My first trip to an all natural store

Post from the Past:

This weekend was my first shopping trip at an all natural store.

Oh sure, I have popped into a Trader Joes once or twice before to pick up an item or two but never to do my grocery shopping. So this was an all new experience for me.

Walking up and down the aisles I was totally amazed at how many products they had to offer and at the variety of brands they carried. I was also intrigued by the totally different look and feel of the store. I can’t really explain it besides saying that it was different. The one thought that flashed through my mind was, “this must be how children feel the first time they step foot inside Toys-R-Us.”


After I got over the “ahh” factor I really started to look at the store in a pro-vs-con kind of way.

Pros: Healthier, organic, natural, lots of local products, 10 cents off for each reusable bag including reusable produce bags (all pretty obvious).

Then I started looking at the cons and the #1 con...the price.

I really don’t understand why organic, natural foods cost so much more than “regular” foods. I am willing to pay a little more for organic/natural products but these prices were way more.

Example: $5.95 for a dozen free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

It is really difficult for a family of 4 on a tight budget to be able to shop at this store on a regular basis.

When we got home my husband and I analyzed our purchases. We realized that we could buy some (definitely not all but some) of the same items at our local Wal-mart super store and for much less.

Example: $2.95 a dozen for the same brand of free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

Our Wal-mart does not have the organic apples, the local bread, or the organic cheese that we bought (and loved cuz they were so yummy and are already gone) so now the question becomes, do we shop at 2 different stores?

What about the time and gas that would be spent shopping at 2 different stores that happen to be across town from each other?

Is purchasing just a few items (yogurt, cheese, bread, fruit) at the all natural food store “good enough”?

Addition to Original Post:

I can not believe that it has been 3 yrs since I originally posted this. My, how time flies.
What is even funnier is that this post still holds true!
I still ooh and ahh when I walk down the aisles, I still gasp at the prices, and I still buy whatever organic items I can at chain grocery stores because the prices are lower.
What has changed is the number of organic items that are available at chain stores including generic brands and multiple brands. Now we have more choices! It is all a step in the right direction!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission..