Why is Whole Foods prepared food so relentlessly bland?

Whole Foods was declining in quality years before Bezos bought it. Now, they offer few items that can't be found at both higher quality and lower price elsewhere.

u know theyr owned by an uber right wing austriian family....Trumpian. is this tru?

I like some of their baked goods but I am trying to get away from all that anyway

Spot on - looks good, but devoid of flavor. This has been true for a long time, certainly before Amazon bought them. There is a new one near where I work with a tandoori hot bar. All the curries have dry and taste free protein, but the chutneys and naans are really good. Wegman’s is much better.

I go to Sprouts. They have what I want at a decent price.

Agree!!! So bland!!!

Not just bland, but really fatty. Whole Foods has an entirely undeserved reputation for being healthy when it seems all their prepared food is bland and drowning in fat.

[quote]u know theyr owned by an uber right wing austriian family....Trumpian.

[quote]is this tru?

Which is it?

Dummies. Whole Foods was NEVER a Health Food Store. It's just a LUXURY supermarket.

Where else am I going to shop? Seriously

It's a store for the most basic, bougie white people. That's why.

The hot food bar at my WFM got better over the last six months. Still too much Indian food, though. It's 1/4 Indian food. Yesterday I got there early (lunchtime). Half was breakfast, which is truly dreadful. 1/4 was Indian food, as always. 1/4 was Chicken Stifado and something inedible. So I had Chicken Stifado, which was as good as you can expect from any hot food bar, and salad, with BV and EVOO.

Looks nice, zero taste.

Yet another example of why canola oil should be banned.

All and all would rather have bland prepared foods than something over seasoned, especially with salt.

One can always add a bit of something to spice up store bought meals if needed, but once there is too much salt or something the things is inedible IMHO.

Here in NYC things seem to go extreme. Won't go near old school supermarket roasted chicken or turkey for all the salt, and they often are dry. Certain places like Citarella do very good roasted chicken, duck, turkey, sushi, etc...

Way expensive too since they charge by weight.

The prepared foods at Fresh Market are better tasting and cheaper, IMO.

With so many mod cons that cook things rather quickly don't see why so many eat prepared foods. Throw a lamb chop into a hot oven, what's to keep it from getting done?

It's gotten worse since Bezo's bought it. The quesadillas used to be $6.99 and stuffed with the filling ingredients. Now they're $8.99 with half as much inside and bland, bland, bland.

Likewise the baked goods. WhoFoo packaging proclaims "Butter, butter, butter" but the flavor doesn't. I haven't tried everything like for like or I'd be as big as a house but Wegman's products overall seem better. And nobody beats Market Basket's two-for-$6.99 lobster rolls - small but perfect.

Whole Foods doesn't even have raw milk in the states where it is legal.

Dunno. Don't care. Their entire vibe is so jacked-up and the employees are so full of themselves that I no longer shop there any more. Haven't for years. It's like it doesn't exist. And yes, before I stopped shopping there, I noticed the food -- across the board -- was getting really bad. Don't even get me started on the prices. NOPE.

Bezos's ulcer don't like spicy foods. It can't deal with anything spicier than brown rice and broccoli—maybe some mashed potatoes. Bezos's ulcer needs simple foods and billions of dollars.

Maybe he should eat more fruit.

[quote]Their entire vibe is so jacked-up and the employees are so full of themselves that I no longer shop there any more. Haven't for years.

I'd be interested in hearing your assessment of today's Whole Foods vibe, its jacked-upness quotient.

The employees who were "so full of themselves" have either left or become so deflated and misery-filled, it's a whole 'nother store (WIP, Ryan, Allan, cute fish guy from Tacoma). Now what you encounter are the Prime Fresh shoppers, whose aggressive, "get the FUCK out of my way" glares and other tactics have turned shopping at WFM into a cross between Costco and the Hunger Games.

I hate going there now so much, I don't anymore unless I need cream, eggs, butter, or fish. And some cheeses. Whole Foods remains the best and most convenient place for me to buy those items.

All plant-based dieting is woo.

They have store-made tortilla chips that are amazing

Siete low-carb tortilla chips are better.

Is there ANY chain restaurant with decent prepared food? It's all bland to appease the majority of Americans that have baby tastes.

[quote]low-carb tortilla chips

What in the name of Diana Kennedy is a "low-carb tortilla chip"?

[quote] What in the name of Diana Kennedy is a "low-carb tortilla chip"?

An abomination before God. Next question.

All these crappy seed oils and high fructose corn syrup are literally killing us. Not one politician has proposed doing anything about it. Even a Whole Foods is part of the problem to some extent because organic junk food is still junk food. Would you buy crack if it was labeled “organic”?

r29 You're a supercunt extraordinaire, Sylvia. Do choke on a chip, any variety.

shitty cunts

Maybe go to the supermarket to buy ingredients to cook yourself? Instead of taking to the Internet to complain about other peoples' cooking?

