Avoiding Plastic at the Grocery Store: Third Attempt

Now that I have produce and grain bags, I decided that this weekend's grocery shopping experience could finally be done at the bulk foods store.

The Home Economist
I was happy to buy several things from the bulk bins at The Home Economist including:

• pasta
• oatmeal
• coffee
• almonds
• wasabi peas (for my boyfriend)
• malted milk balls (for me)
• and a few other things
  

Additional items available at the store that I will probably purchase in the future include popcorn kernels, a large variety of nuts, granola, flours and grains that I can use for making bread, and spices.

One thing they didn't have that I was very disappointed about: cereal. My boyfriend, whom I live with, is obsessed with cereal and it's something I absolutely have to buy for him. But The Home Economist doesn't sell cereal! Not even cornflakes! How could this be??? If I can't find it at The Home Economist, where can I find it?

Whole Foods
Full of fear about not being able to find bulk cereal, I decided to take a quick stop at Whole Foods and see if they sell it. Unfortunately, I got completely lost on the way over there and ended up driving around the near northwest suburbs of Chicago for nearly an hour. It was horrible.

Even more horrible--they don't sell bulk cereal at Whole Foods. Ahhhhh!!

Still, I bought a few things there:

• real maple syrup in a glass bottle with a plastic lid (darn) - Hopefully my b.f. and I will like this. We're both used to the fake corn syrup stuff.
  
• sparkling water in a glass bottle - I'm starting to freak out a bit about not being able to buy beverages. I think this was me revolting.
• yogurt cultures - I make my own yogurt
• peanut butter - in a glass jar

Conclusion
Buying from bulk bins is great! It's really fantastic to come home from the grocery store with lots and lots of food and to realize that the stuff you bought isn't wrapped in packaging that will one day end up clogging a landfill.

My shopping day wasn't perfect, though, because it proved to me that it might be difficult or impossible to find plastic free cereal. Oh, and because I got lost for an hour. That stank.

Shopping Guide
I updated my Guide, Everyday Products with Little or No Plastic Packaging, with the info I gathered today. Check it out for some tips.