The Walmart Myth

 Wal-mart foods get a bad rap from food snobs. They feel that the store's generic brand of goods is inferior.They're made with subpar ingredients and don't taste as good as the national brands Yet that;s far from true. Their Great Valeu products are just as good and well worth their value as say in house brands from Acme and Lidl.

I found this is true for their Great Value Pasta sauces.

I combined two flavors, their traditional and tomato basil garlic to make a really good sauce. Sometimes these need to be doctored with the addition of oregano and olive oil.These didn't need  anything.,only needing a ladelful of pasta water to I=improve their flavors..

It was paired with Walmart's premium quality brand Better Goods pasta. I bought bucatini the straw like pasta ,It cooked up very well too.

 

With the addition of Gardein meatballs. this turned out to be a very delicious meal. The favor of both actually is better than some of the higher  quality national brands. I would definitely buy both again.

Don't fall for the myth that Walmart foods are inferior. They're not Both their brands.Better Goods and GreatValue are rich in flavor and quality. Try any of the products to taste this.

Niche or National

What's the better choice for food shopping? The smaller niche shops that have either gourmet or fresher products or the national chains where you can pick up anything and everything?Or is it a combination of both?

Niche markets can be expensive. Ones such as Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck as some consumers call it) which always touted organic food is over priced . Their wild sockeye smoked salmon is a whopping seventeen dollars, even too pricey to be considered for an occasional treat. A can of their organic beans is three bucks, You could buy three cans of those at Stop and Shop or eve four cans for that cost at Acme.,Granted some of their fresh baked cakes and cookies are worth the price - although ten dollars is a bit steep for apple pie.Another smaller yet just as popular grocery store is Trader Joe's. Their food tends to me more gourmet than Whole Foods and surprisingly better priced too. I went there recently and was awed by what ten dollars can buy. A home chef can shop frugally there and wind up with some tasty bargains. Their Italian  breadsticks or grissini  cost just as much as Stella Doro's and have a better flavor. They're more artesanal thanks to the addition of olive oil. The pancake mix is a bit more labor intensive to work with than Bisquick but the end result was delicious,You get a lot for the price which was around three dollars

As fun as these stores are to occasionally visit, I find them lacking  in many products. Trader Joe's does not have a big paper product section or soaps. A shopper would still have to go to Acme or Stop & Shop for more choices. Bigger supermarkets such as these have huge options for everything and there's more to choose from. One of the best aspects of Stop & Shop is that it caters to home bakers. You can find everything from rice flour to sanding sugar , and everything in between in their baking aisle. I love their herbs and spices section because there's so many different kinds. Another plus for it and Acme is that they have excellent deli counters.Again there's this vast array of meats and cheeses. that are perfect for a quick dinner or a picnic.Their cooked offerings are the same too, with main and side courses ranging from pot  roast and mashed potatoes to roast chicken and cooked Brussels sprout salad. One reason to absolutely love supermarkets is that they buy from local farms within the state. You can get just picked corn and tomatoes without the two hour long haul south .

So which is the better choice. Foodies will tell you the niche supermarkets. Those shopping for families and on a budget will swear by the larger chains. My advice is stick with works best for you.