Not surprised. Doesn't the Whole Foods demographic have a proclivity for bland food?

That is interesting. I thought I was the only one. I go up there for lunch occasionally because the hot/salad bar looks so good and yet ... I'm always a little disappointed. It isn't bad, it is just meh.

Of course, I meant "chain supermarket" -- brain fart.

Since you don’t actually need non-animal-based products to live, you can get grass fed and organic meats online if you have to. You may even spend less money in the long run.

The first time I ate from their hot buffet, about 6 or so years ago it wasn't bad. I remember I had short ribs and mac&cheese. Then I didn't go there for a couple of years and when I did the food had turned to shit. I do not like spicy hot food at all so it's not that the food wasn't spicy enough, it was just tasteless. I had it again, for the last time, maybe 6 or 7 months ago and it was even worse. That's it. It's so fucking expensive that it's not one of those meals you just take a chance on. They have a separate area of the store that makes pizza. I tried that and it was shit too, very plastic tasting, like Costco only not just $1.99 like Costco. At least that is plastic food for cheap money.

I do like some of the 365 organic products that are good and sell at a good price and now I buy those online from Amazon and never step foot inside a WF.

R16-I've been to the Fresh Market. Their pies, cakes, cookies etc have artificial flavoring and coloring. Why would you shop at a place like that?

They tend to pitch to a white upscale clientele, OP, and white people tend not to season their food as much as PoC.

[quote] Their pies, cakes, cookies etc have artificial flavoring and coloring. Why would you shop at a place like that?

You realize you're posting this on Datalounge, where people love to talk about the deliciousness available at fast food restaurants.

Black folks ain’t gonna eat that flavorless mess

I see lots of black folks eating at Whole Foods.

I've never set foot in a Whole Foods. Is it one of those faux-health stores where many foods contain those dreaded industrial oils?

This subject? Again? We get it. You’re poor and can only shop the frozen aisle at Trader Joe’s or Aldi.

ENOUGH

I FART in their general direction.

So what grocery store has good prepared food? Wegmans? Harris Teeter? Lowe’s Foods?

Many of their house '365' brands are perfectly awful and tasteless... no better than any other store, often times worse, but at a higher price. For a small cocktail party, I ordered two bags of their 365 Ridged Potato Chips, and they were the worst I've ever eaten... tiny tato shards too, not one intact chip large enough to serve with the dip I had made.

Over a decade ago, their hot food bar actually had a few tasty/spicy options, but has become quite bland and boring.

R14/R30 Agree about tne Canola... I couldn't believe the chips were cooked in it. Even Ruffles and Jay's have crisps that are reduced fat, and fried in Safflower, and Sunflower oil.

R30

Excessive use of high fructose corn syrup would decline if USA dropped sugar tarrifss; but that isn't going to happen because no Congress or POTUS has balls to tackle American sugar growers.

[quote]They tend to pitch to a white upscale clientele, OP, and white people tend not to season their food as much as PoC.

Spaniards, Italians, North Africans, Greeks, Turks, and Arabs must be merely "white adjacent" then. Because they season their food a lot.

R40

Says a person who obviously has not been to Louisiana, Texas, or any of the other southern/southwest states.

Perhaps only "whites' above statement might prove accurate historically are WASPs and or UK/Northern Europe; an area known for bland foods until trade with new world/colonies introduced spices.

Today curry and a few other Indian/Asian foods are in top ten of all British diets; high right down to low love themselves a proper curry.

Compared to most mainstream American groceries, whole foods is actually pretty good. The problem with blandness is pretty much universal with American food. But can someone explain to me why so many American grocery stores have like one chicken or vegetable dish and about 30 different varieties of pre prepared mac and cheese, most of which look incredibly unappealing? What do they have against variety? I don't get this mac and cheese obsession. To me that's food for kids.

Mac and cheese is one of those American comfort foods. I personally won't touch anything besides my mother's, other family members or own as ready made stuff looks and tastes dreadful.

ANY buffet and prepared food is going to be bland, no matter where you go. They need to appeal to as many people as possible, and it is easier to add spice than to take it out.

I have lunch at an Indian buffet, and the food, although good, is bland and not the least bit spicy. When I go at night and order off the menu, the same dish is prepared with much more spice and flavor. Buffets ALWAYS are bland and generic.

Why do people buy those rotisserie chickens? They are so dry and unsavory.

[quote] Spaniards, Italians, North Africans, Greeks, Turks, and Arabs must be merely "white adjacent" then.

Remember: you said that, not me.

Rotisserie chicken if done well is not only healthy but a tasty meal option. Bring it home, whip up some veggies and sides, dinner is ready.

This being said if one is in a hurry to get dinner (or whatever meal) sometimes it is better to purchase ready made as it takes about an hour or so (exclusive of prep) to roast a chicken.

Not all are dry and "unsavory". Here in NYC Citarella, Texas Rotisserie & Grill, and some other local places do very good rotisserie chickens. Then you have long gone places like Williams BBQ who had fantastic chicken at reasonable prices.

