The winner of the Enjoy Life crunchy cookie giveaway (using a random number generator) is #449: katie! Congratulations katie — I have sent you an email!
I found myself in quite the conundrum yesterday.
You see, I had spent the day with my friend who lives in the city — we are experts at laying in the sun, getting sand everywhere, and talking. I’m pretty sure the only time we ever stopped was when she conked out for twenty minutes.
But anyways — back to that difficult decision. I wanted to get back on the road at 3 to miss the afternoon rush hour. I sat in traffic on the way into the city, and that was the last thing I wanted to sit in on the way home. I live about 30 minutes outside of the Chicago, but if I hit traffic, it could take up to an hour and a half to make it home.
Enter in Whole Foods…. the Lincoln Park Whole Foods is only 1 mile away from her apartment. Dare I risk hitting traffic to hit up my favorite store of all time?
I’m going to take that picture above as a “yes”. Even if I were to hit traffic, I would be happy to know I stocked up on some essentials at Whole Foods.
Bonus time at the Lincoln Park location? Free parking! Instead of paying $1093209 for 20 minutes in the city, I got to pull my car into a parking spot knowing I wouldn’t get have a parking ticket when I came out. Total win.
I was sticking to the essentials when I went in there, and unfortunately didn’t have the time to mosey around and find new products. This was a business trip — and unfortunately, business trips don’t allow for DIY Trail Mix Bars. Total lose.
Lincoln Park Whole Foods has the best bulk bins I’ve ever seen at any other Whole Foods location. Some people think bulk bins are disgusting — I’m not one of them. I live for bulk bins. I’m all about that cheap, organic fix.
From the bins, I got nutritional yeast, coconut flakes, raw organic cashews, and organic quinoa.
I also picked up some SO Delicious creamy vanilla ice cream and a Cranberry Kombucha. Yes, those were essentials. Oh! And I got some white miso, which I used to make Jenna’s Oil Free Pesto (best recipe of my life — for real).
I figured if anything, getting stuck in traffic wouldn’t be that bad — if it got really hairy, I could always make a Kombucha float with my vanilla ice cream. Nothing says Chicago traffic like busting out vanilla ice cream because you don’t want it to melt.
And contrary to popular belief in the above photo, I really do have hair. And I don’t look like an alien. But I really do love my kombucha.
The verdict on the traffic? It made me want to rip my hair out — but only for about an hour of my life. The rest was smooth sailing. And the ice cream was really good too (meaning it didn’t melt too much — wouldn’t that have been a sight to see?)
Lesson learned? Whole Foods always trumps traffic.
Question: What is your favorite item to get at Whole Foods? If you’ve never gone to Whole Foods, what is something you dream about buying?
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
Ooher, why would the bulk bins be gross? That I don’t understand!
I don’t blame you for going - I will travel the whole way across London to get to my favourite WFs
Favourite things? Anything from the hot bar (ie dinner) and new chocolate! OH they have so much there…
I guess some people don’t like them because there’s stories of them being unsanitary!
I loved the few days I got to spend in Chicago for a conference… I definitely want to go back during the nice weather!
We sure do have crazy weather - horrible winters, beautiful summers!!
I don’t have a Whole Foods near me and have only been to one twice in my life…WAHHH!
I will say, however, that when I did go, I fell in love with the hot bar. Probably a good thing I don’t have one within 2-1/2 hrs of me!
I am so so sorry for you. The hot bar is definitely tricky. I love it, but also pay like $20 every time I go.
A trip to Whole Foods beats traffic in my book, too.
I love the bulk bins [though I usually stick to the local food coop for those bulk items], and I like to wander through the body products. I found a great new deodorant on one of my last trips. It’s a crystal deodorant spray, and I think I like it even better than Tom’s. Good stuff!
I’m all about those bulk bins! Especially their wasabi peas. Holy goodness. I could eat these by the pound. No lie.
My fave WH score is Daiya, since it’s the only place I can get my hands on it and I’m totally addicted. My tummy is getting less and less okay with real dairy - Daiya beats the bloat!
Can you believe I’ve never had Daiya?
Hot bar/salad bar food! And kombucha.
They had no samples yesterday! Which was for the best because I needed to get in and out!
I always have a similar conundrum because the nicest Whole Foods in our state (and frankly the nicest of any I’ve seen) is RIGHT in the middle of terrible traffic near downtown Atlanta. I end up wanting to scream by the time I actually pull up to Whole Foods…but the store is SO worth it. I’m willing to fight the traffic every once in a while.
