Is Whole Foods Overrated? 

Leah i appreciate your honesty when you said you feel slimy that you liked the shopping experience because I have the very same feeling. I’m also that white woman with some privilege and I can also see how curated it is to my demographic. We didn’t shop there much before because of pricing but since Amazon purchased whole foods, we try not to shop there unless there’s something specific we can’t seem to get anywhere else. With regards to packaging, I’d be curious if all the produce really is package free or if it just gets disposed of before being put on the shelves. Obviously all produce has some packaging but I wouldn’t be surprised if whole foods goes that extra step to make it “feel” like you’re shopping package free. It’d be great to hear from an employee.

I wish I had a Whole Foods around me tbh. Pricey (for me at least) but they carry stuff I struggle to find. I have a tiny farmers market around me from June-October but other than that my option is Aldi... Loving you guys videos btw!

CAREFULL: WholeFoods is owned by Amazon. And supporting amazon in anything is the worst you can do for the climate! Even if you eat a bit more local...

I just LOVE how clear and transparent you are. your explanations on the sustainable budget and telling that this was your job were absolutely need and make people think on that in a rational way. I just love the work you made. thank you so so much.

The tiny baskets are the solution to shopping on a budget - “this basket limits you to $10 worth of stuff!” 😄

Levi: I'm creating a separate channel to pick apart brands. Levi the very next week: Is whole foods overrated?

Amazon owned, would never set foot in there but appreciate the video nonetheless. Just dont want places like WF putting your local places out of business.

Whole Foods is usually really expensive and its owned by Amazon so I tend to avoid it. But every now and then they have a sale on something very specific and I consider it. Generally speaking though if I'm going to spend the extra money on nicer groceries I would rather it be the farmers market

Leah’s ‘ooh lavender soap’ cracked me up - I completely get that. Also, as others have said, your level of transparency & honesty in everything is brilliant. 💚

Thank you for always bringing up that many sustainable options are not for the majority of folks and is a privilege. And that it needs to change. ❤️

I’ve only shopped at Whole Foods a few times back when I was living in Toronto. I didn’t even realize that there was one here in Victoria. The other benefit of Whole Foods is that it’s a 1 stop shop which for some people (families) is critical. As someone who is childfree, I can spend a good chunk of my Saturday going from store to store but if you have a family that may not be realistic. I would like to see a video on how to shop organic and low waste on a student/senior budget to see what’s possible. One of the biggest sticker shock for me when I moved to the island was the cost of food.

For $81 that’s a shocking amount of food, I’m surprised! Maybe I’m just super used to crazy food prices these days, but stuff like that Just Egg can’t be cheap to make!

Your Future Proof is great and I hope that you explore more about Jeff Bezos. Whole foods might have a great local source but I can't justify buying there just because the food it's organic or local. Knowing that is own by Amazon and how they treat and treated their employees during covid 19 and knowing the Amazon business model. I would have liked to hear your comments about that on this video.

I discovered Whole Foods in Dallas, TX, before they were "A Thing." Maybe the bulk bins are still out of service due to Covid, but that was my favorite thing about WF. In the late '90s, I'd never seen them before, and I loved being able to get just the amount i needed and try new things without having to invest in a whole container that might possibly just go to waste (not to mention the lack of packaging if you brought your own bags). I know bulk bins aren't much of a novelty now (and it sounds like you have that available right in your neighbourhood, so that's fabulous!), but for some of us, WF is one of the few (relatively) local places that has a decent range of food available in bulk without packaging. I was kind of surprised you skipped that part of the store.

After watching this, I really miss going inside Trader Joe's to get their samples. And also Central Market to get their sandwiches for lunch (I use to work across the street from them). But I mainly grocery shop once a month at Kroger, I save money there with the deals they have. :)

Can you make a video about fake meat? Fake -animal products as a concept? Those fake eggs... I don't know how to feel about them. I've never liked the flavor of eggs, or the ethics, but I dream about their practicalities as functional food. ...why are they immataing that awful flavor?... you're eating it... does it taste like a chicken period? 🤔🤢 Plus I feel guilty about eating tofu and other processed foods because I cannot find them package free. -but they're more convenient than boiling beans. I've gone hungry many a night because I couldn't decide which option to choose.

It's a 7 minute drive outside of downtown Victoria and has bus stops all around it and is the anchor of a major shopping area. Yeah definitely in the middle of nowhere.

