Want to go somewhere so notoriously dangerous there’s a rap song about it? A Jaguar almost barreled into me last time I was there. I’m talking about the Whole Foods parking lot. This place is no joke.

Whole Foods is a place that I’ve always judged in the past. Actually, Whole Foods PATRONS are the ones I judge. Now I’m one of them. Dagnabbit. I could people watch in there all day. I digress.

Whole Foods is most definitely a place I’ve had to learn to embrace in my endeavors to continue cooking new paleo and quasi-paleo recipes. Thankfully, I’ve been working a lot of overtime recently, so when the total for a shopping basket full of randomness rings up at $80, my wallet just whimpers a little, instead of an all-out cry heard in the next town over.

Here are a few of the things I’ve found helpful to keep in stock at all times in a paleo kitchen. I present to you, what usually ends up on the conveyer belt at the end of a good wander through the aisles:

• Almond Butter
• Raw Honey
• Coconut Oil
• Almond Flour (Warning, this -ish is expensive)
• Coconut Flour
• Flaxseed Meal
• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Dried Figs
• Lara Bars (only the flavors that do NOT use peanut and/or chocolate)
• My new favorite indulgence: ChocoLove Almonds & Sea Salt

Estimated Cost: $$$ CHA-CHING $$$ – This is why they are also dubbed “Whole Paycheck”

Monday night I got a Vegan, Gluten Free Hail Merry Persian Lime Tart in the pre-packed dessert section. It was tiny. It was delicious. It was $6. Eesh.

What’s everyone else’s favorite score from WF?