Groceries

It used to be when you wanted a very particular hand-breaded, all-breast meat chicken nugget flecked with hints of dill and pepper, you had to put on pants. Unless it was a Sunday, in which case you had to wait an entire day, and then put on pants. Or if you lived outside the South, where Chick-fil-A locations are fewer and further between, you might even need to plan a trip to one or stand in line (sometimes hours long when new locations open).

Did you know that 90-ish percent of the brands sold at Aldi are exclusive to the stores? It’s true! Aldi has a cool handful of its own private-label brands like Specially Selected, SimplyNature, liveGfree (a gluten-free line), and more. And many of these brands include snacks. In fact, the snacks are so impressive that Kitchn recently ran a story talking about how Aldi snacks actually rival the ones at Trader Joe’s.

These days plastic is Public Enemy #1 and, honestly, we’re wondering what took so long. In the past year more and more Americans (and major companies) have become attuned to the harmful environmental repercussions of single-use plastic straws, plastic lids, micro-plastics, and now plastic bags. Plastic bags, we’re coming for you. Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the U.S., is about to make it a lot easier for shoppers to commit to being green.

As eternally pessimistic German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “It ain’t easy being cheesy.” No, wait, that was animated Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah — but either way, he’s right. The parent company for Cheetos has taken legal action against a plant-based copycat, alleging that the new brand disparages Cheetos in several ways, including its name, logo, and slogan.

I have a confession to make: My entire family is obsessed with a snack food that I initially purchased for my toddler. Like many new moms, I stressed over the importance of introducing peanut butter into my child’s diet. Too soon? Too late? A spoonful? A smudge?

You don't have to turn your back on white bread entirely.

Grab a buddy and RUN — do not walk — to your nearest Starbucks for the exact kind of afternoon pick-me-up that this absurd heatwave demands. For one day only, the ubiquitous coffee chain is having a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) sale on all iced drinks including iced tea, iced coffee, iced espresso, cold brew, and Refreshers. BUT be forewarned, this deal does not include the single most notorious variety of iced drink that Starbucks has to offer: Frappuccinos.

Last year, it seemed as though Starbucks focused all of its attention on promoting outlandish, mystical Frappuccino flavors to the masses. First there was the unicorn Frap, then there was the zombie Frap, and then people got in on the madness creating “secret menu” mermaid Fraps. But this year, the coffee chain is channeling its time and energy into a new kind of drink: plant-based, protein blended cold brew. Plant-based! Protein! Cold brew!

Ring the alarm! There is a lemon shortage in the United States — just in time for peak lemonade season (of course). While this timing is devastating on so many levels, I am primarily upset because I just learned this ingenious stand mixer lemon-juicing hack. Looks like I’ll have to stock up on Country Time mix instead.

I don’t know how fall manages to sneak up on me every single year, but it’s done it again. I’m still trying to figure out swimming lessons and what’s the best kind of sunscreen to buy, and the shops are already full of Halloween decorations and now Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice products will be in grocery stores next week (!!!). This year the coffee chain is introducing Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws. You guys, cookie straws!

Amazon is working hard to figure out how to make shopping at Whole Foods as convenient as ordering something on Amazon. Just last week Amazon and Whole Foods added a feature that lets customers use Alexa to order groceries from Whole Foods to be delivered to your house within two hours. And today it was announced that Amazon and Whole Foods are offering grocery pickup in just 30 minutes in a couple locations, and it’ll be coming to more stores soon.

Almond milk has one job: Don’t be cow milk. Plant-based milk substitutes are a huge business, with grocery stores carrying versions made from almonds, cashews, rice, coconut, peas, and more, and the one thing they all have in common is that they don’t come from cows. It’s the main defining characteristic of non-dairy milk.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by ginger ale. *Crickets.* Raise your hand if you’ve ever made a quick grocery run for some Canada Dry to help settle an upset stomach. *Raises both hands.* Well, what if we told you that one woman from New York is feeling very UNSETTLED by the fact that the century-plus-year-old ginger ale brand’s ingredient list allegedly does not contain real ginger?

