When you think of the Whole Foods hot bar, normally “affordable” probably doesn’t come to mind. After all, several customers have complained about accidentally racking up over $20 on a single meal. (This customer spent $20 on just a side of mac and cheese. Ouch.)
While the food that comes out of the store’s hot bar isn’t normally budget-friendly, their family meal packs are an exception. Instead of spending $26 on a single meal at Whole Foods, TikTok user Kayla (@kaylaleemills) shares her hack for spending $26 on food for the whole week there.
In a video with 1.8 million views, Kayla shares how she stretches her dollar by living off the Whole Foods salmon family meal platter.
“POV: you’re a 30-year-old living alone and can’t keep wasting food so you survive off of Whole Foods $26 ‘family meals, Koia protein shakes, and cottage cheese,” Kayla shares in her TikTok.
She picks up the salmon family meal platter and places it in her shopping cart. She then puts 10 Koia protein shakes and five cottage cheese containers in it.
Mills writes in the caption, “Nothing will come between me and these family meals as [my] weekly food prep.”
What comes in a Whole Foods family meals?
“I truly don’t believe in gatekeeping anything,” Mills says in a follow-up as she plates her food.
She shows that the container she bought comes with four pieces of grilled salmon, green beans, and potatoes.
“I wish I could remember where I learned about this meal in the first place. It might’ve been a TikTok, but it was probably a year ago at this point,” she shares.
Indeed, this is not the first nor second time the meals have gone viral. So it’s very possible Mills saw a TikTok about them.
Whole Foods also carries other versions of this platter. Another version consists of salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. And then another contains chicken instead of the salmon. And another contains meatloaf, mac and cheese, and green beans. The meatloaf pack offers customers an affordable way to try the infamous mac and cheese.
Each meal contains four entrees, so that comes out to $6.50 per meal.
Mills told the Daily Dot she shops at a Whole Foods in Boston. She buys the platter once a week and makes four meals out of it. “In the Prepared Food section next to the Hot Bar near the prepped soup on the bottom shelf,” she helpfully shared via Instagram direct message.
“Finding accessible options as someone who lives alone or waste produce, the family meal saves me money, time, and food waste,” she added.
@kaylaleemills nothing will come between me and these family meals as mt weekly food prep #livingalone #foodprep #mealprep #mealprepping ♬ to be loved like this – mims
Viewers laud the hack
“I love you for telling me this exists,” one viewer praised.
“This is so smart lol doing this next time I grocery shop,” another applauded.
“Wait I had no idea Whole Foods had family meals that’s actually a good price and my son and I would get two meals each out of that! Thanks!” a third commented.
The Daily Dot reached out to Whole Foods via press email.
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