Whole Foods/Sprouts/Mother's Market Haul

Since there is a Sprouts, Mother's Market, Trader Joe's, and (now) a Whole Foods within about a 3-mile span, I decided to hit up just about all of them.  The only reason I didn't go to Trader Joe's is because I was just there.     

So Whole Foods finally opened up near me, and I must say that I was ecstatic.   They have recently been in some pretty hot water, but they offer things other markets don't.   Yes, it can be pricey.  You just have to know what you want and how much other places charge.   Anyway, I've been having some GI issues, so there are things I've been cutting out to see if it makes a difference.   There hasn't been a change, but I've fallen in love with some alternative food products, so I continue to get them.  This Whole Foods is located in a new center at the corner of Valencia and Imperial Hwy.  The shopping center looks like they pulled it out of Newport Beach.  It's beautiful, with several shops and dining establishments.  They are putting in a Mendocino Farms, which is exciting.  They have a great selection of sandwiches & salads for everyone-- you can view their menu here.

It took nearly 10 minutes to find parking!  Of course, I went on a Saturday, but I didn't think the entire lot would be full.  Eventually a space opened up, and I headed in.  This location is beautiful...and packed.  But of course it is; it's Whole Foods.  This 38,000 square-foot location has two entrances; the side I entered on greeted me with produce, bulk items, and the seafood department.  I started on that side since I wanted to end with the salad bar.  I wanted to check out the other food stand options, but there were too many people.  Perhaps this week; hopefully a week day morning/early afternoon won't be as crowded.  The staff is friendly and more than willing to help out the customers.  I wasn't able to get a picture of the front, so here is the logo:

Image courtesy of wholefoods.com

The view from the side entrance
of the center and parking lot.

Care for some cacti?

Just a small portion of the bulk items offered

One section of the salad bar.

My salad:  Grilled veggies, edamame,
gold/red beets, watermelon
radishes, & Tuscan kale.

       








Due to the crowds I wasn't able to take as many photos as I would have liked.  Maybe on the next trip there will be more opportunities for photos.  Now, onto the purchases.

Tried to capture everything...

Refrigerated & frozen goods.

 

 This time I remembered to bring a small cooler.  Whole Foods had some of my favorite things on sale!

Belgian chocolate milk & my
favorite Argo tea (there were two)

My partner really loves this chocolate milk.  It is made with Belgian chocolate, and is far better than any other pre-made chocolate milk brands.  They used to sell it at Fresh & Easy, and we didn't know who else would sell it.  While at Sprouts, I just happened to look up while looking for almond milk, and this was "staring me in the face".  Argo tea was on sale at Whole Foods (2 for $4.00), and I love the Mojitea.  Anything with mint in it is amazing.   

My favorite brand of meat alternatives.

Also at Whole Foods were Gardein meat alternatives.  They are rarely on sale, so when I saw that they were 2 for $7.00, I got a couple of items I hadn't tried.  When I got home I sampled both.  I love the flavor of the meatless balls; the fennel seeds really come through, which gives them more of an Italian sausage flavor.  The texture is similar to a mushier meatball.  I cooked the beefless tips in a sauce of garlic, soy sauce, red pepper, and sugar.  They were awesome, but if you overcook them they will be dry & tough.

I LOVE Field Roast products.

In case you don't know, I LOVE Field Roast.  Chao is my favorite dairy cheese alternative.  You can read more about my first Chao experience here.  I have been wanting to try their deli slices.  In the Whole Foods refrigerated section there is a case dedicated to dairy cheese and meat alternatives.  I grabbed the two I could see (Smoked Tomato and Wild Mushroom).  I didn't see the Lentil Sage flavor, but if I do I will be trying it as well.  I haven't had an opportunity to test them out because I have the endoscopy today and have been on a liquid diet.  I did try the Apple Maple Sausage.  The flavor was good-- similar to a light breakfast sausage, but the texture was less than desirable.  They are very mushy even when browned in a pan.  I might try frying them to see if the outside will crisp up.  Since they are not real meat, don't expect it to have the juiciness of an actual sausage.  I really want to try them in a scramble or breakfast bowl because I love the flavor.
     

