Whole Paycheck? Whole-heartedly!

Photo of my local Whole Foods courtesy of: ayustety

You've heard it before. Whole Wallet. Whole Paycheck. The various nicknames for Whole Foods Market. I used to be on that bandwagon too until I really gave it a chance. There isn't one near my home so I would only go on occasion to the one near my work. The parking lot was always crowded and somehow I always seemed to spend too much money. The store is stocked with healthy organic produce which I love, as well as a lot of options for meatless and vegan meals, but didn't think I could afford to shop there for all of my groceries.

I guess you could say I'm a convert!

 Several months ago our office moved so that we are right.next.door. to Whole Foods. So, the appeal to me now is that I don't have to drive there or deal with their clusterf--- parking lot. I can just walk there! And the variety of things I can have for lunch is endless. Not to mention, I typically run out at lunch time to pick up groceries  here and there for home, and now I don't have to make a separate trip for groceries AND lunch. NICE.

Green goodness

The groceries there didn't get any cheaper, but I am looking at the big picture here. I am not using gas to get there, and I am not spending money on going out for lunch. At least not technically. What I have been doing is going there and buying the makings for my healthy organic lunches (typically salads) and assembling my meals at work. I realize this may not be easy/convenient for everyone to do, but it totally works for me. I have picked up lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocados, shelled sunflower seeds, packets of tuna or canned chicken and salad dressing and other items like yogurt and raw almonds from the bulk bins for snacks. And on days when I need some variety I have either picked out items from their salad bar, or from the various hot meal choices in their buffet area. Overall, I am still saving money at Whole Foods. Who woulda thunk it?

I'm always open to new ideas to make incorporating fresh and organic foods into my life easier. How do you do it? Go green and have a great day!

Guilty Pleasure: Burrito Baby

Aaah. I call it a burrito baby because its HUGE. As I cradled it in my arms on my way back to my office, it was almost like a preemie. Seriously.

This burrito baby is a guilty pleasure. It is a veggie burrito and they did not hold back on the guacamole or cheese. At least I told them to hold the sour cream and got black beans instead of pinto. And, well, because its HUGE. I know, I said that already.

Not to mention, it  is from Whole Paycheck Foods. I love that place. But things aren't cheap there, and somehow I can never leave getting only what I went in for. Somehow my burrito baby ended up costing almost $20.

My only regret is that I devoured the whole thing and I need a nap.