Can you give me the lowdown on US supermarkets

[N0rdicStar]

How they all compare.

They’re fabulous in that there is so much variety. On the other other hand they can feel a bit OTT if you’re used to smaller shops.

What part of the states are you going to? The supermarkets vary by region.

East Coast

Northe east?

Kroeger was always one of my favourites, Whole Foods (but as a student couldn't afford to go there!) and just coming back from the States used Safeway which was good. Tbh I've found them all much the same, I judge them by their bakery section! I never food shopped in Wal Mart, it was too big for me (loved a trip to wal Mart but not for a weekly food shop). As a pp says it'll depend on region.

North! I don’t know where the extra ‘e’ came from.

We went to Orlando and our favourite by far was Publix- quality food especially the fruit and veg and lots of offers, plus the shop is smaller and less overwhelming than Walmart.

New England

Whatever you do don't be tempted by walmart you get lost forever in them

Stop and Shop in New England seemed ok, reasonable range, not too overwhelming.

The thing I hate most is the complicated voucher systems where your shopping costs a fortune if you don't have a card or find someone willing to scan one for you.

In order of "naiceness", Whole Foods (aka whole paycheck), Trader Joe's (but doesn't have everything), Hannafords, Shaws, Stop n Shop, Market Basket. Different branches will be nicer or grottier depending on location. Local independents always have lovely things eg the Co-op in Concord NH.

In Boston Roche Brothers is nice.

Publix reminded me of Waitrose when we were in USA. Not sure if they have them in New England though.

Food standards in Whole Foods are closer to UK norms than other American supermarkets. US food safety rules allow a host of things that are banned by the EU (chemically washed meat, pesticides with carcinogenic properties, growth hormones in beef and pork farming, etc.), and regular US supermarkets are full of such foods.

If you are concerned about food standards, Whole Foods are like an extra picky version of Waitrose. Very expensive by US standards, though.

I live in Florida so Publix is my go to. They are Florida based, but have recently branched out into other Southern States. In the North, if you are near a Wegmans, they are outstanding.

Trader Joe's is SO wonderful. It is true that it doesn't have everything; It has fewer choices, but all the choices are good. It is friendly, reasonably processed, fun to look around, no advertising or special offers, just good quality and somehow not trashy-- oh, and more ethical in a lot of ways.

Sorry: - I meant to write "reasonably priced" NOT "reasonably processed"

I hated US food shopping when I lived in the USA (6 years). It was easily the worst part of being an expat. Kroger was the main provider in my area.

Reasonably processed is more realistic.

Bloody love a Publix - their bakery section is amazing. This is in Florida, not sure if they're just that state or nationwide though.

Walmart and Target are also great - we spend hours in them.

Star Market is in New England and is Ok, I would compare it to Asda if Wholefoods is Waitrose +. Supermarket shopping always seems expensive here. Depending where you are there may be fruit and veg markets or farmers markets with good produce, but may only operate on certain days. The outdoor fruit and veg market in Boston is almost unbelievably cheap and good quality. Trader Joes is good, especially for snacks.

My experience (although I live in the west coast)...expensive! But that’s the US all over - poor quality food is cheaper than the U.K. and good quality food is more expensive, except fruit. That goes for restaurants and supermarkets. Finding a good strong cheese is a struggle. Took me 2 years to find a bread I like (Pugliese from Safeway). I do like being able to buy strawberries all year round without having to re-mortgage the house!

I found everything (bread, yogurt, cereal) very sugary when I first arrived in the US. They add sugar to everything! My sister commented on the same thing when she visited. Whole Foods is probably a bit closer to the taste of the food that you'd get in the UK. Trader Joe's is really nice too but all the ones near me are not really set up for doing a full week's shop for a family, they don't tend to stock non-food essentials.

That’s my worry. Rem searching everywhere for sugar free bread in Seattle. Might just get bread yogurt etc in Wholefpods then embrace the rest of US food in cheaper supermarkets.

The best bread here in Boston comes from Italian bakeries. Whole foods is good for sourdough but other bread there can still be sweet compared to U.K. bread.