This Week's Hot New Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts, Sunflower, and Whole Foods, while the current sale continues at Vitamin Cottage (click there for my prior report). With a merger between Sprouts and Sunflower coming up, I wonder how soon they'll make my life easier by offering presumably one sale. We should enjoy their competing prices while they last, in any case. Here's what's appealing to me in the sales, IMHO, as always.

At Sprouts through March 21st, I'm tempted to try my hand at cooking a pork tenderloin at $2.98 a pound. Previously frozen wild Alaskan cod filets are low at $4.98 a pound (but also see Whole Foods below for another option on fine cod), fresh farm raised salmon is $7.99 a pound, chicken Italian sausage is $2.99 a pound, and ground chicken, chicken breast, and pork are all $2.99 a pound (but see Sunflower below for ground turkey for even less). Organic produce continues to look good, with cabbage taking the St. Patrick's Day prize at 69 cents a pound. Organic broccoli continues to be good at $1.29 a pound (although a bump up from this week's very low price). One pound bags of organic baby carrots are $1.50, romaine lettuce is just 99 cents a head, five pound bags of russets continue to be $2.99 each, celery is 88 cents a bunch, and there are several organic fruit deals. Conventional avocados are 69 cents each, and they tend to be a pretty good size at Sprouts. They also take the lead on conventional asparagus at $1.49 a pound ($1.99 at Sunflower). Select Brown Cow Greek yogurts are $1 each, and while I haven't tried it, bulk cut Irish Harp cheddar might be lucky at $5.99 a pound.

At Sunflower through the 21st, two ground meats are looking particularly good: ground turkey at $1.99 a pound, and grass fed 93% lean ground beef for $3.99 a pound. Fresh farmed salmon is $8.99 a pound (but $7.99 at Sprouts), beef stew meat is $3.99 a pound, ground pork is $2.99 a pound (matching Sprouts), the very big "broken" wild domestic Gulf shrimp are $6.99 a pound, and their own turkey meatloaf is $2.99 a pound (it makes great meatballs if you can get some from the butcher without the tomato sauce topping they dress it with in the case). Good deals reside in organic produce as usual, with chard $1.50 a bunch, roma or hothouse tomatoes $1.50 a pound, cilantro or green onions 99 cents a bunch, red or green leaf or romaine lettuce $1.50 each (but 99 cents for the romaine at Sprouts), and 8 ounces of strawberries for $2.50. You get $3 off when you buy any five Muir Glen Organic products, resulting in excellent prices on things like their 15ish ounce size of canned tomatoes for 90 cents each, wow. Kerrygold is also looking good for St. Patrick's Day, with 7 ounce Irish cheeses for $4.99, and 8 ounces of their excellent Irish butter for $3.99, but see below for even better prices on both at Whole Foods.

At Whole Foods through March 27th, their delicious Maryland style crab cakes are on sale for $10.99 a pound (but I'm still reveling in last week's one-day sale at $7.99 a pound, yum). Their very fine wild Alaskan cod is $9.99 a pound, and top sirloin is $4 off at $8.99 a pound. With organic chard $2 a bunch, you might find it's a larger bunch than the ones for $1.50 at Sunflower, but I'd stick with Sunflower for organic tomatoes at $1.50 a pound unless you really need cluster ones, which Whole Foods has on sale for $3.99 a pound. Organic eggplant looks good at $1.99 a pound, and that doesn't go on sale very often. Their own seeded whole grain bread, one of my faves, is good at $2.99 a loaf, and Clif bars are quite good at 89 cents each. A convenient pizza dinner will have to be on deck in the next couple of weeks, as their own large pepperoni pizzas are $8.99 each. Finally, Whole Foods is winning for St. Patrick's Day, with Kerrygold Kilaree cheddar $7.99 a pound (a Whole Foods exclusive and beating Sunflower's Kerrygold price by quite a bit if you do the math) and Kerrygold butter $3.49 for 8 ounces, also beating Sunflower.