I Tried Whole Foods’ Newest (and Healthiest!) Summer Groceries

Now that Memorial Day weekend is behind us, we’re officially wading into summer snack territory. For me, that means chips, chips, and more chips, some kind of refreshing beverage (usually sparkling), and anything else I can throw into my beach bag. Whole Foods’ latest summer groceries check off all of those boxes — with their own special Whole Foods twists of course. I taste tested a bunch (as per usual) and these are my favorites.

Just when you thought we’d reached peak cauliflower, Whole Foods turned around and blatantly inserted the veggie into tortilla chips. I will not lie, I had low expectations for these. Give me Tostitos Hint of Lime or Cool Ranch Doritos and I will love you forever. BUT these clean chips hit the spot, too.

They come in multiple flavors (lime, sea salt, and nacho) and are made with cassava flour and contain even more veggies than just cauliflower. Just like a regular chip, these would be great with salsa, guac, hummus, and even nacho-ified. (Ooh yes, lunch plans.)

If Cauliflower Tortilla Chips are the new Doritos, Lesser Evil Egg White curls are the new Cheez Doodles. These light and airy puffs are made from cassava flour and dried egg whites and honestly, I have nothing bad to say about them.

They come in Himalayan Pink Salt, Eggs & Cheese, and Huevos Rancheros flavor, are super crunchy, low calorie, and have six grams of protein per serving. That’s more than you can say about a regular old cheese puff!

The longer days of summer call for even more coffee than usual and the list of alternative “milks” to put in that coffee just keeps growing longer and longer, too. My theory is that nationwide shortages of oat milk inspired Whole Foods to diversify their offerings and throw this Califia “Barista Blend” into the mix. This version made my morning iced cold brew super creamy (which says a lot because I usually put LITERAL cream in my coffee). I’m pumped to throw it in my milk frother to see if I can try my hand at latte art.

The last canned San Pellegrino that I remember drinking was super sticky sweet and the opposite of refreshing. But this lower-sugar version was like the San Pellegrino/Spindrift mashup I’ve been searching for. Would recommend the super summery Clementine & Peach flavor, but this also comes in Lemon & Raspberry and Pomegranate & Blackcurrant. Also, chances of me using this as a cocktail mixer this summer are very high.

Hello, my name is Lauren and I’m addicted to Justin’s Nut Butters. My pantry is filled with pretty much every flavored jar on the market (Maple Almond Butter, Chocolate Hazelnut Almond Butter, Honey Peanut Butter, Cashew Butter) and their peanut butter cups are my favorite checkout aisle impulse buy. So you can imagine my excitement when this revelatory new snack hit the aisle. It’s not a tired yogurt- or chocolate-covered nut, but a nut-butter-covered nut. So meta!

After one handful, you won’t be able to stop eating these creamy, sweet, protein-packed bites. Each pouch contains three servings, so try your best to share … or at the very least ration it for multiple snack sessions! This is going to be one of those summer snacks that I swear by.

TeaRIOT is positioning itself as a healthy energy drink, and in a sea of super-sugary, overwhelmingly caffeinated options, it might have earned itself the title. Fresh brewed tea is combined with cold pressed fruit juices (like apple, lemon, and ginger) and spiked with spices like cayenne pepper. You’ll recognize everything on the ingredient list except maybe for L-theanine, which is an amino acid naturally found in tea and combines with caffeine to give an added energy boost.

For me, summer also means cheese on/in everything. Dips, nachos, hot dogs, you name it. Of course, Whole Foods’ new twist on cheese is … plant-based cheese. If you know anything about me, you know that plant-based cheese and I are not friends. All the vegan options I’ve tried (like Trader Joe’s and Violife) just don’t do what they promise to, i.e. melt or taste like cheese. Of course, I had to try the Whole Foods 365 versions to see how they stack up.

The cheddar and mozzarella shreds look like long julienned vegetables. Compared to the Trader Joe’s version, these taste a lot less starchy and the ingredients list of Whole Foods’ version reads a lot cleaner. Overall though, the smoked “gouda” slices most resembled the real thing. Ten points for Whole Foods. Vegan cheese, I hate to say it but I’m warming up to you.

What are you stocking up on at Whole Foods this summer?