I love trying all there cheese samples! They are amazing!
They didn’t have any samples out yesterday - which was good because I had to get in and out!!
I wish I could show you my 5 isle (very short isles mind you) grocery store. You’d feel like a lucky duck! You’ll be glad you stopped and braved traffic ever time you eat the stuff you got.
I’m jealous and now want to call my best friend!
Oh thank God for good friends, I bet you will be soaring in the clouds for days with a meet-up like that; sun, sand, and talking!
HAHA—->Alien + no hair…I love it! Chicago is wonderful…I’m going downtown Saturday I think! I may want to check out that whole foods too!
As far as what I love to buy there…purple asparagus!! And everything from this dinner!!
http://www.navigatingnorth.com/2011/06/great-family-grateful-girl.html
Scratch that…Trader Joes, not Whole Foods in that link!
Oh I’m so jealous! I’m always reading about how great Whole Foods is but there aren’t any in Ireland
I think I read once that they have a granola bar where you can pick your mix…if that’s true then I’d be all over that! Bulk bins sound fun too.
I’m so sorry there are no Whole Foods in Ireland! You should protest until they bring you one!
I dont have one in my city ( or any where near me) BUT I am hopefully going for like the THRID time ( in my life) tommorow
I am going to re-stock my Lara and Luna Bars. Dive into their free samples and go COMPLETELY crazy in there….seriously !!
Go buckwild girl!!
I don’t even KNOW what one item I would pick as my favourite. I’ve only a been a few times (I know…I’m deprived), and the most recent time we were in a hurry, so I didn’t get the appropriate time (aka: 5 hours) to look around. I love their salads and all the nice looking prepared stuff, but I also love the items that I know I can’t get at my local health food store. Gaaah, I can’t decide Chelsey!!
I love all of the neat products that whole foods carries. I don’t have one in my area and the closest one is about 1 hour and 30 min away so whenever I make a trip, I like to stock up!!
Blueberry muffin larabars are my fav buy there!
I introduced my friend Annie to the WF bulk bins. It was instant love.
I also love that they have bulk candy bins… what?
I know, right?
I live in Austin by the flagship store but I only go once in a blue moon cause my grocery store is well stocked. When I do go, I buy obscure flavors of Lara Bar (I get apple pie, cherry pie, and peanut butter cookie Lara bars from Costco).
I’d have to agree…whole foods pretty much trumps anything in my book
ALWAYS break for whole foods
I like organic pink lady apples so simple, but they are an addiction for me! I can only get them at WF too. That ice cream brand is AMAZING. NEver tried plain vanilla though. I wish our WF was that nice because I love bulk bins, ours just aren’t that great here.
I usually pick up chia seeds and coconut flour at WF. I’m gonna have to try the coconut flakes!
Ugh Whole Foods is my total nemesis. Did you go to the new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park?? It’s huuugee! I always go a little crazy, but the bulk bins are for sure my down fall!
That’s the one I went to - it is so big, which is why I was glad I had to get in and out!
I always do bulk at Whole Foods.. although that bulk section is bigger then any I’ve ever seen. I’d be in heaven!!
I get all my grains in bulk.. will also get Kombucha.. otherwise.. I do my shopping else where because its too pricey for me!
Definitely the bulk bins-people think they’re gross? Really? So many different types of beans and so little time. And the olive bar. I love the olive bar. I always pick up an “emergency BBQ Chicken Pizza” for my boyfriend just in case I’m cooking vegetables he won’t touch with a ten foot pole. Seriously. There’s always at least one in the freezer.
We don’t have a Whole Foods up here in my part of Canada, but I’ve always wanted to go… especially to hit up the salad bar. Is it sad that Whole Foods is on my list of places to visit when I go down to the States?
Absolutely not. I’ll take you.
Whole Foods is my dream come true. I could wander around that place for days learning about all the products. In fact, I think tomorrow calls for a trip to WF!
The Whole Foods in Lincoln Park is RIDIC! Has to be one of the best. I frequent the one in Lakeview and am a big fan of their grab and go options - they offer food made by local restaurants. I also love their hot slices of vegan pizza!
I so wish that we had a Whole Foods in my town! We have one in Memphis (about an hour away) and one in Nashville (two hours away) - the one in Nashville is my favorite! It’s right next to Anthropologie, Whole Body, and West Elm! All stores that I cannot afford, but I love them. I always always buy coconut flour at WF, and I also always hit up the bulk bins for nuts, nutritional yeast, granola, and some wasabi peas (or something else fun). Next time I’m going to look for the organic quinoa!
