Whole Foods Salad Bar vs. Actual Groceries Let's Talk - youramericanmoney
Author: Michelle
Description: I love salad. Every since I was a little kid I had an odd...obsession with greens. We're not sure how it happened because my mom doesn't like uncooked food or cold food. In fact, she basically can't stand salad. And, it's hilarious how much I love it. With this in mind, I've eaten a lot…
Date: 2018-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

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# Whole Foods Salad Bar vs. Actual Groceries Let’s Talk

posted on 28 March, 2018

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I love salad. Every since I was a little kid I had an odd…obsession with greens. We’re not sure how it happened because my mom doesn’t like uncooked food or cold food. In fact, she basically can’t stand salad. And, it’s hilarious how much I love it. With this in mind, I’ve eaten a lot of salad at home, in restaurants, and from the grocery store salad bar. And, one salad bar is the most recognized of them all-Whole Foods. Whole Paycheck has all of it’s competition beat. And, many of its customers eating into their budgets one salad at a time.

*In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

## The Whole Foods Salad Bar

Salads are a game of grocery stealthiness. You have to be careful of adding too many of the heavy things. Want chicken? Just add a tiny scoop. Love hard-boiled eggs? It’s going to cost you. The artichoke hearts that you love? They are heavy. My point is this, every time I’ve decided to purchase a salad from the salad bar I’ve typically spent more than the $8.99 per pound. Why does this keep happening? I have several theories:

- Bigger is Better-Americans (that would be me) have no sense of portion control. We easily surpass the one pound of weight more often than not because filling a container only with arugula just doesn’t seem like it will be that filling. Unless you added some tofu or nuts.

- Proteins are heavy-Chicken, seafood, tofu, and salmon are dense. If you add more than one modestly sized protein, nuts, a little bit of cheese, cucumber, and cauliflower-that’s a heavy salad and you’re spending more than $8.99.

- Impulse Shopping-Whole Foods, similar to Target, is one of those stores that you just don’t leave with the original item that you initially planned on purchasing. When I walk by Have A’Corn chips-I have to have them. Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups? They’re delicious and a Colorado company. Macaroons? I’ll just pick up two of two different flavors.

## $12 Per Trip

I’m convinced that after I pick up my salad and a kombucha, my bill will hit at least $12 each time I go to the Whole Foods Salad bar. And, as much as I love my iBotta app and my Whole Foods app-no savings is happening on that trip.

Let’s be clear, I’m not anti salad bar-I’m just pro savings.

## Buy Groceries Instead

It’s possible to get a lot more groceries at Whole Foods for $12 than the salad bar salad. Don’t forget to check your iBotta app and earn cash back.

Here are some grocery ideas:

- Idea #1-Buy an Organic Rotisserie Chicken $7.99 and a container of mixed greens or kale for $3.00. Total: $10.99 (slight price variation)

- Idea #2–Involves a little cooking. Pick up a package of chicken drumsticks $3.00, a bunch of kale $2, sweet potato $1 (ish), and a package of Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups. $1.75. Total: $8.75. Throw some spices on the chicken, chop up the sweet potato into cubes (season) wrap together in foil, and you have a couple of meals.

- Idea #3-Make a delicious soup! Get 2 cans of garbanzo beans ($2.50) , 1 bunch of turnip greens $1.50, 1 medium sized white onion $1, some loose carrots $1, 1 can of diced tomatoes $1.50, 1 jalapeño $1 and you have the makings of a great soup.

## Have a Strategy

There is absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself to the salad bar. But, if you’re going 3 times a week that’s $36 a week, $144 a month, and $1728 for the year. That’s a trip to Europe. In fact, I paid $1800 for a 3 week trip to London AND all of my bridesmaid gear (was in an English wedding). I would prefer to be in an overseas wedding rather than eat $1700 dollars worth of salad. That’s a no-brainer.

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#### Michelle

I am an obsessive foodie, but not self-righteous with it, love travel, meeting new people, helping you look good, and am freaked out by people who don't enjoying reading...something! Grab a Perrier, read my blog, feel free to drop me a line! Hope to hear from you soon.

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