12 Whole Food Products Worth Adding to Your Cart This Month

Here's what you need for the Superbowl and Valentine's Day.

If you're anything like me, you could easily spend hours perusing Whole Foods and admiring the new products, but you have neither the time to read every product description, nor the grocery budget to purchase everything that catches your attention. That's where Food & Wine comes in. Every month, I try out Whole Foods' latest products, including their own 365 brand items and any other exciting releases, to see what items are actually worth your time and money.

This February, there’s lots to shop for with Valentine’s day and the Super Bowl right around the corner –– luckily, you can cross a lot of items off your list with a quick trip to Whole Foods. Read on to discover my picks for your shopping cart this month.

Laoban Dumplings

In life, one must always have a bag of frozen dumplings ready to go in the freezer for a multitude of occasions. Too busy to cook? Dumplings. Need a crowd-pleasing app in a hurry? Dumplings. Craving a bit of comfort that’s not just ice cream? Dumplings. Luckily, Laoban Dumplings now has not one but three dumpling varieties in the Whole Foods frozen aisle. Pick from Ginger Chicken, Pork Soup, or Livin' on the Vedge, all of which can be steamed, boiled, or fried to your heart’s content in a matter of minutes. I'm typically not a fan of a veggie option when there are pork dumplings on the table, but was surprisingly all about Livin’ on the Vedge, which features bok choy, shiitakes, scallions, and a bit of Chinese chili crisp.

Bisousweet Linzer heart cookie

These sweet cookies come in a single sleeve and are tied up with a white bow, making them an excellent V-Day gift for a teacher, coworker, or anyone you want to give a little treat to. The cookies have a butter base that’s soft and crumbles with one bite, but the star is a raspberry jam filling that’s tart enough to balance the sweetness of the cookie.

Muffuletta Pizza on Whole Foods Market Hot Bar

Perhaps my favorite item I tried this month was this limited-edition Muffuletta pizza from the hot bar. Considering it omits sauce and is a bit light on the cheese, I’d venture to say this is more of a flatbread than a pizza, but an amazing savory layer of olive tapenade under the cheese will make you forget all about that. My colleague and Food Editor, Kelsey Youngman noted that this pizza is best served placed in small pieces on a charcuterie board, with a bottle of wine, and a side of some of your favorite galentines.

Quadratini Peanut Butter Cookies

I love the crisp satisfaction of a wafer-based cookie, and these new additions to the Quadratini portfolio met the high bar of all their predecessors. Biting into the little squares, you definitely get that classic peanut butter flavor we all know and love, but unlike other PB products, it’s not so dense that all you can taste is peanut butter –– the crispiness of that thin wafer still has the spotlight. The only issue is the cookies are so perfectly bite-sized and light that it’s pretty easy to work your way through the bag in one sitting. Get them for the valentine who’s less impressed by frills and more into a descriptor like, “Imported from Italy.”

Kettle Brand Air Fried Jalapeño Chips

Ever the self-appointed chip expert, I’m always game for trying a new flavor or variation. Kettle Brand is a leader in the kettle-cooked chips category, so I was curious about their venture into the trendy air-fried arena. The new chips ,which come in Jalapeño, Salt & Vinegar, and Himalayan Sea Salt, do feel a lot different from their kettle-cooked brethren; they’re less dense, crispier but less crunchy (if you know what I mean), and noticeably less greasy. In terms of flavor, they’re just as good as the original and worthy of a spot in your gameday spread.

Chocolate Raspberry Heart Cake from the Whole Foods Market Bakery

This one was a bit divisive amongst the Food & Wine team, but the consensus was that if you like items like Dr. Pepper, cherry cordials, or Mallomars, this is an excellent cake for you. Made up of a layer of sponge cake topped with raspberry mousse and a delicate chocolate shell, this cake takes a walk on the lighter side and really lets the raspberry mousse shine. For someone like me who prefers desserts that aren’t overly decadent, this cake was a dream — cute, raspberry-forward, and small enough that it’s not going to be a permanent fixture in your kitchen for too long.

Ithaca Mild Salsa

I’m usually not a fan of pre-packaged salsas, but I was really impressed by this one from Ithaca. It tasted like a waiter came up to my table and put on a whole show while whipping up some fresh-made salsa, and while it could probably benefit from adding some extra serranos to amp up the heat, this salsa is ready for dunking chips into. Make sure to pick some up ahead of Super Bowl Sunday if you’d prefer to give all your time and attention to other parts of your feast.

Kosterina Crushed Fruit Vinegar: Blueberry

I love a shrub, and was immediately drawn to this product for its potential to add a little flair to my gin and tonic –– it certainly delivered. Now after seeing its ability to zhuzh up my drinks I’m looking forward to putting it to use in salads, desserts and more to see what else it can brighten up.

Chocolate Heart-Shaped Tart from the Whole Foods Market Bakery

This tart was certainly made to impress your valentine — topped with glazed strawberries and chocolate icing swirls, it’s certainly a looker, and unlike the other seasonal cake available for the holiday, it’s Decadent with a capital D. It’s heavy on the chocolate and is encased in a dense shortbread crust that really adds some bite— oh, and did I mention the glazed strawberries? The chocolate-obsessed Valentine in your life will surely be happy with this rich dessert.

34 Degree Crisps

Water crackers are an excellent vessel for any kind of cheese, which is why I’m always hesitant to try anything else while putting together a cheese board. These crackers from 34 Degrees, however, have proven to be excellent additions to my cracker arsenal. They come in tons of different flavors like rosemary, crushed pepper, and toasted onion, and they’re a lot thinner than your average cracker, which means less filling up on the cracker and more room for cheese! I’m particularly into the umami and everything flavors from their Snaps collection—which are made from chickpeas. I'll snack on them all day long, often mindlessly finishing the bag in the process.

Noble Made Buffalo Sauces

If you’re into making your own Buffalo sauce for your buff-chick dip or whateverBuffalo-inspired food the kids are into these days, kudos to you. But if you just want to toss them in a sauce that’s all ready to go, I recommend Noble Made’s sauces, which have that classic Buffalo zing with no dairy! Available in mild, medium, and hot, they’re a tasty way to win game day no matter the score.

Graza Olive Oil

Consider this a public service announcement, Graza, the Instagram-favorite squeezable olive oil with a cult-like following is now available at Whole Foods. Run, don’t walk.