It looks like you had a great day with your friend! How fun!
the lincoln park WF is the best thing ever! I live like 10 minutes away, I have to stop myself from going too often
You definitely made a good choice! The closest WF to me is 22 miles, but my boyfriend has 2 within five minutes. I did the same and stocked up the other day! Those bulk bins trump the one I went to any day, for sure, and I’m so jealous!
I’m not sure what my favorite item is. I do love Artisana Coconut Butter but they totally didn’t have any on my most recent trip. My favorite part of WF, though…the SALAD BAR!
I love the bulk bins, but our WF’s bulk selection is tiny! On a typical trip, I usually get my protein powder, salsa, and meat.
Our hot bar/hot food selection is tiny at our WF.
On vacation, we went to Whole Food’s for breakfast every day, the pancakes were soooo good!
I LOVE the So Delicious ice creams! The NSA vanilla is to DIE FOR. And I’m all for the bulk bins too- dried fruit all the way!
I’ve actually never been to Whole Foods. The closest one is about 45 minutes away, and I’ve never made the trip up there!
Going to WF is definitely worth sitting in traffic for!
I love the bulk bins there too, but it’s always a risk for me because of cross contamination with nuts. I take the risk anyways though haha. My favourite thing to get there is seitan because I have never found it at any other store around here.
I live 5 minutes from WF. It can be trouble. I love their vegan pizza (and Im not even vegan), fresh fruit and veggies (pineapple…omg) and their mango guac.
I dont buy Kombucha though..we all grow our own
the trail mix bar steals my heart every time I enter Whole Foods! I’m big on the bulk bins, too. and the make-your-own nut butter? stop me now.
I’m so jelaous of anyone living in America, and how you guys can access such MASSIVE whole food stores. I still havent been to wholefoods on my next trip to London I am going to definite, but the London ones have nothing on America. ahah
Hope you have had a great day
Love Jess. xxx
Uh-Oh. Chels-dogg just rode up. Cue music*
It’s getting REAL in the whole foods parkin lot…..
(0:
bahaha - I was totally singing that in my head!!!
ahh I went to the whole foods capital in austin and it was the best experience of my life unfortunately my tiny one will never live up to the standards I set.
I have never been to Whole Foods! Crazy, right?! The nearest one is at least an hour and a half away (without DC traffic!). BUT I will be going tomorrow!!!!!! I’m very excited to buy some bulk grains and maybe pick up the nutritional yeast you always talk about
Oh man, if I am REALLY going to have a treat, I’ll get the Coconut Bliss Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. I can’t have in the house, I have no control, so I just wistfully pass it by every time I’m in WF.
The bulk bins can be gross, I’ve seen kids(at other stores)digging around in them, and adults serving themselves with BARE HANDS!!! Yuck! I still buy bulk things like nutritional yeast out of them though.
You should try “Annie’s Cashew, Sesame and Pimento Dip” It’s not THE annie’s brand, it’s some other annies. Here’s pretty much the only thing I could find on it, since they don’t seem to have a website: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/03.30.05/dining-0513.html
To tell you how good it is, I have a friend from Canada who lives here. I got her ADDICTED to this stuff, she in turn got her visiting sister ADDICTED and when their mom came to visit, she bought a bunch and took them with ice packs back to CANADA.
Also:Daiya. Only good melted, and better mixed with Follow Your Heart and melted.
Haha I couldn’t agree more! Do you think those bulk bins have peanut flour?? I can’t find it anyway and need it (well, really want it!).
I don’t think they have peanut flour - but it’s worth a try!
I haven’t been to WF in a long time, but I love their salad bar and hot bar. It’s worth going just for that!
Ahh I love the bulk bins too! and the epic salad bar at WF is amazingggg
I LOVE THE WF IN THE US!! SO much better than the UK one.. so many cooler products!! gah i wna go again!!! ive never tried kombucha.. im scared!!! bulk bins rock! i got oat bran there for my dorm!
I hated kombucha the first time I tried it - but I guess it was the flavor of it I didn’t like. My favorites are cranberry and strawberry!
There are people who think the bulk bins are gross? Those people suck. I live for WF bulk bins! The other day I made a stop at WF for “the essentials.” When did nutritional yeast, raisins and chia seeds become my idea of essential? Whatever, I like it that way
Those are totally essentials - are yo ukidding me?!?
Trail mix barrrrr <3
I used to go to that lincoln park whole foods all the time! if its the same one, its pretty new right? it was SO nice! i tried not to go since im poor haha but it sucked me in!
