By Denise Ortuno
Whether shopping for organic groceries, or grabbing a quick bite you can feel good about, Whole Foods Market in Palm Desert is a healthy hangout!
I recently have taken to Whole Foods Market in Palm Desert, making it my go to lunch spot a couple of days of the week. Sure, I knew about Whole Foods, and their healthy persona of bringing organic foods to the masses. But what I wasn’t aware of, was the cool spread that is offered inside the store for people who wanted to eat there.
I had seen the pics of friends on social media dining at the market, which was probably what prompted me to stop by for a bite. I was quite frankly seriously impressed with the food options that they offer. It’s like a salad bar gone wild, with not only salad, but a variety of hot food options as well. Not to mention a pizza and sushi area, and of course a deli as well, and a bakery with crazy tasty cookies. But for me, I’m all about salad, and oh what an adorable little salad I create.
They have so many items to choose from in the salad section, some are staples that are always there, and some items like their protein change up a bit. For me, I’m sort of a creature of habit and gravitate to the same item genre. I start with grabbing a little box for my salads, large ones and even bigger plastic containers are available depending on your needs. I make a little lettuce bed with wild greens, and then some cucumber, a few pieces of broccoli and edamame if they have some. Then its protein time, and I bounce from salmon, to tuna, turkey, or chicken. After that, sometimes I sprinkle some cheese, depending on my protein choice, and sesame seeds. The dressings are the only issue that I really have with the double sided salad bar, as they sometimes don’t have all of the dressings available (I really like their sesame dressing). But hey, besides that, the salad experience is awesome!
After that, I sometimes choose a beverage from the refrigerator right behind the salad bar, and move on to the register to pay. The salad bar is $8.99 a pound, so for the box that I get, it costs around $3.50. It’s a great price for a healthy lunch! I then take a seat in the Tap-In dining area next to the window and enjoy my little lunch, and also, the live one man music show provided on most weekdays. Its super cool, he plays the wispy drums, it’s kind of jazzy. Patrons can eat their food from the market in the Tap-In room, or purchase from their menu, and even have an alcoholic beverage too. Weekday $12 specials include, Tuesday 2 Tacos and a Beer, Wednesday Pulled Pork and Fries and a Beer, plus other days of the weeks. They also have an array of menu items from burgers, to salads and sandwiches. All made with the Whole Foods ultra-healthy touch.
I’m thrilled that I discovered this little affordable lunch corner at Whole Foods in Palm Desert. It provides fabulous food in a cool environment, and is a fun healthy hangout.
Whole Foods is located at 44-459 Town Center Way, Palm Desert, Ca 92260
For more information visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com
