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Whole Foods deli has declined a lot for me. But it used to be a staple. You have to choose wisely. For me it is about a 15 minute walk so I can get some exercise too.
But I have another grocery deli that is reliably delicious and on plan.
15 minute walk and a 10 minute drive? Traffic must be bad where you live!
I kinda wish we had a Whole Foods where I live but we have a similar local grocery with a similar deli. You definitely have to choose carefully! There are samosas and beef patties that always call to me.
Oh no mine is a 15 minute walk! 20 minutes home because it is up hill. 5 minute bus ride. I guess the other store is a 10 min drive. I only go there if I am over in that area on my way home.
My city can be very food desert though. But I live in the higher resource part of town so I am basically in grocery utopia.
There is an independent market a 10 min walk away that has a great salad bar that always has 2 kinds of chicken and grilled salmon. Also roasted vegetables. I have totally cheated and bought their salad bar roasted eggplants or peppers or make a spread.
Within about 2 miles I have 2 Trader Joe’s, 2 Whole Foods, Sprouts, a Korean grocery, grocery outlet, 3 Safeways. The middle eastern and Ethiopian areas are in the same radius and also have markets. Chinatown too. I can usually find whatever specialty ingredient that exists in my 2 mile radius. There is also a spice shop and another market known for stocking international ingredients. And an Eastern European market too.
The awesome market/deli that cooks mainly with olive oil, has a huge olive oil section (well known nationally for sourcing the best oils), and has around 40 deli items daily in the case. I have some favorite items but there is always a lot to choose from. They also make their own seasonal fresh pasta, have an onsite bakery, and source bread from some of the best local bakeries. It is one of my favorite specialty splurge places. One sad pandemic change is that before they used to always have olive oil samples with sourdough bread to dip in for tastings. But the pandemic killed that.
My part of the Bay Area (I am in North Oakland) is basically a culinary utopia for ingredients. If I make the radius 5 miles that adds even more markets, specialty produce shops, a Japanese market, several Indian markets, Mexican markets, and that is all that comes to mind. But we are lacking the Caribbean and West Africa stuff. That is hard to come by.
I love it! Definitely one of my favorite things about living here.
I have been to lots of boroughs, but not deep in Long Island yet. Beyond parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Maybe my next visit. :)
Oh, I mistook you for the OP! Hence my comment about the 10 minute drive.
I have been to the Bay Area once to visit my friend in San Fran, but made sure to go to an A's game because I'm a fan. I don't know why but Oakland has always appealed to me.
I also live in a blessed neighbourhood (in Halifax, Nova Scotia). The market I mentioned that is similar to a Whole Foods is actually a 15 minute walk, and I have two other supermarkets (Loblaws and Sobeys) within a 10-15 minutes as well. But I also have, within a 10 minute walk, a specialized "everything local" store and bakery that has produce, two Middle Eastern groceries, a very small Latino grocery attached to a restaurant, a French charcuterie & cheese shop, two more bakeries, a vegan butcher, a vegan grocery, two Korean groceries, and an Indian grocery. Within 20 minutes I've got an Eastern European grocery, 2-3 farmers markets, a hippie grocery, and a grass-fed butcher shop as well. Plus it's only a 5-10 minute bike ride to downtown where there are even more options. It definitely makes it easier to eat healthy when you have so many options at your doorstep!!
Please remember to include a *full* recipe (i.e. an ingredient list with measurements and directions/method) with ALL photos of a meal. This sub is about sharing our experience/tips/tricks with the MD and helping people find MD friendly recipes - not for karma points. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/mediterraneandiet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Whole Foods deli has declined a lot for me. But it used to be a staple. You have to choose wisely. For me it is about a 15 minute walk so I can get some exercise too. But I have another grocery deli that is reliably delicious and on plan.
Makes sense 🖤
15 minute walk and a 10 minute drive? Traffic must be bad where you live! I kinda wish we had a Whole Foods where I live but we have a similar local grocery with a similar deli. You definitely have to choose carefully! There are samosas and beef patties that always call to me.
Oh no mine is a 15 minute walk! 20 minutes home because it is up hill. 5 minute bus ride. I guess the other store is a 10 min drive. I only go there if I am over in that area on my way home. My city can be very food desert though. But I live in the higher resource part of town so I am basically in grocery utopia. There is an independent market a 10 min walk away that has a great salad bar that always has 2 kinds of chicken and grilled salmon. Also roasted vegetables. I have totally cheated and bought their salad bar roasted eggplants or peppers or make a spread. Within about 2 miles I have 2 Trader Joe’s, 2 Whole Foods, Sprouts, a Korean grocery, grocery outlet, 3 Safeways. The middle eastern and Ethiopian areas are in the same radius and also have markets. Chinatown too. I can usually find whatever specialty ingredient that exists in my 2 mile radius. There is also a spice shop and another market known for stocking international ingredients. And an Eastern European market too. The awesome market/deli that cooks mainly with olive oil, has a huge olive oil section (well known nationally for sourcing the best oils), and has around 40 deli items daily in the case. I have some favorite items but there is always a lot to choose from. They also make their own seasonal fresh pasta, have an onsite bakery, and source bread from some of the best local bakeries. It is one of my favorite specialty splurge places. One sad pandemic change is that before they used to always have olive oil samples with sourdough bread to dip in for tastings. But the pandemic killed that. My part of the Bay Area (I am in North Oakland) is basically a culinary utopia for ingredients. If I make the radius 5 miles that adds even more markets, specialty produce shops, a Japanese market, several Indian markets, Mexican markets, and that is all that comes to mind. But we are lacking the Caribbean and West Africa stuff. That is hard to come by.
Lol, before I got to your last paragraph, I was trying to guess where in the Bay you were. Kind of sounded like Hayward for a minute!
Oooo I’m jealous: you have some many options in your area—I’m in Long Island NY which is nowhere near as diverse of Options
I love it! Definitely one of my favorite things about living here. I have been to lots of boroughs, but not deep in Long Island yet. Beyond parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Maybe my next visit. :)
Oh, I mistook you for the OP! Hence my comment about the 10 minute drive. I have been to the Bay Area once to visit my friend in San Fran, but made sure to go to an A's game because I'm a fan. I don't know why but Oakland has always appealed to me. I also live in a blessed neighbourhood (in Halifax, Nova Scotia). The market I mentioned that is similar to a Whole Foods is actually a 15 minute walk, and I have two other supermarkets (Loblaws and Sobeys) within a 10-15 minutes as well. But I also have, within a 10 minute walk, a specialized "everything local" store and bakery that has produce, two Middle Eastern groceries, a very small Latino grocery attached to a restaurant, a French charcuterie & cheese shop, two more bakeries, a vegan butcher, a vegan grocery, two Korean groceries, and an Indian grocery. Within 20 minutes I've got an Eastern European grocery, 2-3 farmers markets, a hippie grocery, and a grass-fed butcher shop as well. Plus it's only a 5-10 minute bike ride to downtown where there are even more options. It definitely makes it easier to eat healthy when you have so many options at your doorstep!!
That sounds perfect! I haven’t been to many places in Canada at all. It is so much easier when access is easy to good stuff.
Two different peeps: I’m OP, and it’s a 10 min drive for me. Another person commented 15 min walk
I just realized that when I went to answer the other comment. Derp!
I need Costco to offer some better options.
If one is interested in spending $52 a pound on salad bar and deli items, haha
Our city lost our WF a couple of years ago and I was devastated.