I've been a few times, but not much. Around DC area we have Mom's Organic Market that I can drop off my compost bags and do some bring your own container shopping. Though I'm jealous of that zero waste shop y'all have up there haha

I work in a shopping center that has a Whole Foods so I stop by to grab lunch and other random things I need every now and then. They have a surprisingly good collection of items but honestly, I don't have the money to spend there. I do most of my shopping at Kroger/King Soopers but do appreciate what Whole Foods has and what they do

Is there a zero waste meal prep option like fresh prep in the US? I'd love to try it if you know of one. Also great video love this content and the new channel as well! :)

I like the way you keep it real- acknowledging that the food chain is something that is not accessible to many folks. LOL … they call it Whole Paycheck for a reason.

if you just eat vegan junk food and plants you might as well not worry at all about organic. The price premium is for wild seafood and pasture raised meats and eggs and cheese, where all the vitamins and nutrients are, not in the slave grain slop.

4:17 ah yes. Important shots of all the organic produce. Glad to see you are a man of culture Levi.

Trying to do this had to be fun / challenging! Great video!

I live in the stix (northern PNW 🇨🇦)… we don’t have anything like this. It’s a stretch to find local food or package free anything… hence we have 2 veggie gardens and a greenhouse during the growing seasons. Whole Foods would be the type of store that I would visit if I was on a vacation (got siblings in your city) just to see it for myself. WoW… the price of food is sure on the rise, isn’t it? Thanks for the awesome vid and have a great day! 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🍁

Thanks a lot for making this video. The idea was clever. A good part of the video was about how privileged you are for being able to shop as you do but you did not spend much time giving detailed objective review of how good Whole Foods is. The thing is that affordability is not a concrete thing. Yes, some people may have only 20$ to spend on a grocery haul and some other people may not care about the cost at all but there are also some people in the middle. People who may be able a good amount if they are sure it is worth it. Giving objective review helps this group. For example, you could have compared the price, packaging and quality of some grocery items you usually buy at your local store that other people are also likely to buy.

Leah my favorite librarian ps: Im just kidding or maybe not ;)

I live in Europe so no whole foods here but I really enjoyed your video and have been enjoying your content for quite a few years now. Love your personality and that you try to help others by giving them different pieces of information. Thank you so much for this. Never stop ❤️❤️

If only there was a Trader Joe’s in your area I would love to see your minds explode when you see the amount of excessive plastic packaging for the most unnecessary things. 🙃 It’s one of the most affordable places to buy organic, decent quality food, especially here in NYC, but it kills me every time I walk inside.

Curious about shopping at Walmart organic section???

Goodness, the clarity and honesty in your videos is SO refreshing. Thank you guys! Once again, another amazing video

I have to admit, I ♥️ shopping at WF⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To Leah wondering what the little basket is: It is OBVIOUSLY a basket sapling. You plant it in the ground and it grows a bigger basket 😂(you have to plant it upside down, the handles are the roots)

I enjoy your videos but I feel that you live in a bubble that most people don’t have access to. If I want to go to the only zero waste grocery I have to drive for the better part of 30 minutes on a good traffic day. But I can get to our local Whole Foods in less than ten minutes. Frankly, there are only two choices for quality products WF and a local equivalent New Seasons. Both of these stores have significantly better selections of high quality food than the traditional stores like Krogers, Safeway… So yes I do a lot of my shopping at WF especially if I want organic vegetables. If I could make a suggestion you might want to consider doing a little travel to look at how hard it is for people to live even a minimally zero waste lifestyle. Even in cities like Seattle and Portland it is much harder than in Vancouver.

I have a whole foods very close by driving and a smaller locally-owned natural grocery store within walking distance. When I need something specific that I know is only sold there, I visit the locally owned store out of principle. I've found that WF has a lot of the same stuff that Wegmans and Safeway has, just marked up. I was also hugely disappointed to see that WF got rid of their bulk section, so I have pretty much no reason to go there now.

Leah off the topic. But I love your hat. ❤️

not me waiting for the just egg review hahaha

"Go and check it out - it's one of my favourites [of two...]" 😅

I love grocery store adventures. ❤️😁

The whole foods you went to is right next to the galloping goose trail! Makes it very easy for me to bike there:) I try not to drive anywhere

I tend to only go to Whole Foods to buy Salmon or a specific type of vegetable or fruit I can't get at my local grocery store. It's a bit of a drive for me to get there too. I totally agree with Leah and feel the same way- I hate how much I feel so comfortable when I go in there! Ha!!

