I recently came back from visiting my family in South Florida. Because I go so frequently there, I rarely do sightseeing. My trips to Miami are full of visits to family, running errands with family and going shopping to all the stores that we do not have available here in Puerto Rico.
Before in my list there was Victoria’s Secret, Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Borders, L’Occitane, Bed Bath and Beyond… but nowadays most those stores are available here. But there are 2 stores I still have in my TO SHOP list whenever I travel to the US – Target and Whole Foods. We have health foods here in PR, but the largest health food here, called Freshmart, pales in comparison to the size and variety of goods in a Whole Foods.
To all of you, readers that live in the US – you’re SOOOOOOOO lucky. Hey, there are even other nice supermarket chains that follow the Whole Foods trend. I visited one in Vermont called City Market, there is also Wild Oats in Miami. But I particularly like the breadth of products Whole Foods has. I also make it a point to visit when I am in NYC.
Here are some of my new Whole Foods discoveries…
Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda
I bought this on a whim and I drank the whole bottle by myself – Perfect drink to accompany pizzas, veggie burgers or veggie hot dogs.
Blood Orange Sherbet
Something about the blood orange flavor captured me. Apparently I was in a very citrusy mood that day. It’s sweet and tart at the same time… but not too sweet. Great as a palate cleanser after a meal.
Kate’s Homemade Butter
This butter is sooooo good. It’s creamy, salty and delicious on a toast in the morning. It’s perfect to mash some potatoes too. I had never bought it before my Whole Foods trip, but it is available in my neighborhood Freshmart too.
Olive Bar
Look at this… I wish I had something like this here in PR whenever I am hosting a party. Where I could buy nice looking olives, the amount that I need and the variety I would like. Oil cured or brined… the possibilities are endless. Yumm!!!
I am traveling soon to NYC and I am indeed stopping in Whole Foods – what will I discover next????
Here, a message to Whole Foods management…
Please, seriously consider opening a store in the Puerto Rico market – the consumerism capital of the Latin World. I am sure many vegetarian and health-conscious people like me feel the exact same way. Plus, with the added price to check a luggage, the grocery trip is becoming more expensive each time. Thanks in advance.
KarmaFree Cooking 
I also wish they would bring a Whole Foods to Puerto Rico. I like Freshmart but sometimes I find it kinda limited in the products they offer.
Yes we need a Whole Foods in PR. I want to access to more vegetarian products!
Gosh! Me too!! I would love to see a Wholefoods here in Puerto Rico. I shop at Freshmart, and it’s really good, but I do have to order some vegan products online [at veganessentials.com or veganstore.com] Products that a Wholefoods do carry.
And as you said [also a Target store]
🙂
i live in the states and am moving to Puerto Rico soon and my main concern is that there are no Whole Foods Market there. i will sorely miss it and i would also love if they’d open one there
KFC – Hey… it’s not that bad. You’ll have FreshMart, El Lucero de Salud, Papaya Health Food in Country Club (which my vegetarian friends tell me is really good, I still have to go), la Placita Organica de Roosevelt every 2 weeks for organic produce, Costco is great for fruits and vegetables – and believe it or not, there are a few other health food stores that carry a great variety of alternative products.
Don’t worry… Puerto Rico has other advantages to compensate for the lack of a Whole Foods for now… As good as Whole Foods is, we do need to sponsor locally-owned businesses to help stimulate our local economy.
Good luck with your upcoming move to La Isla del Encanto.
Thanks for the hope I now feel at ease and look foward to shop at these locations
thanks again and love your recipes
Jeannie.
I like the island of Puerto Rico, nature is beawtiful in its true sense. Whole Foods’ food bar is what I miss the most. I don’t always know what I eat in the food served by local restaurants, exept in the well known fast food ones. I want foods fried in oil not in lard, salads of all kinds and sweet ripe tomatoes, whole breads that do not look and taste like sponge, and oh, the feta chese I can have for every meal.
KFC – I hear you… maybe I can help a bit. I like the breads baked at La Boulangerie in Santurce/Condado at Taft Street – they have an 8-grain bread made with whole-wheat flour… really good. For sweet tomatoes in season, you need to go to the Placita Organica de Roosevelt. They’ll have tomatoes as soon as they’re in season – not earlier, not later. And for great cheeses, go the La Hacienda. They buy their cheeses from The Cheese Market, an independent cheese-monger I know. Just read the labels to watch our for rennet…
i am going to puerto rico on june 19…. i am really allergic to everything… whole foods carries a beer called red bridge and i want to know if anyone sells it in puerto rico… that is the only beer i can drink. i have celiac disease and i am allergic to wheat… will really apreaciate the info..
KFC – I am no expert on beers, as I avoid drinking alcohol… but without doing much research, I would forget about drinking beer while in Puerto Rico. Stick to piña coladas, frozen lemonades and other beverages that commonly do not contain wheat… Have a great trip!!!
