I’m always on the hunt for great new vegan products (it’s kinda the whole purpose for this blog!) Although I love health food and specialty markets like Whole Foods my new favorite store for vegan finds is Kroger. All my east coast people probably know Kroger fairly well and if you do then you know that Kroger isn’t necessarily the first place that would come to mind when it comes to great vegan foods however, in the last couple of years Kroger has gone through a dramatic change converting part of every one of their stores into a little vegan paradise filled with every type of milk, meat-analogue, frozen dessert and specialty product you can think of.
If you aren’t already in a state of shock and awe then prepare yourself for another doozy. Unlike most conventional grocery stores, who’s vegan specialty products tend to be a little bit more expensive than Whole Foods or other health food stores, Kroger’s prices are actually the cheapest I have seen on just about everything except tofu. Just recently I was browsing through their veg*n frozen food section only to find all Gardein products on sale for only $2.99 with a regular price of $4.19.
It is important to note that Kroger’s entire specialty section isn’t vegan there are some organic milks, yogurts and other vegetarian items sprinkled throughout the mix so if you’re not sure about the veganess (yep, that's a word) of something, as always, turn that package over and scrutinize the label. Happy Shopping!
I live near a Kroger and an Earth Fare across the street from each other. I typically go to both -- Kroger has better prices on produce and soymilk, Earth Fare has better prices on Earth Balance and Boca crumbles. it's all about bargain hunting :)
ReplyDeleteI've had good luck requesting special items, too. Just talk to the manager if they don't carry something and you really want it. They will actually do that!
ReplyDeleteThey also have (at signature stores) the "ethnic" aisles and you'd be surprised to find that a lot of other countries don't use the same meat / dairy additives that we do here in the U.S. It's worth a trip down those aisles to check labels for sure.
But, yeah, why is their tofu so expensive?
I love stopping at the Kroger's by my parents' house when I visit. It's changed so much since I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteOMG. I only know about Kroger in Ohio. Im suprised that they have Vegan food available. That is awesome! Unfortunately I live in the DC,MD & VA area. We have a good selection of stores like Trader Joes, My Organic Market, Whole Foods, Farmer's Market, etc. I am just trying to figure out where I am going to shop and which is the least expensive!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
VA has Kroger stores, especially in the Hampton Roads area. Hope this helps :-)
DeleteI do the same thing, radioactivegan. Are you in Knoxville as well?
ReplyDeleteKroger also doubles coupons up to 50 cents, so I take that into consideration as well.
Here in Michigan, Kroger's "Natural" aisles very store to store. I used to find soymilk, soups, cereals, etc. at very good prices. Now the cereal is a good $2-3 more than Whole Foods. The soups are no longer carried. Most non-parishable items are well past their sell-by date. They no longer carry Silk soy creamer-and when they did they were usually ot fresh. The frozen goods are $1-2 more. I have seen certain items on sale for a very good price (well, really it's off of their already inflated prices).
ReplyDeleteAny time I've been in a small town in the US (e.g. LaVergne, TN or Johnson City, TN), I always hit up Kroger. It seems like no matter where you are, if there's a Kroger, you're good for vegan food.
ReplyDeleteI'm a michigan too and they do have a lot of vegan stuff at the one we go to.I do love their tofu though. Some things are very pricey, but cheaper than going to whole foods for me at least.
ReplyDeleteI love shopping at Kroger in NC for my vegan foods they are much cheaper than whole foods However Kroger could use a better variety of vegan options Since moving from New England to NC it is harder to find cheaper vegan food compared to living in Maine for 14 years but Kroger gets my vote in NC
ReplyDeleteThough i live in Australia my husband is from cincinnati and i have spent some time over there.. Totally agree with you on the Kroger having cheap vegan food and a great selection.. They have a lot of the vegan ice creams on sale .. so great!
ReplyDeleteI like that they had labeled on their breads suitable for vegans etc.. Not as good as Aldi with the vegan labels but a great start!
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