It’s easy to shop freely at Whole Foods when you think everything is healthy. Yes it’s gummy bears, but it’s gummy bears from Whole Foods, so they’re healthy, right? Unfortunately, no.
We’ve compiled a list of items you should avoid at Whole Foods based off of advice from nutritionists and experts and customer reviews, whether it’s because they’re overpriced, unhealthy, or poor quality. Keep reading for all the details.
1. Cold Pressed Juice
First up on the list is Cold Pressed Juice, and this comes at the recommendation of nutritionist Brenda Turner. "If you want to get healthier, leaner, and lower your inflammation levels," she says, "you have to stay away form the pressed juice. It's just so much sugar."
Instead, she recommends eating a serving or two of fresh fruit in the morning, thereby getting all the vitamins and minerals that are lost when you drink just the juice.
2. Crystallized Ginger Chunks
While this snack might seem healthy because it's ginger (which is great for you!), from Whole Foods, and in that buy-in-bulk section that makes you feel like you're the cleanest eater out there, there's actually only two ingredients in this snack, and one of them is sugar. Way too much sugar!
Shoppers instead recommend buying fresh ginger root. You can eat it as is—thought that won't be very tasty—or you can blend it into a smoothie or shake.
3. Apple Cereal Bars
These Apple Cinnamon Cereal Bars are from Whole Foods' own brand, 365. Though these seem like a god snack because the front of the box says "Made with organic grains" and "good source of 6 B vitamins," according to Jessica Crandall, a Certified Diabetes Educator, they're nothing more than "a glorified candy bar." Just one bar has over 17 grams of sugar! According to the American Heart Association, women are only supposed to have 25 grams of sugar per day, so consuming over half of that with one snack isn't the best choice.
4. Frozen Bean & Cheese Burrito
According to Whole Foods superfan Paul Stephen, while this $2.39 frozen burrito might seem like a great choice for a quick dinner when you're not feeling like cooking, you might want to look elsewhere. "When cooked in a microwave," Paul says, which, let's be honest, if you're buying a frozen bean & cheese burrito, you're not taking the time to put it in the oven.
"This burrito expelled a ton of water, rendering the dense tortilla a soggy mess with the bean mixture exploding from one corner. The whole beans included in the puree were grainy and tough. No. Just no."
5. Back to Nature Plant Based Crackers
Next up are these Back to Nature Plant Based Crackers. While these are another item that seem like a healthy alternative to regular crackers, it's more of a farce than anything else. "These crackers have grains—wheat flour, that's a grain," nutritionist Brenda Turner points out. "But then there's other stuff. Cane sugar, brown rice syrup, all that stuff is in there, and you don't want that."
"Instead," she suggests, "go for Simple Mills. Grain-free crackers made from almond flour. They're just using nuts and seeds, which are much better for the blood sugar and the digestive system."
6. Eggs
This one may be surprising, but you may want to buy your eggs elsewhere. Why? Well, for the simple reason that they're overpriced. Whole Foods has that ability that only name brands have to jack up the price of an everyday item, and people will still buy it. Visit any grocery store like Stop & Shop or even Walmart and purchase the organic, cage-free eggs for a much cheaper price but the same quality.
7. Creamy Peanut Butter
The organic creamy peanut butter from Whole Foods seems like it would be a safe bet, right? Wrong! Turner pointed out that the front of the jar says "90% peanuts," and according to her, that's "your warning sign."
"The rest is highly inflammatory seed oils," she explains, "which won't do you any good." Instead, look for peanut butter where the only ingredient is peanuts. And maybe salt, if you're feeling crazy!
8. Gummy Bears
Sometimes, you just want some candy, and it's easy to convince yourself they're not as bad as the Haribo brand because they're the Whole Foods brand. However, according to a customer review, if you've already made the decision to eat some candy, you should just go for your favorite brand.
One dissatisfied customer wrote a review describing the smell as "cough syrup-y," and the texture wasn't any better. "Their tapioca starch base provides zero yummy joy, instead chewing like a mushy Swedish Fish. That starch immediately glues itself to the teeth, making the Robitussin taste nearly impossible to wash away."
9. Yogurt Covered Cranberries
Another sneaky snack that seems healthy, but is actually just a ton of sugar. These yogurt covered cranberries are so delicious, it's easy to eat a ton of them and convince yourself it's a healthy snack. But in reality, just 16 yogurt covered cranberries have 25 grams of sugar, which is the daily recommended limit for women! These is more like candy than fruit, despite how they're advertised.
10. Premade Salad Kits
Another quick and seemingly healthy option for an on-the-go meal is yet another miss in the eyes of nutritionist Brenda Turner. "I don't love these premade salad kits," she says. "Avoid these, these are overpriced, not healthy, usually filled with junky toppings."
Instead, try buying the ingredients you like fresh, and making the salad yourself. While it might take a little extra time, in the end it'll save you money and taste better, because it's full of only the ingredients that you want.
11. Organic BBQ Sauce
The OrganicVille Original Organic BBQ has the word "organic" in the name twice, so you wouldn't be dumb to think it's the healthiest version of BBQ sauce you can find. However, if you take a peek at the ingredients list, two forms of sugar show up in the first three ingredients. Too-sweet BBQ sauce isn't delicious anyways!
12. Flour Tortillas
The Whole Foods 365 Flour Tortillas are another item you're tricked into thinking is healthy just because it's the Whole Foods brand. But in reality, according to health-conscious shoppers, "they're filled with vegetable oil highly inflammatory, and full of gums and emulsifiers, all of which will aggravate your gut." Stay away from these!
13. Fresh Fish
Finally, customers complaining of bad quality fish have taken to Reddit to share their woes. "I bought salmon again last night, and I confirmed with the man behind the counter that the fish had indeed came in today," one user wrote. "When I got home, it had this weird smell, even after rinsing it well with water. Does anyone else experience this?"
And other customers agreed that they did! "I bought some salmon from Whole Foods the other day and I get it home and it's bad. Smelly and definitely not fit to eat."
