Sweet, sweet vegetables! Years ago I would have laughed had you told me how many vegetables I would eat past 2011. No, more like cackled. But not only have I grown to eat them regularly, I have grown to enjoy eating them and actually crave them when I’m away from home and not eating enough. (My old self is still pointing and laughing.)
Similar to what I did with the fruit post, I will look at the vegetables we eat regularly. When available, I try to only buy organic veggies, as most don’t have a thick skin that is removed. If there isn’t an organic option, most times I skip it and look for something else.
Celery
Hy-Vee ranges from $1.999-$2.49/bunch for organic celery stalks. This is much cheaper than Whole Foods which costs $1.99 PER POUND! The first time at WF, I didn’t realize it was per pound (my mistake) until I got home and reviewed the receipt. Every last piece of that $9 worth of celery was consumed that week. Won’t make that mistake twice. Trader Joe’s is usually $2.29/bunch. The downside here is that lately it seems to be hit and miss if it is available.
Tomato
While the price for organic tomatos seems to average the same, I find Trader Joe’s to be the best deal. Often the 1 lb package of organic tomatos has more than 1 lb of organic tomatos. The other week there was close to 2 pounds inside the package! Prices range from $3.49 (TJ) to $3.99 (Hy-Vee and WF).
Green Pepper
This summer and fall, 2 green peppers at Hy-Vee ran $5.99! Trader Joe’s offered these for 79 cents to $1.19/pepper. (Not sure the WF price point.) Trader Joe’s wins hands down here.
Kale
It really depends what you are looking for with kale. Hy-Vee and Trader Joe’s both offer the the box/bag or chopped leaf. Hy-Vee offers this for $3.99-$4.49. Trader Joe’s offers this for $2.29-$2.49. These are great for kale chips or adding into recipes, but you should spend some time removing the thick ribs. My personal favorite is the full organic leafy kale from Whole Foods. They are the only local place that offers this and it’s a treat to pick up a few bunches when I’m there. On sale they are $2/bunch, and regular price is $2.49-$2.69/bunch. This is best for salads. If you’re a Costco member, a great deal is the large bag (1.5 lbs) of organic baby leaf kale for $4.79. Some people love these as kale chips, but it’s also great to juice or add to dishes. It hasn’t been in stock the last few times I’ve been there, so I think I’m going to request it return if it’s still missing at my next visit.
Mushrooms
Hy-Vee charges $4.99 for an organic carton and Trader Joe’s charges $1.99. Once again, TJ’s wins.
Cucumbers (wait, these are a fruit – shoot!)
These are a staple in our juice, but I haven’t been buying them lately because the cost is just too outrageous. (Please, summer, arrive. My backyard garden needs you!) Hy-Vee charges $4.99/lb (when available) and Trader Joe’s is $3.49. (That is usually for 2.)
Onions
I haven’t found organic onions at Hy-Vee. At Trader Joe’s, a 2 pound bag of organic white onions is $2.29. At Whole Foods, a 3 pound bag of oorganic onions is $2.99. Either one is a win as onions keep well and they seem to be in most dishes I prepare.
Broccoli
A fresh organic stalk (?) at Hy-Vee is $2.99. Trader Joe’s has a pre-cut organic bag for $2.69. Anything that saves a little time is 2 thumbs up for me! If you’re a Costco member, there is a large frozen bag of organic broccoil that is great for steaming or adding to oven dishes. (Not great for roasting.) Pick up a bag to have on hand for a quick steam-able veggie.
Beets
We love to juice beets! Hy-Vee doesn’t sell organic beets. The conventional option is $2.49 for 3. Trader Joe’s doesn’t have fresh beets (fail). Whole Foods sells organic beets, $2.49/3. Whole Foods is the WIN here.
Baby Carrots
This is a tough one for me as I don’t really price compare here. We go through baby carrots like crazy. If you’re a Costco member, buy them at Costco. A 5 pound bag of organic baby carrots is less than $6. Well worth it!
Did you get enough vegetable prices here? YIKES! Hands down, my favorite veggie is kale. Four years ago, I didn’t even know what kale was… now I can’t get enough. Oh, how times have changed!
What’s your favorite vegetable?
Missed the other price comparisons? Check out:
Milk, Eggs, and Butter
Fresh Fruit
Love your comparison posts
Thanks for all your hard work in compiling the info!
I’m so glad it’s helpful!
Just a heads up, Hy-Vee in Urbabdale has organic beets. I don’t recall the exact price I paid a couple weeks ago, but I don’t think it beat (ha!) WF.
I’ve been dying to check out that Hy-Vee as I heard it’s pretty awesome after the remodel. Will have to check it out. Thanks so much!
I noticed that carrots are not on the dirty dozen list, so I have been buying them non-organic. Just curious if you’ve read anything that swayed you to go organic for those.
Carrots are like sponges. They absorb nutrients from the soil… one of the main reasons they are so healthy for us. However, because they are such great absorbers, that means they also absorb the pesticides and any metals that might be in the soil, as well. I suspect carrots aren’t on the dirty dozen list because since they grown under ground, they aren’t sprayed directly.