It was founded in the US, and when I was living in San Francisco it was my local supermarket, and a privilege it was indeed. But now I am back in London I've converted to Sainsbury's, which isn't half bad. I like the fact that in Wholefoods each grocery shop is a different experience (dare I say; adventue?), and I can spend an hour or so in their on a good day. The store is primarily organic, sustainable and support the community and the layout of the store is very rustic and is known as 'Americas healthiest grocery store'. You mustn't forget the outstanding and happy service that the staff provide too. But don't go in expecting a bargain, but do expect your tastebuds to be tantalised and ready for samples.
In Kensington there is a cheese corner (so strong they use glass doors for it), a butchers, a fishmongers, a wine cellar, a bar, a greengrocers and coffee bar to grind your own beans. Oh and my favourite corner the nuts and seeds where you find over rabbits and squirrels like me filling up their tubs. And you can even grind them to make your own nut butters, no additives like Skippy etc.
So this week I gave into the urge and ran inside the store and grabbed some new products and have decided to review them altogether.
First up, banana chips and dried whole bananas. So they aren't unique to Wholefoods but it was the first time I had tried a whole dried banana. And I know nearly everything you can do with a banana, I even freeze mine to munch as a snack, they have the most amazing creamy texture. These dried ones have the texture of liquorice and dates, whilst being sweet and healthy. And the banana chips are as expected, crunchy and addictive. I snacked on the bananas on the train and used the chips to top my yogurt. The small bananas you see in the photo are brought from Spain as a 'souvenir' from my mother, and it looks super cute as a family of bananas on a plate. And I know I said don't expect a bargain but all of the dried fruit you see in the photo cost 33p (in weight), cheaper than a packet of crisps!
Second, la fermeiere lemon yogurt. A mousse, definitely a mousse. And I am disappointed with myself that I didn't notice CREAM in the ingredients. It caught my eye because it was in a beautiful clay pot and foil lid. And, obviously, chose citrus. I peeled back the foil lid to the lemon delight that awaited me. It was firm to the touch and when I dug my spoon in I realised it wasn't what I wanted.
The lemon flavour was superb but it was a mousse, a god damn mousse. Cream and sugar are the first ingredients and I am horrified because I always chose healthier yogurts too. I won't be buying this product again, and it cost a whopping £1.99 for a portion and I am used to buying 4 for £1. But I will keep the pot for sure, thinking of up-cycling as a vase. I don't want to do bad reviews but I was disappointed but it was a sweet treat, so don't be scared to go an try this yourself. Let me know what the other flavours are like.....
Up next, are two non-dairy products. And I am not avoiding dairy but am always intrigued. The first review is for the Siesta Carob with Orange bar. Its a non dairy, so added sugar, and gluten free treat. I've always been interested in carob because it tastes so similar to dark chocolate/cacao. With carob having no fat and more carbohydrates compared to cocoa. I chose orange because I believe, with a passion, that it is the perfect matching with chocolate, so possible carob. Unlike many chocolate bars this has only 4 ingredients: carob powder, vegetable fat, soya powder, and orange oil. However it is super high in calories with a 50g bar having 280kcal although has an impressive 6.8g protein and 9g carbs and 22g fat. But the good thing is it fills your craving in about 2 chunks (10g). The texture is less smooth than chocolate but it melts veeerrryyy slowly in your mouth, but is kinda crumbly if you bite straight into it. If you do have a dairy allergy or other reasons to avoid dairy then I do think this is worth a try to find a sweet treat suited for your diet. I would definitely buy it again, and was £1.
Saving the best til last, I will let you into the secret of coconut milk yogurts. COYO produce coconut milk yogurts that are dairy, gluten, soya, lactose and sugar free. I chose the one with the pineapple base; pina colada was running through my mind and then I thought of holidays.
It has a whopping 86% coconut milk and uses xylitol (fruit sugar) to sweeten and tapioca starch to thicken. And they claim to use a a whole coconut per 100g, and is literally 'heaven in a mouthful'. After visiting their website I found out they won the following awards:
Two words: freakin' awesome.
I opened it to the glorious tropical smell of coconut. As i plunged my spoon I could tell how thick it was, as though it was simply blended coconut flesh. But my oh my it was good. Not like a mousse but a luxury greek yogurt, and as I swirled in the pineapple it was like a taste of Hawaii on my tongue. Heavenly. I'm going to buy it again, and sorry but I can't remember the price but was under £2 I know, and cannot wait until I try another flavour. It's a good dairy alternative, and perhaps even better then regular yogurt. Roughly 180kcal per portion, with high fat content as with most coconut products, all healthy I assure you. And the carbohydrates of which sugar is fairly low at 7g but all of which is natural.
What over delicacies have you purchased that are unique to Wholefoods?
Shanie says: 'Waitrose rules.' 'Try dairy free, you'll be surprised'
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