I wholeheartedly concur!! We need a Whole Foods in Puerto Rico!!!!!!!
I’d love to see a Whole Foods here too, but I doubt it’ll ever happen. The demographics here just are not compatible with it.
What I’m trying to say is that Puerto Rico isn’t progressive enough yet.
Before we get a Whole Foods hear lets focus on cleaning up all the trash along the road ways. Lets get people to stop throwing out of their car windows. Lets pass some public advertising laws to cut back on all the signs that are posted along roads too.
I’ll know Puerto Rico is ready for Whole Foods once they stop using classificados online and use craigslist instead.
The island is about 10 years behind the times constantly.
Hey Mike… I really do not understand your analogy between Puerto Rico’s roadside cleanliness and outdoor media consumption to our deserving a Whole Foods store in the Island. To my recolection, there are many other States in the US with a roadside trash issue… and not necessarily Hispanics are involved in these practices there. What we may be behind in technology-adoption, we certainly make up in friendliness, warmth, great climate, and we welcome our vistors with open arms… even if some are overly critical of our ways. And we do have a movement towards more healthful eating, more natural and organic practices and people are starting to open up to vegetarians in general. There are many ways we can improve Puerto Rico and I would like to reach out to you and help us be part of the solution, not just point your finger to critize…
i have a good friend in puerto rico – a native – with celiac disease. she ought to have the same opportunities we have in LA. and by the way, how about opening one in IOWA.
I’m currently living in PR. There is a huge need of a Whole Food store in the island. I think it is a great investment opportunity for WF.
I definitly agree that there is a big need of an organic market in the island of Puerto Rico. I currently reside in FL but planning to move soon to the west coast of PR . My family and I have been eating organic for the past two years and I our plans are to continue this healthy diet in PR.
@Gloriana – If you’re planning on moving to Puerto Rico, we now have an Organic CSA in Aibonito called Siembra Tres Vidas. They deliver their CSA shares to several places in Puerto Rico, including San Juan. They also participate in several organic farmer’s markets around the island. Click on their link above or communicate with Silka at siembratresvidas[at]gmail[dot]com. And good luck moving to Puerto Rico… glad to have you around.
Por favor, deseo si alguien sabe un supermercado en SAN JUAN, PR, donde yo pueda conseguir limones orgánicos diariamente que me ayude dejandome el lugar. Se poco de estos productos, llevo desde Abril buscando un lugar.
@ Yesenia – Dónde vives?? Te pregunto porque en Aibonito hay una finca orgánica que puedes maybe hacerte “socia” (Siembra Tres Vidas, puedes buscar info de ellos en este mismo blog) y recibir productos orgánicos de ellos todas las semanas. Además hay mercados orgánicos en en VSJ y en la Placita Roosevelt en Hato Rey cada 2 semanas. No sabría decirte si en Freshmart o en algún otro supermercado natural de PR tengan limones orgánicos certificados. Espero que esta información te ayude…
@Mike and kfc- I totally agree with your insights. I am a native to the island that truly adores Puerto Rico. But after living in the states for so long, you can’t help but to compare. I do agree that Puerto Rico has a lack of technology and we certainly compensate that with our kindness. However, if only that kindness can be demonstrated in our traffic laws, high rate crimes,low success rates of education, poverty and politics. Before a whole foods is established in the island, it must improve it’s ways first.
@Jen – if all companies thought in terms of crime rates/education levels instead of Sales and Profits, then we wouldn’t have the best performing/selling Best Buy, Sears, Macy’s, Costco, JCP in comprison to stores in the US. So WF should really look at sales/profits opportunities and explore locations ASAP.
Please a whole foods in mayaguez puerto rico
There is an organic movement in Puerto Rico. a lot of small farmer market around the island, contact any of the farmers via email, they know who have any particular ingredient.
Visit http://www.mercadoagricolanatural.com/ and http://www.coopmadretierra.com/, Slow Food Convivium Boricua http://slowfoodboricua.blogspot.com/
They are cooking a revolution, new places to eat, like Peace n Loaf, Abracadabra, Verde Mesa, La Chiwihna…..local and organics ingredients.
totally agree with the organic movement in Puerto Rico… we should support it more and more. What I do appreciate from a place like Whole Foods, that even a FreshMart doesn’t offer is convenience and variety – open the same hours as other supermarkets, and available when I need them.
Since I moved to PR I have definitely missed Whole Foods an Trader Joe’s! It would be so awesome to have either in PR.
Mali
Hey, stop whining all of you. There’s unimaginable numbers of people around the world who have NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to eat! Thank God you have food. Try giving that money you spend unnecessarily to the UN’s USA WORLD food program. Visit their website you’ll see how many people are starving!!
Totally agree, Guillermo. There’s many many people with much much less than we do. That makes me sooooo grateful for all the blessings bestowed upon me each and every day. I hope you are thankful too for all your blessings… Madelyn