15 of the Best New Groceries We Bought This Year
In 2019, we spent a lot of time trying the latest and greatest groceries to hit shelves (we know, our jobs are hard). And it was no small undertaking! At the end of the day, we sacrificed our tastebuds so that we could tell you what is (and isn’t) worth adding to your grocery lists. We ate a lot of chips for breakfast, weird combinations for lunch, and plenty of desserts before dinner.
Out of everything we bought and taste-tested this year, these are 15 of our favorites that we definitely recommend tossing into your cart as we sail into 2020!
1. Banza Rice, $4 for 8 ounces
This “rice” is made out of chickpeas, but tastes a little more like orzo (no complaints here though). It also cooks up in five minutes — a fraction of the time that regular rice takes to cook. With 11 grams of protein per serving, it’s the perfect addition to your dinner plate. Buy it here.
2. Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels, $5 for 7 ounces
Pretzels dipped in peanut butter are good, but pretzels STUFFED with peanut butter (and chocolate) are great. Quinn’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels check off a lot of boxes: They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and fairly low in calories for a substantial snack. Buy it here.
3. MorningStar Farms Cheezeburger, $4 for two
Even veggie burger-averse carnivores should add this plant-based “cheeze”-filled burger to their shopping list and give it a go. “There are pockets of ‘cheeze’ baked right into the patty and the grease-factor is surprisingly burger-like,” according to one of Kitchn’s grocery correspondents, Grace Rasmus.
4. Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chunks, $5 for 8 ounces
Along with the undeniable joy that comes with eating raw cookie dough, there are also some undeniable risks. Luckily, Ben & Jerry’s came to the rescue to fill the void with their just-the-cookie-dough-balls — made with pasteurized eggs and heat-treated flour. Safe for snacking!
5. Magic Spoon Cinnamon Cereal, $39 for four boxes
Magic Spoon is trying to make cereal fun again with familiar flavors (think: frosted, cocoa, fruity, and cinnamon). It’s much less sweet (read: no cane sugar, corn syrup, or sugar alcohols) and has 12 grams of protein per serving so you don’t have to worry about that dreaded mid-morning crash. Oh, and it’s keto-friendly! Buy it here.
6. Right Rice, $4 for a 7-ounce pouch
Presenting another veggie-based rice! These “rice” pouches (invented by the founder of PopChips) are made with lentil, chickpea, and pea flour, so they’re loaded with nutrients. The best part? RightRice cooks in 12 minutes (nearly half the time of regular rice). Buy it here.
7. Justin’s Organic Almond Butter Covered Almonds, $6 for 3 ounces
We didn’t know we needed these nut butter-covered nuts in our lives until we tried them this year, thanks to the innovators over at Justin’s. In addition to almond butter-covered almonds, Justin’s also came out with cashew butter-covered cashews. They’re the most meta nuts of all the nuts! Buy it here.
8. Biena Baked Chickpea Puffs, $4 for 3.2 ounces
No one asked for a Pirate’s Booty dupe made from chickpea flour, but Beina delivered, and boy are we glad they did! Bonus: These tot-shaped puffs will leave a delectable vegan ranch dusting on your fingers, just like any great snack should. Buy it here.
9. Babybel Mini Rolls, $4 for five
As if those wax-coated Babybel minis weren’t fun enough, the cheese geniuses had to go ahead and make a swirly-twirly version that kids will love even more. (If that’s even possible.) This new stuff is like string cheese — except instead of being “stringy” it’s a singular string that’s rolled up and perhaps even more satisfying to eat. Buy it here.
10. Rao’s Soups, , $5 for 16 ounces
We’ve boldly announced our position that Rao’s makes our favorite jarred pasta sauce, and this year the company expanded into the soup biz. Our pantries are officially stocked with their glorious jars of Italian Chicken Noodle, Vegetable Minestrone, Italian Wedding, Tomato Basil, Pasta & Fagioli, and Chicken & Gnocchi. Buy it here.
Read more: Rao’s Just Launched 6 Shelf-Stable Soups — We Tried Them All And We’re Totally Obsessed
11. Lesser Evil Egg White Curls, $5 for 4 ounces
These light and airy puffs are made from cassava flour and dried egg whites and come in flavors like Egg & Cheese, Himalayan Salt, and Huevos Rancheros. Think of these little curls like Paleo-compliant cheese puffs!
12. Green Giant Riced Veggies Simply Steam, $2 for 7 ounces
Toss one of these pouches in the microwave to make a base for the healthiest, heartiest breakfast, lunch, or dinner bowl. Feel free to beef them up with other toppings, too. We recommend a fried egg and some hot sauce. These bad boys come in flavors like Riced Cauliflower with Broccoli Florets & Cheese Sauce, Riced Cauliflower Italian Style, Riced Cauliflower & Cheese Sauce, and Riced Cauliflower Casserole.
13. Beckon Lactose-Free Ice Cream, $6 per pint
We usually like our ice cream lactose-filled, but when we tried this lactose-free pint from Beckon, we did a double take. Beckon Ice Cream makes its traditional ice cream with cream, milk, eggs, and sugar, but adds the lactase enzyme to make it lactose-free. You can’t even tell they’re lactose-free. Swear it. Buy it here.
14. Health-Ade Grape Vibes, $4 for 16 ounces
Health-Ade Kombucha’s Grape Vibes is the most approachable flavor for kombucha skeptics. It has a hint of grape jelly flavor, but mostly tastes like white grape juice with a teeny bit of vinegar. Buy it here.
15. Forager Organic Dairy-Free Sour Cream, $4 for 12 ounces
Choosing to live a dairy-free lifestyle doesn’t mean that you have to say goodbye to everything creamy. Forager Project, which uses organic cashews and coconut cream to recreate dairy favorites like yogurt and coffee creamer, created this version of probiotic sour cream. We think it’s a bit like crème fraîche.
What were some of the best new groceries you bought in 2019? Tell us about them in the comments below!