How healthy and environmentally friendly is it to shop at Whole Foods?

When we moved about two years ago, one of the things I mourned the most was the loss of a local Whole Foods market. I just couldn't imagine shopping at a conventional supermarket again, after having so many natural food choices right down the street.

Well, sure enough, I adjusted. Belonging to a food coop helps, as does our seasonal membership at a local CSA farm.

A recent article about Whole Foods made me think about my experiences there. Whole Foods is being criticized because they don't carry foods with artificial coloring or trans fats, but they will carry anything else. I found this to be a point of criticism I always had as well. It really is like shopping at any other supermarket in that respect. You need to be a staunch label reader to make sure you are getting the best and healthiest foods.

Another point that was brought up is that Whole Foods doesn't carry much local produce. Because of the environmental impact of the fuel for shipping the produce, buying organic at Whole Foods isn't really as "green" as you might think. That's why belonging to a local CSA farm is a great idea. You get healthy, local produce with no environmental damage.

Yes, Whole Foods is great when you want natural foods readily available, and if you are willing to sometimes pay a little extra for that convenience (although I find Whole Foods to be cheaper than many supermarket natural foods sections). However, we adjusted from doing most of our shopping at Whole Foods twice a week to grabbing a couple of items there every month or two. We have not compromised on the quality of the food we eat, we've just gotten more creative about how to get it.

What is your experience with Whole Foods?