The 6 best foods to buy generic, according to our editors

If you’re looking to save money at the grocery store, opt for generic brands of these products.

Key Points

• Opting for quality generic foods like beans, cereal and pasta can help cut grocery costs.
• Store-brand frozen produce offers the same nutrients as fresh at a fraction of the price.
• Choosing generic lactose-free milk and yogurt can save money while meeting dietary preferences.

It’s no secret that inflation has made food costs rise. While there are ways to save money at the grocery store, like mapping out your shopping beforehand and using coupons, another way to cut costs is to opt for generic, store-brand versions of the products in your cart. 

While the price differences between generic and name-brand options might seem minimal, those savings can quickly add up. To help you figure out when to buy generic and when to buy name brand, I reached out to my EatingWell co-workers, from food editors to registered dietitians, to ask what’s on their grocery list. Here are the six store-brand foods they say they always buy. (Note: To calculate prices, I referred to the website of my local Target or Publix stores and compared their store-brand product to a similar name-brand product in the same size.)

Canned Beans

Canned beans are a great, budget-friendly staple to keep stocked in your pantry, and Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, EatingWell’s senior nutrition editor, always chooses the generic option when she’s shopping. Ball says there is a marginal difference between the store-brand and name-brand cans, so it’s easy to make the swap. Plus, she usually finds the store brand on sale, which helps increase the savings. Use canned beans in place of meat for plant-based protein in burrito bowls, salads and more.

Estimated savings: $0.50 ($0.89 for store-brand canned black beans vs. $1.39 for name-brand)

Cereal

Go down the cereal aisle, and you’re sure to be met with dozens of options. Sure, the name-brand boxes are usually more colorful, but EatingWell’s news editor Leah Goggins only has eyes for the generic. “Whether it’s a tub of steel-cut oats or a box of something a little sweeter, I’m usually opting for the generic stuff on the cereal aisle,” Goggins says. “At my local stores, the price difference can be pretty steep, but I never notice much difference in quality.”

Estimated savings: $1.14 ($2.65 for store-brand toasted oat cereal vs. $3.79 for name-brand)

Lactose-Free Milk

For those who need to choose alternative milk as part of a dietary restriction, it can get pricy to opt for name-brand options. Luckily, according to news and trending editor Danielle DeAngelis, buying the generic version of lactose-free milk is a great deal. In fact, DeAngelis says the generic lactose-free milk sometimes tastes better than the name brand.

Estimated savings: $1.50 ($3.49 for store-brand lactose-free reduced-fat milk vs. $4.99 for name-brand)

Yogurt

Sticking to the dairy aisle, one item that I always buy generically is yogurt. While some people might have strong feelings about their favorite name brand for its taste or texture, store-brand yogurt works well for my needs. I like to add a serving of yogurt to my morning smoothie for creaminess and protein, and oftentimes, I don’t end up tasting it over the other ingredients, so using the cheaper version is an easy choice. Plus, I buy yogurt on a weekly basis, so the monthly savings quickly add up. 

Estimated savings: $1.90 ($3.69 for store-brand vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt vs. $5.59 for name-brand)

Pasta

For Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD, EatingWell’s associate general manager, pasta is one item where she’ll choose the store brand every time. According to Seaver, “It all tastes the same, in my opinion. The savings between brand-name and store-brand isn’t incredibly significant, but saving some money here helps offset those ingredients where I do prefer to buy brand-name.”

Estimated savings: $1.30 ($1.49 for store-brand elbow macaroni vs. $2.79 for name brand)

Frozen Fruits & Vegetables

Whether you’re picking up fruit for a smoothie or veggies for a stir-fry, buying the generic versions of frozen produce is another easy way to save money. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen in their prime, so they’re packed with the same nutrients as their fresh counterparts. Many of our editors, including Ball, DeAngelis and myself, choose the store brand whenever they’re in the frozen food aisle.

Estimated savings for frozen fruit: $5.10 ($8.19 for store-brand frozen blueberries vs. $13.29 for name-brand

Estimated savings for frozen vegetables: $0.30 ($0.99 for store-brand frozen broccoli vs. $1.29 for name-brand)

The Bottom Line

While the savings between a name-brand product and its generic counterpart may seem minimal, choosing the latter can help reduce your weekly grocery bill, especially as inflation continues to impact costs. The next time you shop, look for the generic options of these foods that our editors swear by. As the saying goes, every penny counts!

Read the original article on EatingWell