Lunch

For The Love of Whole Foods

I finally got the Whole Foods experience I had been craving!

I spent about an hour and a half in the store….really just roaming around in awe of everything. I chatted with a few people from school that work there and picked up lunch as well. And, um  yeah, my gift card is now gone. The money really flies in there and I don’t even feel like I bought too much!!! I knew this would happen and I’m sort of glad its happening now when I’m moving in 2 months rather than when I moved here a year ago. I’m already picking up an extra shift Sunday night so I can make some extra $$!

Here’s some pictures of my groceries. I tried not to buy too much because I’m going home on Tuesday night and then to NC on Wednesday, so really I just cashed out one hundred bucks for “treats” for myself. Sigh. And yes, I did buy some yogurt and cheese. I’m a real person just like you and when I have cravings I go for it. Cravings usually mean your body is asking you for it and since this isn’t like a craving for a bag of fritos and a burger, I’d say its alright.

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I bought:

2 greek 2% yogurts (I honestly think these taste better than the 0% ones…creamier or something)

some French cornichons (little pickles I had in France that are amazing!)

some specialty olives from the most fabulous olive bar I have ever witnessed in my life. I could eat my way through it for sure.

a bottle of French rose wine. I’ve never really had rose wine but this is all they drink in the South of France in the summertime. It’s lovingly called “french lemonade” 🙂 This one looked like a good one.

salad greens

lite coconut milk

almond butter (!!!!) along with little packs of almond and peanut butter to take on my trip

oats

dried berries for muesli

raw almonds for snacking

a french multigrain baguette

some apple juice for a recipe I’m planning to make tomorrow

a lemon

a 4 oz piece of wild atlantic salmon (not pictured, already in fridge)

wild salmon burger (sorry! already in freezer)

some french goat cheese

tomatoes

2 peaches

cherries

rudi’s organic hamburger buns

a small bottle of my favorite orange juice ever

broccolini

cilantro

I think that’s it!

For lunch my eyes were way bigger than my tummy…which is usually the case at Whole Foods. It was 12:15 and I was still shopping and starting to throw everything in my cart and at that point I knew it was time to stop and eat. I got a huge (too big!) salad with babaganoush, greens, jalepinos, garlic stir fried broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms and red onions with woodstock dressing. I also got a small soup from the soup bar—some Indian soup with lentils and spinach. Really really tasty! When I got home I added to my plate a mini baguette baked by my friend in another class at school last night. This was a ton of food!

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I ate all the soup, all the bread and left about 1/4th of the salad. I just couldn’t do it. Too much!

And now….I’m waiting for the brighthouse guy for real. I’m staying in Orlando this weekend because I’m going home on Tuesday and have to work Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. I rented some movies and plan to catch up on my reading and sleeping!

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  • Ally
    June 27, 2008 at 5:54 pm

    I see them in the picture but I think you forgot to add bananas to your list! ; ) This really makes me wish we had a whole foods around here! I totally think you deserved this splurge for all your great work at school by the way. And I hope you enjoy your day off/weekend!

  • Clara
    June 27, 2008 at 6:19 pm

    How fun!!!! Believe it or not I just found out that where I am going to be moving in 2 months – Schaumburg, Illinois – there is going to be a Whole Foods opening at the end of year 😀

    Also I just scrolled down and read your previous posts and I LOVE your cake! Wow, so so cool to be able to do that. I love the colors, the decorations – definitely my style and something I’d love to have at my wedding someday.

    Enjoy your break – you more than deserve some hardcore R&R!

  • katieb
    June 27, 2008 at 6:55 pm

    I love just going down the aisles at grocery stores, esp. Whole Foods! Yes, I spend way more than I probably should, but good food is def. worth it!

  • Lauren
    June 27, 2008 at 7:00 pm

    I’m glad you enjoyed WF- you deserved it! You do so much! I am exhausted reading all you do!

    If I buy bagged green I just get dole or whatever my grocery has. It’s usually $3.00. would you mind sharing what the price of those greens were. I bet they are organic so it makes more sense! Although I am always afraid of organic greens since they come with critters!

  • MOM
    June 27, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    It all looks yummy!