Roasted chicken is only dry if not done properly (cooked too long).

Find even some hole in wall places turn out quality rotisserie chicken that you don't cost a fortune.

I went to Whole Foods one time -- I hated it. It's like shopping in a maze. And the prepared food I ate that day was average. I don't get what the big deal is with shopping there, especially now that you can buy organic food almost everywhere.

R59

That is issue Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fairway, Wegman's and the rest in various ways all are facing.

I shop based upon value for money, quality, freshness and a few other factors. Organic per se means nothing to me depending upon item. For instance do not consume fresh fruits or veggies out of season because organic or not they are flown in from some distant place. This usually means they were picked long before ripe.....

The only rotisserie chicken that's almost never dry is the ones from Costco and that's because more than anyone they pump and plumb their chickens full of so much shit like sodium and chemicals shot in there with plenty of water that probably their chickens are more than 50% chemicals and sodium.

I haven't had it in about 15 years but Boston Market used to have very tender and tasty chicken, actually everything there was good. But that was a long time ago. It's probably turned to shit like everything else now.

I hate spice but there has to be some way to get mac and cheese to taste good without it burning a person's mouth and Whole Foods has never figured out how. I make homemade M&C and if you use quality cheese, usually 2 or 3 different kinds you get flavorful M&C without having to add heat or shit.

The Red Hook Fairway used to have amazing take out before Hurricane Sandy and they had to redo the entire store. I don't know what happened but after the reopening their buffet was less than 1/2 the size it had been and while that alone shouldn't change how they prepared food from then on everything sucked and from what I hear still does. Even their bakery stuff became awful like brioche bread now made with no butter at all, just unhealthy oils. Their produce, always expensive but once good, became just expensive. Nothing there was good anymore, like the lobster rolls at their lunch counter.

Strangely, there is a small Key Food in my neighborhood that has very good and not too salty take out hot food. You'd never expect it from such a dumpy supermarket. I often go there just to get some take out and do my real food shopping elsewhere.

Whole Foods used to sell really prepared food for vegan such as a really good tofu entree and a seitan chimichurri on skewers , but no more. In fact they rarely have any vegan entrees in their prepared food section. The once excellent tofu cubes they used to make are now horrible and are probably prepared by another outsourced caterer.

R62

People all over are complaining about Fairway of late; if it is of any use to you they are up for sale *again*.

Fairway is simply getting their lunch eaten by arrival of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's into many of same markets. Now that south Brooklyn has that huge Wegman's , Fairway in Red Hook had better pull up their socks or else.

I just made some 365 uncured breakfast sausages that taste suspiciously like airline food, they smell like it too.

Snobbery is the only reason people go to WF. What they sell can be found in many other much better markets.

The problem is that people are used to OVERseasoned and OVERsalted fast and convencience food and therefore consider appropriately seasoned and salted food as bland.

All you have to do is cook a meal, from scratch, based on a recipe and season it as it is written in the recipe. When you taste it you will immediately grab for the salt shaker, because it tastes bland to you.

Same goes with sugar in so many pre packaged food items.

R67 That can be the case for many, however there are many of us who post here who happen to be accomplished cooks. We know how to develop flavour without soley relying on salt and sugar. Whole Foods is still underwhelming when it comes to flavour.

Accomplished cooks who buy prepared food, at a store that is owned by Trump's enemy Jeff Bezos, and then complain on Datalounge it's bland?

So. Many. Possibilities.

R69 Please stop attempting political conclusions from things such as food, cooking, and other things related to this thread. Utter tosh. I no longer buy pre-prepared dishes from WH. ( last time was over three years ago) I'm simply commenting on their other tasteless offerings.

This has absolutely zero to do with Bezos, as I receive three or more Amazon deliveries each week. I'm not American, and I don't support Trump.

r10, Aldi.

I don't like Aldi or Trader Joe's because a lot of the time, if you want an onion or a couple of potatoes, you have to buy a 3- or 5-pound bag. Not always, but often enough. And then I end up having to go to another store. So I just start at one of the other stores.

My only "must buy" items at either are TJ's English Breakfast tea bags, which are great for iced tea, and their coffee filters, $1.99 for 100, the best price I know of.

I thought it was only so heavy on Indian food because my store happens to be in an area full of Indian techies.

1/4 of the hot bar food in Pittsburgh is always Indian.

Sunset Park Brooklyn WF that is full of rich white millennials/rich white a little older, whatever they're called and still many Hispanics is 75% Indian food. It sucks.

R73/R75 I love Indian food, my WF doesn't have these in their hot bar. I'd much rather eat something with some seasonings and spice.

The Indian stuff is pretty mediocre, so you're not missing a lot: samosas, curried chicken, etc similar to a lunch buffet at a restaurant.

I make curry at home, but want to get back to making more adventurous things such as Rogan Josh. Tough to find chutney except pricey stuff in little jars, wish I could bottle it at home!