Anything with fennel is something I'm willing to try.

 
While looking for the Gardein products in Whole Foods, I saw these Italian fennel patties by Engine 2.  They are meat-free, and contain the following:  Cooked brown rice, garbanzo beans, spinach, caramelized onion, red quinoa, roasted garlic puree, sundried tomatoes, fennel, ground flaxseed, toasted fennel seeds, thyme, sage, black pepper (list courtesy of wholefoods.com).  I can't wait to try these!  They will be great as wither a burger or on its own...maybe with some scrambled eggs, or crumbled in a sauce.

I found this at Mother's Market for $10.95

The product out of the container.

I have been reading about the cheese alternatives from Miyoko's Creamery, and since they have been highly received, I wanted to give them a try.  I chose to purchase one because of the price.  They had the Smokehouse, Rustic Alpine, and Black Ash.  I bought and tried the Black Ash.  The product tastes good, but I wish it wasn't coated in ash.  The gritty ash is not texturally pleasing given the creaminess of the wheel.  It is tangy and sharp, much like Laughing Cow, with a slightly sweet finish.  Black ash is slightly firmer than Brie.  If it were to sit out, it could be soft enough to spread on a cracker.  I could see this going into a Mac & not-Cheese dish, or having it paired with dried fruit.  I may end up washing the ash off because it felt like my teeth were biting into sand.  I would be willing to try other flavors, but not necessarily at those prices.      

I bought most of the dry goods at Sprouts.

In the left column we have some salt and vinegar almonds as well as some Tamari almonds.  Almonds are amazing!  While these probably aren't the best snack option, I had to try the salt and vinegar...I haven't yet...but I will.  I have had Tamari almonds, and prefer them to the roasted/salted option.  Adding them to salads and snack packs gives a nice crunch and a hit of flavor.  Next to the almonds are raw cashews and quinoa (from Mother's Market).  Luckily the cashews were on sale at Sprouts, and the quinoa from Mother's was far cheaper in bulk ($5.95/lb, I think).  In the thrid column there are red lentils, dried blueberries and dried cherries.  I am going to try and make a fruit bar, or maybe a fruit & chia seed bar, so I'll let you know how it goes.  If they turn out I will post a recipe.  

The best cheddar cracker sandwiches in my opinion!

I never thought that something could be better than Ritz, but I was wrong.  My partner and I purchased these when Fresh & Easy was going out of business.  The crackers are a wee bit saltier than Ritz, but they taste amazing!  I'm not sure what is in them that makes these crackers so good.  I tried the peanut butter cracker sandwiches, but they aren't as good as the cheddar.  They, too, were on sale, which is why I bought two.  They go fast!  If you see them in the smaller packs give them a try, and let me know how you like them. 

The Chimes were from Mother's, but the
others were bought at Sprouts.

It's always nice to find things that are travel-friendly.  Peanut butter Chimes are my favorite of their flavors.  Creamy peanut butter meets slightly spicy ginger in a chew that doesn't stop at one.  Not for me, anyway.  I also got the but butter packs to try out the product without having to buy an entire jar.  Is it cheaper?  No, but it's better than being stuck with a whole jar of a product you don't care for. 

It's nice to have salt alternative options.

The first time I had anything with liquid amino acids was at my best friend's house.  She used it in place of salt, and I loved it!  I purchased a small bottle at Whole Foods and will start trying it out when I can.  Nothing is as good as the real thing, but you can use this in place of shoyu (soy sauce).  Not that I plan on that, but it might go well in onigiri (rice ball) or onigirazu (rice ball sandwich).  When I have some recipes I will post them.  Do you cook with liquid aminos?

They also had a white cheddar option,
but I went for yellow cheddar

I have been flip-flopping on whether or not to purchase this.  I really like Velveeta and Kraft (I know, I know), but wanted to give this a try.  Since I'm cutting down on a lot of dairy because my GI isn't always happy after it's been consumed, I am hoping that this is a nice alternative to mac & cheese.