10 Whole Foods Prepared Items, Ranked

Everyone can appreciate stepping away from the kitchen now and then. On those nights when you're extra tired or the days when you're racing against the clock, ready-to-eat meals are your helping hand. But just because you want to eliminate the time it takes to assemble a meal doesn't mean you need to sacrifice taste. That's when the Whole Foods prepared items department saves the day.

Whole Foods Market has earned a reputation as an exemplary supermarket. Part of its claim to fame is its plethora of both hot and cold prepared foods, from rotisserie chicken and pasta to sushi and soup. Customers can simply grab these mealtime options and go. Some products can be eaten right away, while others require heating for a few minutes before consumption. And while all these foods are undeniably convenient and save you loads of time, some are more worthy of a spot on your dinner table than others. That's why we've taken the liberty of ranking some of the prepared dishes at Whole Foods, keeping in mind not only their flavor but also their price and overall value.

For the 2023-2024 year, TasteAtlas named Greek cuisine the third best in the world. This comes as no surprise since the culture is known for being rich in freshly grown, vibrant-colored fruits and vegetables, and having an assortment of seafood. These qualities lend themselves to the light, refreshing flavors that define Mediterranean food.

Unfortunately, Whole Foods seems to have fallen victim to one of the many pasta salad mistakes when it came out with its overly bland take on Greek food. The grocer's Greek tortellini pasta salad nails the incorporation of fruits and vegetables on the head with its use of cucumber slices, onions, and tomatoes. But somehow these ingredients still added up to a tasteless meal. Even with a citrusy olive oil dressing and an abundance of feta cheese sprinkled throughout the container, it simply wasn't enough. It didn't help that the tortellini itself didn't impress, as its parmesan stuffing wasn't detectable. Aside from the nutritional value that accompanies the pasta dish's mix of veggies, there aren't many reasons, flavor-wise, to choose this salad.

Macaroni and cheese has been crowned as a classic comfort food in the past, and that's not changing anytime soon. The rich, creamy bed of cheese atop soft elbow-shaped noodles is a reliable combination that can make anyone feel at home with just one spoonful. But somehow, Whole Foods managed to make this long-standing comfort meal not so comforting.

The most notable aspect of this macaroni and cheese's downfall is its al dente noodles. They have a firm texture that catches you off guard the minute you bite into them. That might be some people's preference for other types of pasta, but when it comes to a dish that's supposed to remind you of cozy Thanksgivings or warm midnight meals, it's not too much fun putting in so much work just to chew. 

The noodles are also smothered in a pretty sharp cheddar cheese, which again, may be a good thing depending on what you like. But to us, the surprisingly potent and somewhat jarring taste solidified this Whole Foods as stronger than one might expect or want. Additionally, the macaroni and cheese costs $9.99 per pound, making the entire container come out to $14.19 — a pretty high price point for a mediocre meal if you ask us.

How did Whole Foods miss the mark on yet another timeless food? After trying the supermarket's classic rotisserie chicken, all that can be said is Costco's $4.99 version reigns supreme in both taste and price. It's not only about half the cost; it also tastes much better and can be more enjoyably eaten on its own as opposed to the Whole Foods version.

But to cut Whole Foods some slack, the chain's chicken has a price tag of $8.99 for an almost two-pound product, which is still very affordable and cost-effective if you can get yourself to momentarily put aside Costco's unbeatable offer. 

Where Whole Foods' classic rotisserie chicken comes up short is with its dry, chewy texture. There's some resistance when biting into the meat, and when you get it off the bone, there's none of that juicy, tenderness one hopes for when it comes to this style of poultry. It is seasoned nicely with some simple salt and black organic pepper, so at least there's plenty of room to repurpose it into other dishes. You're better off pulling the meat apart and throwing it into comforting matzo ball soup or one-pan chicken fajitas rather than eating it as a sole entrée.

The turkey pesto panini looked promising as it sat in the prepared foods department's cold bar. But upon closer inspection and a taste test, this sandwich falls flat. Literally. It's thin as can be with hardly any filling to bulk it up, which is a shame because this dish has the potential to be really delicious.

There's a very modest spread of pesto that serves as the first layer of this panini. And the single slice of oven-roasted turkey is hardly any thicker. The lack of these two key elements makes the consumer wonder if the product is even worthy of being called a true turkey pesto panini. The mozzarella cheese seems to take up more room in this sandwich than the previously mentioned fundamental ingredients do, and even then, there's not enough of it to accompany every bite. That unfortunately applies to the few pieces of roasted tomatoes, too. As you can imagine from the small quantity of each of these ingredients, the bread-to-filling ratio is as off as can be.

To get it straight from the start: there's probably no grocery store that can create packaged, ready-to-grab sushi that measures up to the freshly made rolls you'd get at a Japanese restaurant. Plus, the price of one roll at a supermarket tends to be higher than what you would pay at an actual eatery. Whole Foods' salmon avocado roll, for example, is relatively pricey at $10.99. But if you're seeking something that is easily accessible, Whole Foods and its salmon avocado roll is the way to go.

It's about equal parts salmon to avocado in each piece of the eight-roll pack and both ingredients pass our taste test. In fact, the avocado is extra creamy. The only flaw with the rolls would be the amount of rice used. A very thick layer of the carb lines the outside of the seaweed, and there's even more padded within the roll (probably so less avocado and fish need to be used). It ultimately detracts from the other components of the sushi.