Yes it’s really new!
I’ve never been to a Whole Foods, they’re all about an hour away
I dream of going there and making one of those salads the other bloggers always have pictures of, they always look so good. We have a place called Dales but it’s tiny and I buy flax seeds from their bins, it’s a better value than trying to get flax at the regular grocery store.
Great post! I’m a huge Kombucha fan too
The closet one to me is an hour away. They just built a new one in Charlottesville and its really nice! I love their hot foods section, they have jocolat bars, the bulk section. Sometimes I just like to gawk at their cakes too.
“I live about 30 minutes outside of the Chicago, but if I hit traffic, it could take up to an hour and a half to make it home.”-
I used to live all over the city, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, WRigleyville but worked out in Naperville/Lisle and Downers Grove areas and would spend 90 mins MANY DAYS in traffic. UGH!! Hate that about chicago!
Kaite, me? There are too many Katie’s!!
I love the bulk bins. They don’t gross me out at all.
I go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s after a really stressful day @ work…totally the best therapy ever- love BOTH of those stores.
No whole foods near me!!
I want to visit their salad bar and pick up nooch sooo badly!!
Whole Foods is always a good decision- even if it means you had to endure some traffic. And I can’t believe that you have a WF that makes you pay for parking! And that Trail Mix bar looks fantastic- I wish my WF had one of those! And I’ve never gotten anything from the bulk bins before but I’ll have to try them out! I love the WF Salad Bar and hot foods- and I haven’t had the butternut squash tamales but my co-worker says they are amazing!
The parking in Chicago is just ridiculous - I just meant that this was one of the “only” places in Chicago where you dn’t have to pay!
I really must grocery shop at whole foods sometime. I still never have, though I’ve definitely indulged in the salad/hot bar. That thing is… so amazing. So much selection of awesome deliciousness. I want to try coconut butter. Do they sell that there?
i definitely would have chosen whole foods and some traffic instead of no whole foods! and i love their bulk bins - seriously the best invention, in my opinion. you can get exactly how much you want of very precise things (sometimes i just get a few cashews and a few pieces of dried fruit for a car snack after the store).
favorite thing at whole foods? their amazing produce and their crazy desserts are probably my top two!
I have heard the lincoln park whole foods is the best one ! I went to the one in the city and it was not that great! U are looking sexy and tan girl!!! Love it! I say whole foods was SO worth the traffic ; ) Missed you!!!!!
I’ve missed you tooo!!! Only a couple of weeks until our meet upt!
I wish there were Whole Foods in Australia!!!! Everytime I see someone post about one, I want to go!
Oh yes, Whole Foods always trumps traffic! The Lincoln Park WF is my favorite!! Especially since it’s super close to both a Trader Joe’s and a Starfruit frozen yogurt! Triple win
WHAAAT!!! I never knew there was a starfruit closeby! There is a great juice place nearby!
There is ALWAYS time for Whole Foods! Sounds like you hit the jackpot.
Yey for the Lincoln Park Whole Foods! I did a post about it and called it Foodie Heaven because it’s simply amazing!
I love that trail mix bar!
My fav whole foods treat is Kombucha. Little pricey but soo yummy!
Kombucha floats, now you’re talking!
I’m glad someone got what I was thinking!
oh how i love whole foods. i love kombucha, their sushi, wine, and cold and hot bars.
I wish to buy some bulk items!!
I wish I had a Whole Foods closer to me.
I love hitting up the bulk bins!
I got a couple of pounds of organic rolled oats for super cheap the other day!
My faves: Grind-your-own almond butter, pre-made pizza dough, and dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice from the bulks. I’m a new follower of your blog, really enjoy it!
Why would bulk bins be disgusting? They are awesome.
Kombucha and bulk cashews!!
I ALMOST went to that whole foods yesterday!! Instead I decided to scoot up to the one in evanston to beat traffic! haha! How funny! I love that Whole Foods, all the different sections are so exciting!
Whole Foods is always greater than Traffic. My Whole Foods is a good 35 minutes away from me and I ALWAYS have to battle the Jacksonville traffic on the highway. Granted Jacksonville traffic isn’t anything like Chicago, but it is still pretty bad.
I would have done the exact same thing! Whole Foods trumps lots of things in my book! And I am the queen of the bulk bin section! What’s not to love? Any amount you’d like and cheap cheap cheap! I cannot step foot inside a WF’s without buying Siggi’s yogurt!