8 Grocery Chains With the Best Prepared Foods That Beat Takeout
Sometimes, you just don't want to cook. After a long day at work, nobody wants to come home and figure out what to make for dinner. But that's where the convenience of a grocery store comes in. Many chains have already prepared foods, which can be a lifesaver. There's no cooking, it saves time, and best of all, there's no cleanup.
So, what makes a good prepared food department? According to Chef William Davis, Executive Chef at the Nourish Cafe at Pop Life, there are three things to look for. "The first is quality," he says. "I want it to look like it was created there, not dumped out of a bag and assembled. I am at the grocery store, so the food should look the next level to what I can purchase in-store."
The second aspect to watch out for, per Chef William, is creativity. "What are you doing that I can not buy in the store without spending time at home creating easily?"
The final thing to keep in mind when buying prepared food is cost. "Is the value there, compared to if I purchased the product and did it myself? And is it cost-effective for me to buy it at the store vs. dining out?" From pizza and sandwiches to ready-to-eat bake options, here are the best grocery store chains with the best prepared food all around.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods has impressive quick and easy meal solutions that are also healthy. You can pick up a whole rotisserie chicken or pan of salmon to heat up and serve in no time. Or you can also stop by their hot bar, which has everything from soups to vegan entrees, paleo/keto-friendly, and of course, tasty sides like mashed potatoes, rice, and veggies. There's also a salad bar with fresh fruits and veggies to make a delicious meal.
Trader Joe's
Any die-hard Trader Joe's fans know the store is a one-stop shop for all your grocery needs, including prepared meals. The favorite neighborhood chain has a lot of prepared food options, including the Creamy Hummus & Vegetable Wrap, Chicken Sausage Breakfast Burrito, and countless other items.
Shoppers love the store's prepared items and have been vocal about their favorite foods.
One Reddit user wrote, "The bag salad kits have been a lifesaver for me. It's fresh veggies, but it's also super quick and easy to prepare. If I'm feeling fancy, I dress it up with things like a cut-up black bean burger, avocado, cut-up chicken nuggets, or something else along those lines. Even with those modifications, I have a meal in usually 10 minutes or less."
For people watching their sodium intake, another Reddit user shared, "Mix in frozen veggies into the frozen meals to help tone down the salt. For instance, I get the frozen chicken tikka masala that comes with some rice and add frozen veggie medley which has corn, carrots, peas, and green beans. I usually only add about half as much veggie as there is chicken & sauce, so the flavor doesn't get too bland. I just pop everything onto a plate and mix together as I defrost in the microwave."
Gelson's
Gelson's offers healthy restaurant-quality meals that might make you never want to cook again. The endless options include poached salmon with vegetables, beef pot roast with mashed potatoes, citrus chicken with vegetables, garlic vegetable kabobs, sriracha shrimp skewers with vegetables, and much more. Just heat up and enjoy a nice meal.
Fresh Thyme Market
Known for its excellent variety of fresh produce Fresh Thyme Market has a lot of great options when it comes to prepared foods. A Reddit user wrote, "Their sushi is grade A for work lunches," while another Redditor shared, "We love the individual serving sized chopped salads. They are tasty and not too expensive. Apparently, everyone else does, too, because they are rarely in stock."
Wegmans
Shoppers of Wegman know about their Market Cafe, which has everything from sushi to pizza to salads. If you'd rather pop something in the oven to bake, there are plenty of options as well. Whether you're in the mood for lemon garlic chicken or meatloaf, the mid-Atlantic chain has you covered.
Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, the top-rated Midwestern grocery store chain, makes mealtime effortless with their curb-side delivery of high-quality prepared meals or their in-store restaurant, Market Grille. You can order anything from chicken pot pie to Asian cuisine without leaving the comfort of your car.
Stew Leonard's
Known for its high standard of customer service and unique shopping experience, Stew Leonard's has a great in-house brand, an incredible bakery, and a large prepared food section.
A Reddit user recently wrote, "I love their prepared foods. 2 giant slices of pizza & a soda for 6 bucks is an awesome, easy lunch."
Bristol Farms
Bristol Farms is a go-to for Southern California locals who crave a good hot meal but don't feel like cooking. The small chain has a large selection of prepared food, such as pepperoni flatbread, a Thai beef salad, and a deli smoked brisket sandwich. The sushi is also a big hit.
A Redditor wrote, "Bristol Farms has pretty consistently satisfying hot and prepared foods. Recent favorites include the take and finish crab cakes, the single-serving chicken pot pie, and the BBQ pork ribs. And if you think that sounds crazy (buying ribs at a grocery store), my wife and my mother-in-law LOVE the sushi from there!"
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