- As a private chef, I turn to Trader Joe's for all of my pantry staples, which cost me about $60.
- I took that same budget to Whole Foods to see how the grocer compared.
- I wasn't able to get nearly as much at Whole Foods, so I'll stick to Trader Joe's.
As a private chef, I get Whole Foods delivered for my clients a lot. But the total can often seem too high, so I've stayed away from shopping there for my family of three.
Plus, there's a Trader Joe's just down the street from me, and I can get all our weekly staples for about $60.
After seeing and hearing about the interesting, high-quality brands Whole Foods carries, however, my curiosity got the best of me.
I decided to take my Trader Joe's budget to Whole Foods. Here's a dollar-by-dollar breakdown from my trip.
Milk: $4.39
I always get milk for the house, and no matter where I shop, it has to be organic.
A half-gallon carton was $4.39 at Whole Foods, which isn't too far off from the $4.29 I usually spend at Trader Joe's.
Mandarin oranges: $4.99
Some sort of fruit makes it into my basket on every grocery trip, and when the weather cools off, it's usually citrus.
A bag of mandarins at Whole Foods cost a whopping $6.49, but luckily, I got it on sale for $4.99.
Unfortunately, that's still quite a bit more than the $3.49 bags I usually get at Trader Joe's. I balked at the $3 difference of the regularly priced oranges.
Avocados: $4.99
Avocados go quickly in my house, which is tough because they can be pricey.
At Trader Joe's, a bag of six organic avocados costs me $4.49, or about $0.75 apiece. At Whole Foods, however, they were $4.99 for four, or $1.25 each.
I can't justify that price difference, especially considering that the fruit tends to go bad quickly, making it hard to use it all up.
Seaweed packs: $2.99
Seaweed packs are an essential part of our snack arsenal.
I get individual packs for $0.99 at Trader Joe's, so I was shocked to see the same-sized packs go for $2.99 at Whole Foods.
Gluten-free pasta: $3.19
I like buying the 1-pound bags of organic brown rice and quinoa fusilli at Trader Joe's for $3.49. They're a great gluten-free starch option for any given week.
The only gluten-free pasta option I found at Whole Foods was a half-pound box of organic chickpea shells for $3.19. That's almost double the price I pay at Trader Joe's.
Truffle cheese: $8.51
I love picking up a block of cheese for the week for snacking, grilled cheese, and eggs.
My block of choice is Trader Joe's store-brand truffle cheese. It comes from Italy, isn't too truffle-y, and costs $13.99 a pound.
I found a similar store-brand truffle option at Whole Foods. Although the block I picked up was similarly priced to what I tend to get at Trader Joe's, this one went for $22.99 a pound, so it was quite a bit smaller than I'm used to.
Plus, I like the taste of the Trader Joe's brand more.
Tofu: $2.29
I make stir-fried tofu at least once a week. It's a reliable protein source I know the whole family will eat.
A block of Whole Foods organic firm tofu cost me $2.29 — a jump from the $1.99 pack I typically get at Trader Joe's.
Chicken tenders: $11.99
I buy breaded chicken cutlets when I don't have time to prepare them at home. It's easy to crisp them up in my air fryer for lunchboxes and salads, so I'm happy to spend $8.99 for nearly 2 pounds of frozen tenders at Trader Joe's.
At Whole Foods, all I could find was a less-than-1-pound bag for $11.99.
It was a name-brand offering made with a cauliflower coating, so I'm not that surprised it was pricier than a standard store-brand option. I also enjoyed that it was gluten-free, and the meat was a little juicier than my usual Trader Joe's bag.
Still, I'm not sure I'd spend that much again.
Garbanzo beans: $1.39
Garbanzo beans are another trusted source of protein in my house — my daughter will eat them just rinsed out of the can. I also like to get them crispy in a pan with seasonings and some oil.
The $1.39 can of organic chickpeas at Whole Foods was more expensive than I expected, especially since I get the same thing for $1.09 at Trader Joe's.
Tortillas: $4.59
I like having tortillas on hand so I can quickly make cheese quesadillas or breakfast tacos.
Trader Joe's sells a store-brand pack of eight tortillas for $1.99, or $0.24 a tortilla.
The 10-pack I found at Whole Foods from the Vista Hermosa brand was staggeringly more expensive at $4.59, or about $2 apiece. However, the quality of the name-brand bag was noticeably better, and I'd buy them again if I had room to splurge.
Butter: $7.39
I stock up on butter each week because I love baking and spreading it on toast.
A pound of unsalted organic was $6.29 at Trader Joe's and $7.39 at Whole Foods. I found them to taste virtually the same, so the $1.10 difference isn't worth it for me.
Cucumbers: $2.99
Mini cucumbers are another must-have in our fridge. My daughter loves snacking on them, and I like them as an addition to any meal.
At Trader Joe's, a pack is usually $2.49, and the same size pack at Whole Foods was $2.99.
The $0.50 jump isn't that much, but again, Whole Foods' consistently higher prices add up.