I was an occasional Whole Foods shopper (for specialty items) up until I had a kid with multiple food allergies. In the area where we live, there are no specialty shops within a reasonable distance. Whole Foods became the place where I could get everything in 1 trip. And my 3-year-old would live solely on Just Egg if I let her…

I enjoy how the one channel compliments the other.

I've shopped there for close to a decade. They carry Alaffia soaps, Indian herbal toothpastes, clean cat food, cultured wheat tortillas, heirloom tomatoes, Romanesco, hard kombucha, organic spices and all kinds of interesting and rich foods, such as the organic coconut kefir I've been enjoying recently. I don't buy everything I eat there; that would be absurd, but they've been a staple for years now because of their quality and the wonderful unique products they carry.

Save on Foods has the Just Egg too. Whole Foods has a larger selection of alternative milk products and often on sale, so we drop in there as I with my milk allergy have a better selection for many items. They also have two vegan sandwiches and the burrito bowls which make for a great lunch or light dinner. We've noticed some items are cheaper than Save on Foods or Root Cellar. Whole Foods is there when I go to the gym (Fitness World so yes driving) or on the way home by bus on the #26 to pick up. I'm picky about produce and get mine at Root Cellar due to carrying a lot of local (would like to compare...maybe a future video?). Hahaha--great comment Leah, and I agree, but they do have the BEST supplies, next to Toute de Sweet, for S'mores.

honestly though, law student here, even though Whole Foods is under the Amazon corporation, it is hands down my favorite supermarket in the US. Buying local is not a option for me at the moment, due to lack of access to a car and farmer market not really being a thing in my industrial area of NJ. The other grocery stores in my area are just not as affordable as I find Whole Foods to be, and mainly require me to purchase products in single use plastic. I wish you explored more of their 365 products, their store brand products. Their quality is usually great, always affordable, usually certified organic and GMO free. ALSO, discounts could often be added with a prime membership, which I have through my university. Again, it is an Amazon corporation so ideally, I would love to avoid it. But I usually purchase double the amount that you've shown and spend about $100 a month on groceries, atleast covering two meals a day.

hey guys! love your videos! 😊 I also subscribed to Future proof when you launched it but I just wanted to let you know that your thumbnails on the other channel stand out less than this one, and I have missed the whole food video... I now found it though 😉. Cheers!

Love all the nuance in your commentary 🤩

Slightly odd question but why are the eggs in the fridge? 🤔 Also Leah is so right that organic supermarkets are really designed for white women with disposable income to spend on organic food (I'm that person as well).

Yeah, My mom likes to grocery shop at whole foods, though, not as much as she likes Costco. I think that it's able to provide organic groceries to people at a certain level of scale but as your Future Proof video points, out, it's since been part of the "Big Grocery" industry

Yay Leah in the credits!!....now I hit subscribe 😊 (I haven't had a chance to watch the decluttering one yet probably happened in that video....but food over clothes!! LOL)

I hope they come out with something like fresh prep in the US! I’ve really been thinking about getting a meal prep service. I’m a student and it’s hard for me to plan and shop for meals that taste good and don’t require too many ingredients

Shopping in my area of Colorado tends to be a mixed bag of stores. Whole (Paycheck) Foods is something I used to spend waaaaaaaaaay too much money on. My regular grocery store has organic and local options so they value proposition isn't there for me at whole foods. I reduced my spending at whole foods a couple years ago and calculated that by doing so I saved over $1000 USD. I ALSO put myself on a strict shopping list when I do go for those special items I can't find elsewhere. So in the end Whole Foods is just the specialty store where I get some items I can't find elsewhere. Costco and King Soopers are my go to stores.

My wife and I buy all our meat and part of our produce from whole foods. The other half is purchased from the Buford Highway Farmers Market, where my parents and many nationalities shop at for a reminder of home. Splitting between the two helps keep cost down.

I went to Whole Foods for the only time in 2017 while visiting my brother in Kelowna. BC. We found and photographer a Large sized watermelon that was in the shape …. of a CUBE!! That was for sale for $99!!! Really!!!!

Nog showed up in our local Save On in Langley in late September! This situation is getting out of hand... From the video you showed inside Whole Foods, it looks like our Save On actually has a similar selection of plant-based products and local/organic produce, but I wonder if that's just because Langley is near Vancouver and near farms? Not sure about other Save On Foods. Spread 'Em also has a really great nut-based "cream cheese".

Nice video. Eating healthy is right. Whole Foods, whole check is probably true. I don’t have one nearby. Thanks.

