I’m not a huge Whole Foods shopper.  I only buy particular items there (namely nutritional yeast and face wash).  Don’t get me wrong.  I’d love to buy all of my groceries from there, but it’s not exactly the most budget friendly store to say the least. 

Since moving to Florida, I’ve only stepped inside of Whole Foods once, as Publix is my grocery store of choice.  However, I was going to suck it up and drive out to the Tampa Whole Foods after work on Friday because I needed to pick up a couple of Foodie Penpal items.  When I was Googling the address, I came across a link for a grocery store/café called Rollin’ Oats.  The menu alone looked amazing, so I thought I would be adventurous and go there instead.

Y’all, this place is like a grocery store heaven!  Not only does Rollin’ Oats carry many of the same food products and brands as Whole Foods, but the prices are MUCH cheaper.  I think I walked up and down every aisle at least three times, which probably made me look like a total weirdo seeing that the store is fairly small in size. 

Since I didn’t go in with a list or a plan, I only bought a few things that I’ve been wanting to try.

• Garbanzo bean flour: socca pizza
• Apple cider vinegar: salad dressing
• Coconut milk: just because!
• Carob chips: maybe as a sub for chocolate chips in some of my baked goods (?)
• Organic PB: for my Foodie Penpal!

I can’t wait to go back.  I have a feeling maple almond butter, coconut butter, sesame oil, and almond flour will be coming home with me next time!

As for the café, it looked delicious.  I knew from scoping out the menu earlier that it features a lot of different things – smoothies, soups and salads, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, wraps, a few different entrees, and desserts.  There are quite a few vegan and vegetarian options as well. 

Since I’m headed to Boston this week for work and had a ton of food in my refrigerator that needed to be eaten, I decided against purchasing an actual meal.  But you know I couldn’t resist a delicious looking chocolate chip cookie…

…and it was well worth it!

Later that night, I searched the internet for similar stores in the Fort Lauderdale area.  Come June, I’m going to need a non-Whole Foods go to place like this in my new city!

Lesson learned after shopping at Rollin’ Oats: if you’re looking to save a few bucks (which I always am), do your due diligence and research.  Hidden gems like this store can most likely be found in every city.

Are you a Whole Foods shopper?  Does your city have grocery stores like Rollin’ Oats?