Whole Foods Wednesdays: Eating Healthy on a Budget

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Back in May, our family knew we needed to get healthy, but didn’t know where to start.

My friend Jenni helped us clean out our pantry of foods we should avoid, but how were we supposed to fill it with healthy foods and still stay on our limited budget?

The only place I knew where to start was Whole Foods Market, but I have to admit, I was a little intimidated. What aisle should I focus on? Did I need to buy organic, free-range, or all-natural? Could I still save money AND eat healthy?

So I asked for help…and that’s exactly what I received. Not only were the employees at Whole Foods Market incredibly helpful, they were also exceedingly knowledgeable and genuinely interested in making my shopping experience unlike any other. Whether it was coming out from behind the meat counter to explain the difference between free-range and cage free or having the produce specialist cut into a tomato on the spot so I could taste it, I never had a shopping experience like this.

What I found most exciting was that not only does Whole Foods Market have a great store brand (365 Everyday Value) that’s already a fabulous deal, but they also offer their own coupons via their in-house publication, The Whole Deal, as well as online. When you consider that you can pair their store coupons with manufacturer’s coupons, there are a lot of deals to find at Whole Foods!

I felt that Whole Foods had been getting a bad rap amongst the frugal community, so I approached them about sharing this good budget news and helping educate other budget-conscious individuals about how you can truly eat healthy on a budget at Whole Foods. Luckily, they also thought it was a great idea!

So join me every Wednesday in January for “Whole Foods Wednesdays” where I’ll be joining Linda Nishida, Marketing Team Leader for the Whole Foods Market at Green Hills in Nashville. Together, we’ll help educate each of you on how to save money at Whole Foods while helping your family to truly thrive in their food and lifestyle choices.

This week, we’ll be starting out simply with an introduction to eating healthy on a budget at Whole Foods:

To summarize:
1. When you walk in to your local Whole Foods Market, make sure to grab a flyer with that week’s specials, a Hot Weekend Deals flyer and the current issue of the Whole Deal.

2. In the January 2011 issue of the Whole Deal, you’ll find:
*Coupons and deals off select healthy products, including Whole Foods Market’s Italian Sparkling Mineral Water, 365 Everyday Value artichoke hearts, 365 Everyday Value Complete Body Cleanse, fish oil, supplements and much more! (I love that they even offer coupon off their already low-priced Everyday Value items!)
*A seven-day, 21 meal Health Starts Here meal planner that includes healthy, filling and easy to prepare recipes for your entire family.
*A free “Nutrition Prescription”, a limited-time only complimentary personal eating program from Eat Right America, which includes a 40-page personal health assessment, a 28 day meal plan and daily email support, as well as member access to articles, recipes & forums.

3. Make sure to also stop by their Healthy Eating Center in the store and talk to a specialist about any questions you may have about kick-starting your New Year’s healthy eating plan!

Come back each Wednesday this month for another episode in our video series about Eating Healthy on a Budget at Whole Foods Market!