Great video! I liked how you mentioned that the grocery haul was a business expense. I guess you didn’t want to take the bus though? Lots of bus stops in that area because it’s surrounded by a hub of stores. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the egg-like product.

Whole Foods is hard because most people and families can't do their weekly shopping there. It's expensive and for some out of reach. I go when I want something really specific, like hot food or boxed water, or these frozen lemonade pops😋 but they do have a good selection and sales do pop up on popular stuff. I'm an Amazon prime subscription user, so sometimes I can get a little extra off too. But not enough to dent my budget and justify my full shopping, which is something I have noticed when I go. Not many people are making what most think of as "groceries", you know? Like maybe a bottle of wine, some veggies, maybe a pack of chicken. But they aren't filling up a whole shopping cart and spending large amounts. Sometimes a Walmart or a Target is better for some things 🤷🏾‍♀️

4:55 I bought a Kleen Kanteen mug and thermos at the Whole Foods near me in New Jersey, US. I was always wondering "what if I held out, I could have a HYDROFLASK!" But now that I've seen your content I feel a lot better about owning Klean Kanteens and now will double down on it moving forward :)

Thank you for recognizing there IS privledge that cones with Whole Foods and theike. Too many veg and vegan creators tend to forget this and it is EXTREMELY off putting to those of us who are low Income, but tryin to do better about their health. I can't run out and be only vegan or vegetarian, it's not economically feedable, but I watch for info and insperation and it's nice to feel welcome.

2:47 Levi mentioning how the Whole Foods they're visiting is in the middle of nowhere situated between two highways and that the only viable way to get there is by 🚘 Me: I can already tell that *Not Just Bikes* is going to be so *triggered* 🤣😂😅 Immediately I'm already thinking of that *Not Just Bikes* grocery shopping video😂😅

I live in Detroit Michigan. I am a senior citizen on Social Security. I actually really love Whole Foods, they do accept food stamps which helps. That being said they are not budget-friendly. If you have Amazon Prime you get discounts on some items, but you cannot beat the freshness and quality of some up their Foods.

Hey guys! I'm an ESL teacher/writer based in Galicia (Spain) and I would love for you to go online and compare the food that you're able to get versus what we here have, Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Aldi

I'm not pleased with the Whole Foods ownership but the Hollywood District (Portland OR) has things such as no salt added sardines and no salt added chicken broth...not found at regular grocery stores. Those items are for my feline kids. I'm a hard core vegan person. Lots of great stuff at Whole Foods for vegan people.

Levi and Leah, Will you be doing a video at some point to address why you like vegan, plant based foods and an in depth comprehensive dive into the manufacturing, processing etc of plant based products? Some of your viewers like myself may be wondering why one would prefer to choose something labeled plant based(what plant/s? exactly) versus a product whose ingredients are labelled with produce most people are familiar with and can pick up at most of their grocery stores. The other question would be how much(what percentage) of plant based products are formulated in a laboratory to look like the traditional food item and conversely what percentage is made 100% from plants grown in soil or hydroponically from seed to full mature plants? Some viewers may be wary of currently adopted widespread marketing that appears to be the latest consumer fad…

Local, first, seasonal to help... BUT the bigger chain can give a larger wider choice. And as commented below, take a maybe once a quarter visit to the big box shop, but local produce, local shop as much as poss.

5:07 They sell Vegan Just Egg (that same product you found in whole foods) at some Save on Foods locations. I’ve seen one at the king George hub in Surrey recently when I went to visit. Fun fact, at the king George hub there’s also a Jollibee

I'd be interested in your perspective on how the environmental impact of a plant-based egg replacement in plastic packaging compares to chicken eggs. I know plant-based is better for the environment but I often wonder how processed, highly packaged plant-based foods that are marketed as replacements for the animal-product equivalent stack up.

I think whole foods vegetables are better quality and price than my local supermarket, saying that we have a Haggen and they have nice prouduce just more expensive, I live in Washington State so there is that. I love the Co'op But that is expensive and i live pretty far from it. The best is summer with the Farmers market. I think my big problem with Whole foods is that I was raised with my Mom being a hippie granola lol and so there is a certain amount of sustainable stuff I am not to excited about, I am not a fan of the laundry detergents I find they do not get things clean and the clothes wear out really fast and get rough. Not a fan of some of the body and hair products, though I do try to by stuff that is cruelty free and not tested on animals. And I am not a fan of the self congratulatory side of this life style, not saying you guys do that. :) But there is a segment that tends to be i only buy this brand because.... I think that is where it has gone elitist, we can afford to buy these products because we care and make money.