Have you ever fallen down a serious YouTube rabbit hole? Maybe one that made absolutely no sense? I’ve never set foot in a Costco, but I’ve watched hours of Costco haul videos. Anyone who has stumbled into this genre knows that there’s something bizarrely soothing about listening to gentle narration on the contents of a shopping cart. For actual Costco shoppers, these videos are chock-full of useful tips and tricks to optimize your next shopping expedition.

National Avocado Day is like millennial Christmas. This year it lands on Tuesday, July 31, and Chipotle restaurants around the U.S. will be celebrating by giving away free sides of guacamole with any entree. That’s right — for one magical day at Chipotle, guac will not be extra.

After a recent trip to my local supermarket, I feel like I owe the frozen vegetable section an apology. Aside from the odd bag of frozen peas I grab now and again — one cup of which is usually intended for an Alfredo-y peas-and-ham pasta dish and the rest are left to develop tiny horrid frost beards until pressed into service as a first-aid device — I have ignored you. Little did I know, I’ve been missing trendy time-savers like riced cauliflower ($3.

Everyone knows what it’s like to leave Costco with a cart full of random stuff. You go in needing just a couple of extra things for dinner, and somehow you end up with a cart full of wine and hot dogs (is that just me?). That’s why when Kristin and Jen from I Mom So Hard posted their Costco shopping list to Instagram, the entire internet started cry-laughing about how accurate it is. The list includes a chicken, of course (everyone buys the $4.99 rotisserie chicken).

Frozen meals have come a long way since the microwave dinners of the ’50s. And most of it has to do with two little words: Trader Joe’s. While they’re not the only players in the game of frozen meals, they certainly seem to have captured our readers’ hearts (and tummies). We asked you guys to tell us about your favorite frozen meals. Your answers included a lot of Trader Joe’s — and a few other name brands, too. “Traders Joe’s all the way!

What would you add jalapeños to, if you could add jalapeños to anything in the Costco food court? That’s not a hypothetical question at this Costco in Mexico, where the toppings bar in the food court has dispensers full of free jalapeños, and you can have as many as you can handle.

Limited-time seasonal items are such a delicious tease. They make you fall in love with them, and just when you think you can’t live without them, they vanish and you’re left with nothing but memories and pumpkin spice-scented candles. Rude. Trader Joe’s is one of the best there is at seasonal items.

A few weeks ago, we wrote a story called 10 Tiny Ways to Save Money This Month. One of the tips was to download the Ibotta app, and we got a mix of feedback from you guys: Some of you said the savings were too minuscule or that your go-to groceries weren’t featured often enough, while others said they’ve earned more than $100. And some of you hadn’t heard of it at all!

If you like Polish hot dogs and delicious drama, you’re going to love what Sam’s Club has on the menu. Last week Costco announced that it would be discontinuing its Polish dogs to make room for things like a vegan al pastor salad and an açai bowl. Costco assured everyone that the regular hot dog deal would not be going anywhere, and that only the Polish dog was being eliminated, but still people were furious.

“I’m never gonna let you close to me/Even though you mean the most to me,” Sam Smith sang in his ever-vulnerable tenor. “Cause every time I open up it hurts/So I’m never gonna get too close to you.” That song — Too Good at Goodbyes — explains why he tries to maintain some emotional distance in relationships.

It’s always exciting when Costco starts introducing a new food court item, like a giant new cheeseburger or the new al pastor salad made with vegan protein instead of meat. The only problem is that when a new item enters, often an old one must leave. There’s only so much room in the kitchen, and on the menu, after all.

Picture this: You’ve invited everyone over for a barbecue and, as you’re chucking steaks, burgers, and chicken into your cart, you realize you need tongs, a spatula, and other basic grilling tools. You had stuff last year but it kinda got ruined (whoops!). With all you have to do to get ready for guests, you don’t have time to make another stop at Bed Bath & Beyond or Williams Sonoma to outfit yourself with equipment. Luckily, you don’t have to.

