to have made a big push to carry local foods lately and is even holding a farmer's market in their parking lot once a week. Of course there are plenty of foods and products at Whole Foods that are not optimal, but overall, they are making people more aware of the content and provenance of the food they eat. Though the prepared foods at Whole Foods are often conventional and less than perfect, compare them to a similar item at a conventional store and the difference is striking -- at least WF items are made of FOOD.

Finally, someone's comment about "overweight people" shopping in Whole Foods -- hey, walk a mile. Personally, I got fat during 10 years of low-fat vegetarian eating like the government suggests. I've been off that diet for about 6 years now, but losing weight is not a trivial affair. At this point, I'm just happy that I'm not gaining any anymore. Just because a person is overweight does not imply that they do not deserve quality foods -- maybe this week they're just switching to the "better" cola (which IS marginally better), maybe next week they'll leave it out of their cart altogether. Changing one's diet is a big shift, one that most people undertake in dribs and drabs. Those efforts deserve support, not derision.
 
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 +6 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY megan490   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 04/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 10, 2007 ]
 
Hear, hear!

Like you, i also followed a low-fat mostly vegetarian diet for a decade and gained a lot of weight. I'm finding the weight loss woefully slow, but i know i need to let my metabolism rebound. (It was always sluggish, and is now coming back a bit).

The "whole foods-whole paycheck" thing didn't start with Dr. M. I read an article months ago about "does Whole Foods mean Whole Paycheck?" and the article discussed the cost of buying organic food. If you can shop wisely, and have several options, then yes, it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. BUT, not everyone has many options.

Fortunately, i live in an area where there are still some farms that haven't caved to the pressure to sell for housing developments, and i'm doing what i can to buy locally and keep these farmers in business.

I have my own garden, too, although this year, two does and a fawn found it, so i'll be lucky to be picking my first tomatoes about two weeks before the first frost :0(

There needs to be a paradigm shift in the minds of food buyers. People need to realize that it's worth buying better quality food and paying a bit more than junk food that's on sale.

I also try to eat seasonally, and really have a hard time buying fresh peppers in January. But, if people are demanding fresh produce that's out of season here but not somewhere else, and their desire overrides the fact that there's lots of energy expended simply to ship the said produce thousands of miles, then we're going to continue to see out-of-season produce year round. In some climes, the growing season is incredibly short, so I can understand the desire to truck in fresh produce. But, rather than have this be a luxury (think citrus at Christmas), it's become commonplace.

 +3 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Jane L   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 11, 2007 ]
 
I totally agree with you La Torquemada!  It does take time to change eating habits.  I love that I can go to Whole Foods and at least have healthy options available to me.  Years ago, it didn't matter what the price, it just wasn't there.  Now I can go to WF and find the things that are recommended for healthy living and be treated with respect for my choices, instead of getting that blank look or one that makes you want to check the mirror for extra heads!
I respect Dr. Mercola's opinions and value his work, but I have to defend Whole Foods as a wonderful option with excellent customer service - far superior to anywhere else I have shopped lately.

 
 +10 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY PaulL   
Novice User
  
[ Joined on 03/07 ]
[ Posted on July 10, 2007 ]
Post Reply
I am getting a bit tired with the constant articles about Whole Foods and their high prices.  They are a vendor that offers access to some products that are not easily available in other stores.  This is a capitalist society where stores can charge whatever they want.  If you don't like the price, don't shop there!  They never claimed to be a charity for the health conscience.  Interestingly, I've noticed that farmer's markets have been uping their prices with all the increased demand for natural and organic foods as well.  Whole Foods is doing what every company does in America, getting the best price they can for their products!
 
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 +3 Points