You know they call it Whole Salary right? Edit: and a few years ago prior to a snowstorm in the Northeast (US, probably Canada too) there was a hilarious meme going around showing a photo of Whole Food and how they were all sold out of kale.

Very elitist; we live in a very rural county where there is 1 chain grocery store for more than 8,000 people. Our small store always runs out of certain products and this was before the pandemic. Next nearest town is 35 miles one way home to 5 grocery stores, drug stores, and a Super size Walmart. We are 10 miles from our town on a 2 lane road so no chance to walk to a store.

If can be on my soap box. GMOs aren’t scary. But if you are worried, then the dirty dozen makes the most sense to me. You are over paying if your organic item is also protected by a peal.

At Whole Foods, there is peanut butter fresh grinder, if you like chunky. I feel slimy working at Whole Foods LOL

I personally can afford to go to Whole Foods, but I don't want to support Bezos. I have local organic store near me.

I shop at whole foods several times. This is our two things one when you order food online it comes within 5 hours the same day you ordered not having to wait two days do I like whole foods is they have like a buffet-style food area of hot and cold things they have a really nice big huge salad bar back there they all have like little me restaurant areas Pizza Mexican food can go into that place that I can find things I can't find any place else Heather restaurant to go to another what's the stuff I can find whole foods I can find in my regular grocery store I shop at. Yes they are little bit expensive but they are worth it

If this Whole Foods was just down the block and your favorite local market was a drive away, which would you shop?

I live in a third world country, so to me Whole Foods is on a different planet in terms of grocery stores. I absolutely love it, the same way any tourist loves stuff that isn't available in their home country. Great video!

Whole foods is outrageously expensive. There are products there that are more then twice expensive than walmart for exact same product. I agree there is more choice but damn, you pay the price!

I do agree that local, plastic free and quality foods in general should be both accessible and affordable for all budgets to shift towards as a regular weekly/biweekly shop.

I have to drive at least 2 towns over to grocery shop. I've never tried Whole Foods because it seemed so inaccessible, but we may check it out and see if it's really any different than the stores we already shop.

They have good sales on fruit and vegetables. Otherwise I only buy things there I cannot find easily elsewhere because of the price.

When is someone goung to invent a store where all the goods are expired and unwanted. I would totally buy that, for a fraction of its price, say just the cost to maintain that store...

you talked about a takeback program of plastic in the supermarket. but is recycling not a thing in canada? Here in the netherlands there are different bins that you throw your thrash in and the city empties them and takes care of the recycling

If I can`t get somewhere by public transport or on foot it is off limits to me and my shopping trolley So in my city there are "out of town" supermarkets I have never been to in 14 years.

You guys nailed it! I just had my first Whole foods experiance! lol

Matebi just watched Your video about recycling in netherland

The veggies and fruits look almost too good. Like on an advert. Where is the rest of them? ;) Apart that, this shop look awesome.

I used to work here and a huge part of their customers base and staff actually bike because it right off the galloping goose trail. :)

I always appreciate you mentioning privelege when talking about food choices, two CSAs in our area have a sliding scale and donate some bundles, a initiative that is a big solution to access to healthy organic food for all. Also just egg is bomb, if it was cheaper, healthy and package free I would eat it everyday but its none of those things lol I know you wanted to go to whole foods because you thought it would be accessible for people but there is actually not very many in Canada, I believe none in the maritimes or sk or man.

i realy wish more supermarkets and brands in general would choose better packaging option if zero waste isn't an option

Went to Whole Foods once, wanted to maybe eat at the deli, walked in, smelled weird, felt weird...left. Lol. 🤦

What brands should I check out that are local at Whole Foods? Looking to bring some back to Oregon

I go to whole foods for their specialty items probably once or twice a month but it really bums me out that Amazon bought them.

My whole foods actually has a good recycling section. Maybe depends on location 🤔

I don't shop at that Whole Foods very often but they do have special items like vegan ccroissants and other things that are hard to get at other places

could you dig into "Earth's Own" as a brand? I saw them when you were addressing the NOG situation and im currently drinking their oat nog in my coffee but I wonder if they're as Earth friendly as they say they are

I love Leah’s outro thing :) makes me smile every time :)

This is such a great video! I imagine there are lots of Whole Foods in the US but sadly none in Alberta :( Have the two of you tried SPUD Delivery? Or do you Save on Foods in Victoria? I feel like those are two other great options!

"i felt uncomfortable for how comfortable i was in that space" wise words of the day