Choosing a favorite product at Trader Joe’s feels nearly impossible. There are so many great things that are wonderful in their own unique ways. How could I possibly choose between the freeze-dried fruit that stops my toddler from being cranky and the lavender dryer sachets that make my sheets smell like I live at Buckingham Palace?

It’s a summer Friday and the heat index in my city is over 105 degrees. So in truly excellent news, Starbucks announced that as a special treat it would be giving away free Frappuccinos this afternoon. Friday, June 29, 2018. That’s today. And that means it’s the perfect day to take an afternoon walk and try out any of Starbucks’ new Frappuccinos that you may have had your eye on. Serious Strawberry Frappuccino, here I come!

Warehouse stores offer great value on many products, like produce, household goods, and seasonal supplies. And while most of the items in the store can sit on your shelves pretty much indefinitely, the fresh produce is a little more fickle. Most produce goes bad within a few days, or at best, up to a few weeks, depending on what it is and how it’s stored. So sadly, fruits and veggies bought in bulk can go bad before you have a chance to use them.

One of the best lessons I’ve learned when it comes to saving money on groceries is to simply just waste less food. If you actually eat something, then it’s money well spent! So it kills me to throw away fresh fruits and veggies just because something has gone bad before I’ve gotten to it. Over the years, I’ve picked up three little secrets that help me with this. Here’s how I get the most bang for my buck in the produce section at any grocery store.

In excellent news for anybody who has ever eaten a whole sleeve of Thin Mints in one sitting — so, basically all of us — Trader Joe’s just introduced a new chocolate mint cookie that looks a whole lot like the best Girl Scout cookie. Just last month Trader Joe’s introduced its new Spicy Cheese Crunchies, which are essentially a healthier version of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

I like to think I’m an unfussy person when it comes to most things kitchen and cooking — until it comes to ice. I have opinions there. If you give me options, I like it crushed. I know it melts quickly, and it really takes up a ton of space in the glass, but I just love the experience of taking a sip of a drink and having a bunch of itty-bitty glaciers to crunch on.

It’s happened to everyone: You see what seems like a good price on grapes and eagerly add the bag to your cart. Then, when you get to the register, you learn with dismay that your fruity purchase came out to … $12. Say what? Because grapes are priced per pound, their total cost can often take unknowing consumers by surprise. Here’s the lowdown on when to buy grapes, what to pay, and how to pick the best ones.

I work from home, and have for the past few years. When this comes up in polite conversation, people either respond by listing all of the reasons why they couldn’t do it (“Don’t you, like, just want to do laundry all the time?” one woman recently asked me. No. No, I do not.) or by telling me how lucky I am not to be in an office. There are benefits, no doubt.

If there is one thing you, our readers, share with us, your friendly editors, it is a love of grocery shopping. No matter what you eat and how, the grocery store is a weekly reality for most of us; and from best buys at Costco and Trader Joe’s to budget-saving tips, we know you love to talk about grocery shopping. But we want to do even more for you and do it better. So we’re launching a survey today to ask a little more about your grocery shopping habits.

We all have our favorite grocery stores. Are you a Whole Foods, or a Publix? Do you care more about low prices, good produce, or a huge selection, or do you go to whichever store has the most convenient location? Well, the annual Market Force grocery store survey for 2018 has been released, and it looks like Wegmans is America’s favorite grocery store for the third year in a row.

A breakup is one of those dates that you don’t intentionally try to remember and don’t ever mean to commemorate. But then you’ll notice a random summer Thursday on the calendar, and it hits you why you woke up feeling slightly disconnected from … everything.

“Bring your checkbook,” my neighbor joked from across the street as he watched my husband and I, reusable bags purposefully slung over our shoulders, leaving for our local farmers market one Sunday morning. We waved and shrugged, feeling just a little bit like suckers. I live in the Studio City section of Los Angeles — a few hours car ride from California’s Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.

