I Would Never Leave Whole Foods Without These 9 Items as a Mom of Three

If you're shopping on a budget, you've likely noticed that Whole Foods can be pretty pricey compared to other stores. While our family of five makes a trip to Costco each month to save money by buying in bulk, there are some items we either can't find at Costco or prefer to purchase elsewhere.

Any savvy shopper will tell you that the best way to make the most of your grocery budget is to shop at different stores, but it can be challenging to know what's worth buying at every location. Shopping at Whole Foods has many perks, but it's a little too easy to go over budget if you're not careful. That's why if we shop at Whole Foods, we're very intentional about what we plan on buying there (and what items we plan on skipping).

A lot of this comes down to personal preference, but by perusing Reddit threads and some other shopping-related articles, we discovered that some of the most common items other shoppers prefer to buy at Whole Foods include:

• Meat
• Seafood
• Cheese
• Produce
• Bakery Items

No matter what types of items you're looking for, there's a wide assortment of pantry staples, produce, and treats at Whole Foods. Here are some of the items we choose to buy at Whole Foods and some tips on how to save the most while you shop.

Although some items at Whole Foods are certainly more expensive than other stores, there are many ways to save while shopping here as well. Before you shop, download the Whole Foods Market app to look for any deals and coupons.

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get extra discounts at Whole Foods by scanning your Amazon app in-store. Prime members get an extra 10% off storewide sales, excluding alcohol and gift cards.

When it comes to pantry staples such as flour, old-fashioned oats, and olive oil, we stick to buying in bulk at stores like Costco. However, there are many other items worth stocking up on at Whole Foods. Even better when there's a sale going on! Here are the items worth buying at Whole Foods Market.

One of the sections worth checking out is the canned beans. Not only will you find a larger assortment of products than you'll find at most other stores, but the costs don't differ enough to worry about shopping elsewhere. Whether you're planning on making a soup, salad, or stew, try finding the beans you need at Whole Foods.

I'm a huge fan of avocados and see no reason to hide them in dishes. However, I've discovered that avocados lead to an incredibly creamy texture in things like pudding and ice cream. Plus, they taste great with chocolate. If you're looking for some of the best avocado ice cream out there, try some of the options at Whole Foods. The Cado brand is one of the best and includes varieties such as Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel Swirl, and Chocolate Wafer.

Yogurt is another item that's worth buying at Whole Foods if you're looking for an assortment of healthy items. The prices of yogurt at Whole Foods can vary by week and by brand, but there are also selections there you usually can't find at other stores, which makes it worth paying a little more.

Many Whole Foods enthusiasts on Reddit expressed that they prefer to buy meat, especially beef, at Whole Foods. The meat is exceptionally high quality, and the same is true for the seafood at Whole Foods. If you're looking for a specific type of meat or seafood, check the weekly deals to see how much you can save.

If you're looking for alternatives to dairy milk, one of the more popular milk items at Whole Foods is its 365 Almond Milk. This option is considered both affordable and high-quality compared to other almond milk varieties. 365 offers an unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, chocolate almond milk, as well as other options.

The specialty cheeses are one of the best parts of shopping at Whole Foods. You'll find a much wider selection of cheeses compared to Walmart or Target. If you don't want to buy anything too expensive, you can find a wide variety of cheeses in the 365 brand. But if you want something fancier, they have plenty of other options as well.

Peanut butter isn't cheaper at Whole Foods, but if you're looking for something without any unnecessary ingredients, you can't go wrong with the options here. Although Whole Foods does sell other brands, such as Justin's Peanut Butter, the 365 Whole Foods Peanut Butter is great. The only ingredients for this pantry staple are dry-roasted peanuts and salt.

Most Whole Foods fans will rave about the bakery items, but which ones you choose to take home depends on your family's preferences. You can't go wrong with any of the pastries from the bakery, including the fruit turnovers and croissants. They also have a great selection of breads and cookies if you're looking for treats the whole family will enjoy.

Not only does Whole Foods have a great selection of coffee beans, especially compared to other grocery stores, but they also sell some of our favorite brands. Our family loves buying Counter Culture Coffee, and Whole Foods is one of the few stores that sells this brand. They also have a wide selection of La Colombe beans to choose from.

What's on sale at Whole Foods will vary by week, but if you're wary of spending more money on some of the items, be sure to check the sales before you shop. You can get some of the more expensive items for a lot cheaper if you go at the right time.