On our way to a family party in Ann Arbor last weekend, hubby and I heard an NPR story about Whole Foods (the grocery store). The owner gave the single most concise and convincing argument that either of us had ever heard for why health food is “expensive.”
Higher quality food costs more money.
I rather pride myself on a low grocery bill and it never occurred to me I was reaching that low bill, in part, by purchasing lower-quality foods. But I have been.
Well, hubby and I decided we would start buying some higher quality foods with the understanding that we would have a higher grocery bill. We will shop some at Whole Foods and some more at the food co-op, where we now only shop regularly for organic milk and nuts.
I am here to report on my first foray into a higher grocery bill. It happened at the fancy-pants Kroger in town. My goals were 1. to purchase higher quality cheeses for my Wisconsin mate and 2. not to purchase any store-brand vegetables.
The result was $57.00 worth of foods ranging from Hot Pockets (combo pizza and chicken and broccoli varieties) to Krispy Kremes to pre-cut watermelon shipped in from God knows where in February. Taking the part about how we had unanimously agreed to spend more on groceries to heart, I used that intention to buy foodcraps that I normally pass on.
As I made my way into the parking lot with my 4 bags of convenience foods it occurred to me that this is perhaps not precisely what we had agreed to. Hmmmmm.
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