Cotton Candy grapes sound like something you’d find on a tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, or in the cereal aisle next to the Frankenberries, but we’re happy to report that they are very real. The grapes were developed by cross-breeding different types of grapes to create a variety of grape that taste extra sweet.

One of the best things about Costco is its extraordinarily generous return policy. Costco will take just about anything back, for whatever reason. That’s really nice for people who might want to try something they don’t like, or who would otherwise not take a risk on a very large or expensive item. But some people out there are really stretching the limit of what is an acceptable thing to take back to the store. Costco’s return policy is extremely generous.

Even though fresh-cut watermelon is a staple on every good summer menu, it might be worth holding off on that melon purchase for another few days — or at least double-checking to see which store it’s from. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is currently investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Adelaide that has been traced to cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, as well as a medley of cut fruit including those melons, that were produced by Caito Foods in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Several years ago, my then-boyfriend broke up with me out of nowhere, for reasons that I didn’t quite understand on that otherwise uneventful Sunday morning. After the shock and the sadness wore off — mostly about not seeing his dog again — I realized it was for the best. And for the next two years, he forgot that I was still an authorized user on his Costco membership, and I smothered any lingering emotions beneath a pile of $1.

It’s time to grab the sunscreen and the novelty pool floats, because summer party season has officially started. Costco’s boozy, 100-calorie vodka ice pops are back for the summer, and it’s time to have some fun. These boozy popsicles from Slim Chillers are called Skinny Freezers, and they’re basically Freeze Pops for grown-ups. They’re long plastic tubes full of sweet, frozen cocktails with about 8 percent alcohol.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been screamed at in public the way I was in a small grocery store on the outskirts of Berlin. I had no idea what the woman was saying, but it came out of her mouth in one angry unbroken paragraph — and the fact that she was yelling in German just made her sound more mad. There was nothing I could do except stand there dumbly holding a mango and waiting for her to finish.

It’s easier than ever to drink wine, and lots of it. But getting good at drinking wine takes a little work. We’ve taken some of that work out with our new Kitchn Wine Club. We’ve paired with Wine Awesomeness to bring you three budget-friendly wines that taste way more expensive than they are. The wines are all hand-picked by Kitchn editors, and paired with some of our tried-and-true, no-fuss weekday recipes.

Whether you eat them grilled, wrapped in prosciutto, or just cut up into wedges, watermelons are one of the hallmarks of summer. And luckily, they’re considered the best value fruit on the market. Here’s how much you should plan to pay — and how to get the most bang for your watermelon buck.

With the unofficial start to summer (and grilling season!) right around the corner, it’s time to talk burgers. There are obviously plenty of tips for cooking the best, juiciest burger, but a good burger starts at the grocery store. Specifically, when you’re in the meat department. I’m not talking about the fancy stuff here (no blending brisket with hanger steak, although you certainly can!) — I’m talking about regular ol’ ground beef.

I don’t know why movie theaters that don’t sell alcohol still exist. Does anyone really expect us to watch Deadpool 2 without a beer? The first time I tried to go to a movie after moving to my new town, I figured they would not have a full bar behind the concession stand, so I asked for a white wine, or maybe a beer if they didn’t have that. The guy behind the counter looked at me like I was out of my mind and explained that they did not serve alcohol at all.

My whole life I’ve heard tales of morning people — people who wake up feeling refreshed and leap out of bed ready to get things done. That is so not me. As far as I am concerned, we should have taps in our house that supply clean, running coffee, right next to the hot and cold water. The main thing I want when I get up in the morning is the ability to inject coffee directly into my brain.

For the first time in five years, the frozen food market is showing signs of growth, as an increasing number of people are warming up to the idea of shopping in their grocer’s freezer. The Washington Post suggests that millennials have finally ventured beyond the avocado displays to discover the “cheap and easy access” that frozen foods provide, while others have just shrugged off the idea of eating out.

