Whole Foods Or Publix? Which Store Wins The Produce Battle

When you're really, really in the mood for a salad with herby lemon vinaigrette, the last thing you'd want to see would be wilted heads of lettuce, then bruised lemons a few steps down the produce aisle. So here you are: On the hunt for the one store that'd actually deliver on quality and price. Between Whole Foods and Publix, one store has a distinctly better produce section — savvy shoppers might have already guessed which.

In terms of variety and freshness, Whole Foods takes the win easily. Heirloom tomatoes, specialty mushrooms, dragon fruit, cotton candy grapes — it's the place where chefs actually want to shop. Publix isn't bad for everyday produce — its buy-one-get-one deals are awesome — but it plays it safe with selections. If you're hunting for anything beyond standard greens and root vegetables, Whole Foods wins every time.

If savings matter to you, Whole Foods wins again. Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods, it's been able to offer produce at prices that undercut most competitors — especially if you're a Prime member. The kicker? Organic vegetables at Whole Foods might cost less than what Publix charges for standard produce.

If you have a habit of ordering doorstep delivery of your groceries instead of taking a drive, Whole Foods went from the "better" option to the "best", simply because it has the backing of Amazon's supersized delivery fleet. All Whole Foods orders are fulfilled through Amazon Fresh, which, efficiency aside, is free for Prime members on orders over $35. That's on top of extra discounts on select produce items.

If you want to have produce from Publix delivered, you'd have to rely on services like Instacart. An order usually has a service fee of about 5% tacked on, plus delivery charges ranging from $3.99 to $7.99 and the customary 5% tip for your shopper. On top of that, Publix is known to mark up its online prices higher than in-store pricing to cover Instacart's costs. A $35 grocery order through Publix delivery can easily cost you over $10 or so in fees before you even factor in the price increases.

Obviously, this can differ from location to location — maybe the crew running your local Whole Foods isn't as tight, while the Publix one is run excellently. But objectively, if you factor in everything from convenience to overall cost, you'll be happier getting your greens from Whole Foods.