10 Things You Should Never Buy From the Grocery Store, According to Experts

Grocery stores are designed to make cooking convenient. Everything you need to prepare a meal is under one roof, and plenty of ingredients—from canned soup to pre-cut fruit—are processed and packaged to save time and make meal prep easier. However, the easiest option is not always the best one. Certain items should be left on grocery store shelves rather than placed in your cart. So, we turned to food experts to find out which products to skip on your next trip to the grocery store and the better alternatives to use instead.

Cuts of Meat On the Bone

Visiting the meat aisle at the grocery store is convenient, but you may want to head to a butcher shop instead, especially for bone-in meat. Meats sold on the bone sour more quickly than boneless cuts because of their age and how they are stored. “The presence of bones affects the meat’s pH, which can lead to a foul smell, slimy texture, and sometimes a change in color,” says Jerry Rempe, a master butcher for Omaha Steaks. As an alternative, visit your local butcher or use a flash-frozen meat delivery service to get the freshest, best-quality meats.

Pre-Cut Melons

Pre-cut fruit, like melon, can be a time-saver—and they can be a boon to anyone with reduced dexterity—but otherwise, you should skip it during your next trip to the grocery store. Pre-cut fruit stored for many days can risk the growth of Salmonella, says Jessica Gavin, a certified food scientist and recipe developer. Plus, a whole melon is typically more affordable than a pre-cut melon—and comes without the plastic packaging.

Salad Kits

Salad kits are an easy way to add vegetables to your diet, but more often than not, they are overpriced. “Salad kits tend to provide only one or two servings, so you're better off buying the separate ingredients and making salads for the whole week,” says nutritionist and plant-based chef Rachel Lessenden. Instead of spending the money on salad kits, invest in a salad spinner that can help you save time washing and drying your lettuce.

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup can improve at-home cocktails, iced coffee, and lattes, but avoid buying it at the grocery store. Bottled simple syrup can cost anywhere between $0.50 to $1.00 per ounce, which is a steep price for sugar and water. Instead, Stephen Chavez, a senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, recommends making your own. “To make it at home, take equal amounts of sugar and water (or use less water if you are making a rich syrup), heat it until the sugar is melted, then cool it off." If you’re feeling creative, you can add flavors from extracts, purees, and liquor to enhance the syrup.

Fresh Fruit for Smoothies

You don’t have to spring for fresh fruit to make a delicious, nutrient-dense smoothie. “Frozen fruit is always less expensive than fresh fruit,” says Chavez. Frozen fruit is picked at its peak ripeness, meaning you can count on its flavor. Plus, using frozen fruit to make a smoothie helps cut down on how much ice you’ll need.

Sushi

Grabbing sushi before heading to the grocery store checkout line can be tempting, but experts say to resist the urge. “Sushi is best enjoyed fresh, and pre-packaged options that sit for hours or days increase the risk of foodborne illness,” says Gavin.

Stock

Stock is a key ingredient for soups, stews, and cooking grains, but making your stock from scratch tastes better and is easy to make. You only need leftover carcasses from store-bought rotisserie chickens, bones from the butcher, or veggie parts, says Chavez. Collect these items, including scraps like onion ends, herb stems, and carrot peels, and add them to a bag in the freezer. When you're ready, add them to a pot with cold water, mirepoix, and herbs. “Simmer for a couple of hours, strain, and you have beautiful, easy stock.”

Canned Soups

It’s never a bad idea to have a couple of cans of soup on hand in case you find yourself feeling under the weather, but otherwise, you can skip right over them in the grocery store. Canned soup is expensive for the amount of food you get, and it also tends to contain high sodium and preservatives, says Lessenden. Prepare a pot of homemade soup instead—it is inexpensive to make, freezes well, and tastes way more delicious—you won’t want to return to canned varieties. 

Salad Dressing

Store-bought salad dressings aren’t inherently bad, but why settle for preservatives, sugar, and excess salt when you could make fresh dressing instead? You likely already have the ingredients needed to make a quick vinaigrette or dressing, says Chavez. To make a basic vinaigrette, stick to a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar (or other acid such as lemon juice), a pinch of salt and pepper, a minced herb of your choice, and a small bit of Dijon mustard to help emulsify everything together.

Pre-Packaged Spices

Spices that come in plastic or glass jars are convenient, but shop for bulk spices whenever you get the chance. “Bulk spices are superior for a number of reasons,” says Lessenden. Not only does buying bulk spices help reduce waste, but they’re more cost-effective and you can buy only what you need so you don’t end up with large amounts of expired spices in your pantry.