I really love hosting parties — big or small — and search for any excuse to do so, but grocery shopping for them can be a challenge. After a few successes and plenty of failures, I’ve learned that tackling a big shopping list for a party is way different than your weekly grocery run. Here are five mistakes to avoid the next time you’re shopping for a party — and how to make sure you’re set up for success (and fun!).

I love Trader Joe’s, but I’ve often found myself a bit perplexed by the nautical theme — and not just because I mixed up Trader Joe’s and Trader Vic’s for years. It’s a little odd to have a nautical-themed grocery store, right? Most grocery stores do not have themes at all. They just have food. But Trader Joe’s employees are called “crew members” and all wear Hawaiian shirts. The managers are called “captains.

I love checking out new grocery store products — especially at places like Aldi and T.J. Maxx because the selection is unpredictable and seemingly random. Here’s a new wine! Here’s a great deal on fancy cookies! Here’s an olive oil that tastes like trail mix! The special, limited-time finds section of the store is like a mini treasure hunt. Sometimes you find something wonderful, and sometimes you find something awful.

The new podcast from Trader Joe’s, “Inside Trader Joe’s,” is surprisingly fascinating. I wasn’t expecting to get into a podcast about a grocery store (I normally prefer the riveting world of listening to people play Dungeons and Dragons online), but “Inside Trader Joe’s” keeps answering questions I didn’t know I had.

Costco is a magical wonderland for shoppers of every age. When I was a kid, it was full of toys, books, and giant bags of cookies and candy my mom wouldn’t buy me. As a young adult, I took ample advantage of my parents’ Costco membership when I wanted to throw a party and needed enough food and alcohol for all my friends. Now I’m a grown-up with a kid and a Costco membership of my own, and a Costco trip is a totally different experience.

Few things in life provoke envy like international Costco food courts. They have such interesting, delightful-looking things like pizza al pastor and beef bakes instead of chicken bakes. And somehow the familiarity of the Costco food court format just makes it worse. I expect restaurants in Iceland and Taiwan to have interesting things I don’t have in my town, but when I see those things in the context of a Costco food court I’m always momentarily taken aback. “Hey!

Here at Kitchn we’re big fans of what Editor-in-Chief Faith Durand calls “salad swag.” When you’re making a salad for lunch, you typically always have greens and maybe a dressing — but the fun stuff, the “swag,” is where things actually get interesting. Maybe you add some shrimp, avocado, and corn (like here). Or maybe it’s chicken, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices (like here).

Everyone has that playlist or soundtrack that gets them psyched. Whether you’re planning a night out, or need some extra energy for a morning run, music and podcasts have a way of making things way more entertaining. While normally you might not think listening to someone talk about grocery shopping would be considered a pump-up jam, you need to reconsider. Trader Joe’s is coming out with its own podcast, and it sounds more exciting than any grocery store podcast has a right to be.

I’m obsessed with KIND bars. I’d rather have a Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt KIND bar than any other candy bar in the check-out aisle. They’re crunchy, salty, sweet, chocolatey, and savory, but they’re not too sticky-sweet or full of sugar. I’d even rather have them than the big boxes of fancy chocolates that tend to show up at candy-giving holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Anthony Bourdain might not be a fan of these new “bleeding” vegan burgers, but the patrons of Costco can’t seem to get enough of them. In February, Costco quietly started selling a new, meat-like vegan burger that “bleeds” beet juice and sizzles on the grill just like beef, thanks to vegetable fats. And the test exceeded everyone’s expectations: Costco sold more than a million of them in just 60 days.

Costco’s food court might be the perfect place, if it were not for two things. First, no one seems to be able to figure out how to stand in line at a Costco food court. And second, once you do get to the front of the line, you have to decide between the giant pizza slices and the $1.50 hot dog and soda deal. How can anyone choose? That’d be like having to pick a favorite child, or at least a favorite Kardashian. The $1.50 hot dog is tempting. It’s an icon. It’s been $1.