  • Nicole
    June 27, 2008 at 7:17 pm

    The 2% yogurt is definitely my favorite. It’s richer and creamier and just better!

    It looks like you got a lot of great buys.

  • A.Cook
    June 27, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    Your lunch looks so good. I love to eat at the prepared food bars in WF but I find that it always becomes the most expensive part of my trip! They have good Indian food on their bars too! Mm I need to go to Whole Foods this weekend…

    Also I know I am way late with this, but great job on your cake–it looks beautiful!

  • Katie S
    June 27, 2008 at 7:20 pm

    I agree 2% is better… and I love that french goat cheese… so delicious… such a good treat!! Enjoy!! I have to try that wine! Who is it made by?? I’ve never tried rose wine.

  • Amy C.
    June 27, 2008 at 7:44 pm

    That looks delicious! You just made me crave a Whole Foods trip so now I have to go to one after work. 🙂 Enjoy Justin’s nut butters. They are so good! I bought the little packets to make it easy when I want to bring pb with lunch. They’re great.

  • Ozlem
    June 27, 2008 at 7:45 pm

    I just wanted to thank you for your inspirational blog. Since I ran into your blog I -again-started not eating meat and actually have been feeling a lot better in the past 3 weeks. I am 31 weeks pregnant and eating healthy mainly on fruits and veggies also controlled my weight gain which I was very stressed about. I love my children and pregnancy is awesome but I am a runner and a swimmer and I really do not like getting big which for me is inevitable during pregnancy. I feel like it is that perfect excuse to eat that piece of cake – argghhh when the baby does not really need cake but needs nutritional stuff..

    Anyway… Thank you.

    Also at WF you gotta try their Ceasar Salad dressing – if you like Ceasar Salad not only it tastes awesome- does have anchovies in it- but also the price is good and relatively low in calories…

    If you have Trader Joes nearby – do check it out. They too have a Greek Yogurt which is very good and much less expensive than the Fage brand.

    Oh and you got me addicted to the Amy’s pizzas. They are awesome!! Thanks.

  • jenna
    June 27, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Katie,

    The wine is made by “Jean-Luc Colombo Cote Bleue” and is a 2007 Rose de Cote Bleu from Provence. It was only $11.99 (whole foods has an amazing assortment of wonderful wines!) and I was going to save it to take to NC but I think I might have a glass tonight when I cook dinner……haha 😉

  • Chef Erin
    June 27, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    Are those the 100 calorie Justin’s nut butter packets? I know they make them (it’s probably about a tablespoon-ish) in addition to their bigger packets.

    Dinner was soooo yummy last night! 🙂
    (Oh, and my new blog is- http://pumpkin-and-spice.blogspot.com)

  • Danielle
    June 27, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Ahhh, whole foods, how I miss thee! Your groceries look delicious! Thanks for the comment today 🙂 it was nice to hear from you.

  • Danielle
    June 27, 2008 at 9:40 pm

    P.S. You’re wedding cake is bootiful!

  • Runeatrepeat
    June 27, 2008 at 11:01 pm

    Your grocery stash looks great 🙂 I think I might stop at WF because I few a few hours to kill before the BF gets off work. I’ve been avoiding going because I spend soooo much!

  • koootz
    June 28, 2008 at 1:08 am

    im so jealous you have a WF near you! i went to school near 2 and spent a lot of money and time there… when i was depressed or bored or angry i’d go for a run then walk around whole foods for an hour and only buy 2 things because of the dining halls…
    im moving to boston and have already pinpointed out all the WFs near me and im SO excited to fill my fridge!

  • jen
    June 28, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    Hi – I’m a frequent reader but have never commented before. I had to chime in about Fage…I recently tried the Fage 5% (bought it by accident) and it was SOOO much better than the 2% or 0%. The taste and texture are so much creamier, and the creaminess balances out the sourness perfectly. The calories are the same as the 2%, with slightly more fat and less protein. I don’t eat a lot of fat otherwise, so for me the better taste of the 5% is totally worth it. I don’t think I’ll ever go back. I highly recommend it, and just wanted to put it out there since I figure most of us would never try the higher fat one without a specific reason (for me, accidentally grabbing it instead of the 2%).