Surprisingly, the sushi isn't the star of the show anyway. That distinction can be awarded to the side of ginger, which is so sweet it almost makes you want to snack on it. It's probably a good thing that of the ways to eat sushi for a more authentic experience, one of them is not to eat ginger with every piece.

Falling right in the middle of the rank is the grocer's double cheddar broccoli soup. This item can't be booted down any further because it satisfies almost all of what it advertises, part of which is double the amount of cheddar. It's actually the perfect soup for cheese lovers, as every sharp scoop reminds you that you're eating thick, melted cheddar that's been liquified a bit through the addition of milk and cream. 

By doubling the cheese, though, we didn't realize that barely any broccoli would be included. There were only a few pieces of the green veggie to be found throughout the whole 24-ounce tub of soup. Yes, very fine specks of the broccoli's buds could be seen floating around but not nearly enough whole florets could be picked out. So if Whole Foods' double cheddar broccoli soup only really fulfills half of what the product advertises, it deservingly takes a spot halfway on this list.

Moving on to the more worthwhile half of prepared foods, in comes Whole Foods' chicken tikka masala. It's a 16-ounce tray composed of a creamy, reddish orange-colored tomato curry sauce that contains small pieces of marinated chicken. Alongside that comes a bigger portion of basmati saffron rice, which the sauce should be mixed with.

While the chain's ready-to-heat meal doesn't have quite the same authentic flavor and complex mix of spices you'd get from an Indian establishment, it'll absolutely still do the job to satisfy your cravings in a pinch. If you're not around a place that serves Indian cuisine or you simply want food on your plate faster, this is a solid option since it only needs three to five minutes in the microwave. The tray provides a generous sauce-to-rice ratio, allowing you to coat each grain with as much curry as you need. It doesn't skimp on the chicken either. 

All together, the dish's flavor is pleasantly sweet. Those looking for a bit more heat won't find it with this product, but it's nothing a few splashes of hot sauce can't fix.

The exact origin of buffalo chicken wings is still debated to this day, but what we do know is that it would be a real shame for a grocer to fumble a food as timeless and sought-after as these. So thank goodness Whole Foods did them right. There's truly nothing bad to say about the store's mixed box of flats and drumsticks, which cost about 10 dollars a pound. They're good enough to be served for something as lowkey as tonight's dinner or something as high stakes as a Super Bowl party. Just be sure to take them out of their original plastic container for presentation points.

Each piece is thoroughly coated in buffalo sauce, though some have more generous coverage than others. Regardless, the inconsistency doesn't affect anything at all, as every one of these seasoned wings still provides that classic, punchy flavor. There's zest, tang, heat, and that reliably creamy texture — all the essentials of good buffalo chicken.

Runner up in the ranking is the supermarket's barbecue chicken flatbread. Despite how it looks prior to heating (which is suspiciously dreary in color), this pizza is the most consistently flavorful meal option on the entire list. It fully comes to life after a quick nine to 12 minutes in the oven. And one bite of its goodness will bring you back to life, too.

The only complaints about this item are that the chicken is a bit unevenly scattered and the crust is too thin. Yes, the latter can be expected considering flatbread is part of the product's name, but this is by far the flattest we've seen. It does make the bread a little flimsy under the weight of the ingredients while eating.

However, that flaw becomes easily overlooked when the pizza's flavor reels you back in and silences your critical thoughts. All the components of this product are teammates. The spread of sweet, delicious barbecue sauce, the loaded combination of various cheeses, sliced purple onions, and chicken all work together to provide a sweet and savory experience you won't get tired of. With how thin and delectable it is, it's easy to get through this flatbread in one sitting, whether shared with someone or not.

In a vast sea of Whole Foods' ready-to-go prepared foods, a dessert is taking the cake at the very top of the list. Abe's chocolate brownies easily beat out even the best of the popular chain's complete meals and convenient dishes — a true testament to how worthy and exceptional this sweet treat is. Made with no milk, nuts, eggs, or soy, these allergy-friendly vegan brownies are so good that even those without dietary restrictions should consider trying them.

One box containing a dozen of these small treats costs $7.49, making each piece come out to roughly 62 cents. That's a fine deal considering vegan goods typically fall on the more pricey side. And you truly wouldn't even guess this confection contains no milk or egg, as using the word "rich" to describe its flavor is an understatement. As emphasized on the product box, these brownies are extremely fudgy and coat your entire mouth in a blissful dark chocolate euphoria. The texture is just as phenomenal as the taste. Each brownie is soft and crumbly, but the crisp chocolate chips have a satisfying, nut-like crunch that makes them even more addicting. There's no way this dessert could've been better (except for having some extra brownies in the box).

The order of the items in this ranking is largely based on flavor. As the products were carefully taste-tested, there was great attention to detail paid to determining whether the ingredients and seasonings came together nicely to provide a pleasant experience. 

Also taken into consideration were whether or not the advertised elements or characteristics were fulfilled or if there was a lack of any ingredients in general. And whether the ready-to-go meals could hold a candle to the versions you would find at authentic establishments elsewhere, making them a viable alternative or not.

The commodities' prices were also accounted for. The public generally reports that the cost of goods is higher at Whole Foods since it's an organic retailer that supports local farmers and suppliers, but some items on the list were rated more or less favorably depending on what the product was and how expensive it was relative to the amount provided in the container.