If only buying chicken were as simple as picking out a pack, paying for it, and heading on your merry way. That’s not to say it’s super complicated (it’s really not!) — it’s just there are a few things you should know before you head to the store. These insider-y tips will make sure your shopping trip, meal prep, and dinner are the clucking best. More often than not, your grocery store butcher will be more than happy to help you.

I must admit that I am a latecomer to the whole “loving cauliflower” thing. When I was a child, my first taste of cauliflower was a watery, steamed, poorly prepared version of it, so I just assumed I hated it for the rest of my life. There never seemed to be a reason to try it again, either. Brightly colored vegetables seem vibrant, healthful, and flavorful, but cauliflower just looked like dead broccoli.

There are few things in life more jarring than accidentally getting the wrong milk. “Wrong” is subjective, of course, but if you’re used to a low-fat milk and accidentally wind up with whole, it’s basically like taking a big glug of heavy cream. And if you’re used to the comparatively thick, creamy mouthfeel of whole milk, having to put skim in your morning coffee will ruin your entire day.

It’s a running joke that Costco’s stuff is always good, from the copycat Nutella to the plastic wrap to the $7.99 bottles of Prosecco. If Costco made a Kirkland Signature car, I would buy it, and I am genuinely thinking about refinancing a mortgage through Costco. Now one couple has taken that even further and decided that if everything that comes out of Costco is good, then there’d be no better place to start their married life together.

The most memorable scene in Pulp Fiction is still the exchange between Vincent and Jules, when they’re talking about the little differences between the United States and Europe. Vincent is floored that he can get a beer at an Amsterdam movie theater, order a Royale with Cheese at a McDonald’s in Paris, and watch the Dutch dip their fries in mayonnaise. “I seen ’em do it, man,” he said. “They [freakin’] drown ’em in [it].

Buying pre-sliced cheese means you’ll shave off a few seconds from the time it takes to make your lunch. But that’s seconds, not minutes. And in return you’ll pay several dollars more per pound. That’s dollars, not cents.

Perhaps you’ve seen him? Your local grocery store’s butcher. You know he’s the butcher because, well, he’s checking up on the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and wearing that tell-tale apron. He’s also almost always carrying out big packs of meat to replenish the shelves. Once you spot him, you should say hi. And, if you’re there to buy chicken, you should also consider asking him to help you.

Chicken is a crowd-pleasing protein many of us eat a lot — but raw chicken is often contaminated by bacteria that can cause food poisoning, like salmonella. In fact, every year about a million people get sick from eating poultry that’s contaminated with harmful germs, according to the CDC. While that stat might make you never want to eat chicken again, keep calm! Safe handling and cooking practices can kill the bad bacteria and prevent it from spreading to other foods, too.

Beef brisket is the cut we know and love for pastrami, corned beef, smoked barbecue brisket, and tangy, oniony braised brisket. It is readily available in every grocery store, warehouse club store, and your local butcher. When it comes to cooking your Sunday brisket, do you know what you should buy? A little bit of knowledge will guide you through the supermarket case or help you tell your butcher exactly what you’ll need.

Do you love the taste of ketchup but hate the way it adds moisture and visual appeal to a variety of foods? Are you a busy person on the go, with only a few minutes a day to dedicate to your passion project of trying to create the world’s strangest sandwich? Then you need to hear about ketchup slices. Yes, slices.

It adds a salty, mildly sweet, gooey pockets all over the tops of my pizzas!

Going to the grocery store is pretty close to a universal human experience. Sure, Bill Gates doesn’t know what Tide Pods cost, but for the most part we’ve all been there — eating grapes, comparing prices on cheese, and worrying the cashier will judge us if we buy too much wine all at one time. This weekend the #ThoughtsWhileGroceryShopping hashtag erupted on Twitter, and it’s hilarious.