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The food we put in our body is vital for living a happy and healthy life. But, where do we go for the best?

I decided to look around the Des Moines area for the best grocery store and wound up visiting Whole Foods, Hy-Vee and Aldi. At each store, I was on the hunt to see not only how I liked the store and its components but also for the best price on a simple and healthy meal. The meal I came up with was a chicken breast, asparagus and rice.

Whole Foods

First, I took a visit to Whole Foods in West Des Moines. Right when you walk in the store, you are presented with a large variety of fruits and vegetables. One thing I loved about Whole Foods is that almost all of the food is organic. I also liked that they had a fresh meat department and a few different fresh chicken breast varieties to select from. The chicken breast was $7.99 per pound, the frozen seared asparagus was $4.39 per bag and the rice was $3.99 for a bag. This leaves us spending about a little over $15 for a two or three night meal, depending on how much you eat. Whole foods is the place to go if you are OK with paying a little more money for fresh, organic products.

Hy-Vee

Next, I visited Hy-Vee. After parking, I was already stunned at the size of the West Des Moines store. They have their own Hy-Vee gas station in the parking lot, a bank located in the store, a Starbucks and a Hibachi Asian Grill. The store is massive, which has its pros and cons. The size offers a wide variety of products, but it takes longer to get in and out of the store, and navigating to find the product I was looking for was a little more difficult. I was really impressed by the fact that they had a fresh meat department, with a lot of variety and workers there to package the meat for you, as well as a fresh bread department. The store also had a hair and makeup product section in the middle of the store. In the midst of too much variety, in my opinion, I did find the products for my general and healthy meal. I paid $3.88 per pound for the fresh chicken breast, $2.98 for a bag of rice and $3.49 for a bag of frozen asparagus spears. In total, this two to three night dinner would cost you a little over $10 to purchase. If you are looking for a wide and cheaper selection and a one-stop shop for all things errands, Hy-Vee is where you want to shop.

Aldi

Lastly, I visited Aldi. I got to Aldi right at 9 a.m., when they opened the doors. The first thing I noticed about Aldi was how small the store was. There was a great selection of fresh food to choose from, and the signage was adequate in the sense that I could find what I was looking for pretty easily. However, I was unable to find the asparagus. The employees I asked were very friendly and helpful in helping me find it quickly. The price of the packaged chicken breast was $4.79 per pound, the frozen asparagus spears were $2.49 per bag and a bag of rice was $1.99. So, a healthy dinner that would last you maybe two or three nights depending on how much you eat, costs just below $10 total at Aldi.

“I love Aldi because not only is it close and convenient for me, but also it doesn’t take long for me to be in and out of the store to find the foods I am looking for,” said Allison McCall, a regular Aldi shopper.

She said the employees know her by name because she goes in so often. If you are looking for a quick trip and cheaper products, Aldi is the store to visit. They have a great selection, and it is the quickest, cheapest and most convenient way to get a quick, cheap and healthy meal.

Over the past few years, Aldi has been transitioning into offering more organic foods to compete with grocers such as Hy-Vee and specialty stores such as Whole Foods.

According to a report by NBC, “By 2022, Aldi said, it will be the third largest U.S. grocer by store count with 2,500 locations, behind Walmart and Kroger.”

Aldi’s organic sales have increased by 200 percent in the last three years.

Locally, a new Aldi location has been opened in Ankeny. The store “is about 40 percent larger than most of the existing stores in the Des Moines metro,” according to an article in the Des Moines Register. As part of the expansion, the store added a larger refrigerator section with more produce, dairy and bakery options.