Is Walmart food really that good.

[mnrose]

When we first moved back to Minnesota (smallish town, and Walmart has a HUGE store), I shopped there. The store was brand new, and still had an old, dirty feel to it. I was completely unimpressed with the produce, meat, etc., and their prices on other things simply were not all that great. In the 7 years I've lived in this area, I've been in that store maybe 10 times. I haven't been there for years, and have no intention of ever shopping there again. The more I hear about them, and their business practices, the less I want to be part of what they do.

I shop at Costco, Trader Joes and Aldi's. I also patronize our local grocery store (small midwestern chain). I get my meat from a local farmer.

I may spend more, but I feel good about where my money is going, and the business practices I support.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I buy two particular things there,

Green onion. They have better green onion than Publix or Kroger.

A very specific cut of meat. It's called rib tip or asian spare rib. It used a lot in my ethnic cooking, but I never find it in Publix, Kroger, or Target. I even went to local butcher shop, describing the meat and they had no idea what it was. So unlesee I drive 50 miles to the asian grocery store, I get it from Walmart.

 

[dfchelbay]

From commercials telling me Walmart Peaches are better then peaches bought from a farmer at a fruit stand. To Gordon Ramsey telling me every week on Master Chef that Walmart Steaks are top notch. Are they for real!!! I'm just curious how good is the quality of the produce and meats from Walmart.

Don't know much about the taste/quality, but I do know that where I live the meat prices at Walmart are always more expensive than all the grocery stores and meat never goes on sale. It's the oddest thing. As for the produce, I never buy it because it looks old, bruised at beat up all the time. I'm a grocery store's worst nightmare...I cherry pick the stores. I have four different stores to choose from all within a mile of each other & I look at the sales ad & know before going what is on sale and buy accordingly.

 

[Minnesota!]

Well, to be fair though, whether right or not, a lot of people DO look at Wal Mart that way.

Yep. I will admit, I am one of them. We go there 2x a year for specific things - hand held fans for our vacations and the Purex laundry sheets (my Target never has them!). I hate Walmart. The corporation, the stores, the merchandise, etc. Gives me the willies..

When we first moved back to Minnesota (smallish town, and Walmart has a HUGE store), I shopped there. The store was brand new, and still had an old, dirty feel to it. I was completely unimpressed with the produce, meat, etc., and their prices on other things simply were not all that great. In the 7 years I've lived in this area, I've been in that store maybe 10 times. I haven't been there for years, and have no intention of ever shopping there again. The more I hear about them, and their business practices, the less I want to be part of what they do.

I shop at Costco, Trader Joes and Aldi's. I also patronize our local grocery store (small midwestern chain). I get my meat from a local farmer.

I may spend more, but I feel good about where my money is going, and the business practices I support.

I agree. When the one in Woodbury was brand new we went and it was junky from the start. Gross. We shop Costco (meat is fabulous there!), Trader Joe's, Farmer's Market, and Cub...

 

[BlovesC]

DH and I crack up every time we see those commercials! We've never seen produce at Wal-Mart that fell anywhere on the spectrum of 'okay', let alone GREAT. Their produce is always overly ripe and nasty.

 

[worm761]

I am not a fan of their meat. I have yet to get something that impressed me. I have a local family run butcher shop though. He has competitive pricing, fantastic customer service, and all his meat is hormone and enhancement free.

Produce I can get fresher, better, and cheaper from the farmer's market.

We might pick up odds and ends at Walmart on occasion but I avoid the place for the most part. The customers around here are annoying. They gather in the aisle for a family reunion. I had 3 people blocking the aisle. An entire aisle and they wouldn't move out of everyone's way while they argued. Another time some kids walking down the aisle just knocking stuff of the shelves and the parent not stopping them. Yeah, can't stand my Walmart. We have another one a reasonable distance but you can feel the dirt under your feet so I won't shop there.

 

[luvsJack]

I buy some meat there but mostly I buy my meat at local grocery store that has a in-store butcher.

Produce, well it depends. Our Walmart will have some locally grown stuff and I do buy that. Tomatoes (when I can't get garden fresh), lettuces, carrots--I get from Walmart. Fruit--IF its local grown or at least US grown, I will buy it, if not I get it somewhere else. Strawberries, I don't get there at all. Peaches, if you can smell them when you walk in, they are usually good.

The problem is, at least around here, when needing to stay within a strict budget for groceries, Walmart is the best bet for that. They are considerably cheaper on meats and produce than the other stores.

 

[rgf207]

I refuse to set foot in our wal-mart

 

[MineMail]

I've tried meat from Walmart and Target several times, not good at all. They brine everything and the pan juices after cooking are awful. I prefer Kroger for ground meat, chicken and pork, Haris-Teeter for steaks/roasts and ham.

For produce, Food Lion and Kroger are best, IMO, but for greens and potatoes/onions, Harris-Teeter are better. I really liked A&P or Waldbaums for a one-stop shopping trip but we moved away from them.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I do shop at WalMart for many things. Including groceries. I think a lot of things are cheaper there.

But, meat... no... never....
Even their 'premium' steaks.
If it were CAB (certified angus beef) it would make that claim on the package. And, as another poster just said... 'percent of a solution'.. Gross.

For most meats I go to our Food City (good beef, NO 'solution')
And I will shop at Krogers as well.
But, the beef at Krogers sometimes, really, is not that much better...
It will usually either say choice or select at the best (lower quality).
And even their better cuts will not be labeled CAB.
And, yes, they sell beef with a 'solution'.

Sometimes their produce at walmart IS okay/good.
But, you have to look at the particular produce you are buying.
We live in the south, so, yes, I have gotten southern peaches.
They had some imported blueberries that were excellent and delicious.
Better than a a lot of the pasty generic blueberries you can find here.
I actually buy russet potatoes at Walmart that are very, very, good.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I've tried meat from Walmart and Target several times, not good at all.

Just wanted to say that Target has offered a high-end steak that I've had before. One was the absolute BEST steak I have ever had. I would never have imagined, but MIL picked some up, the higher-end stuff, on sale once. I would never have believed this was a discount store steak. But, the regular stuff... Yep, I imagine it isn't any better than WalMart!

I would buy those steaks more often, when they have them, if I had a Target anywhere close.

 

[Squirlz]

Here is the story of where they get their salmon. It's from 2006 and I don't know if they have changed or not, but it remains one of the many reasons why I will never shop at Walmart.

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart_fishman_chile_salmon_farm/

 

[DVC-Don]

Dry goods are okay, but I've had two bad experiences with their beef.

 

[twinmommyks]

Bought ground beef once, and only once. Produce at our local Walmart is overipe and sometimes moldy, esp those strawberries. Dislike the GV brand, but do buy name brand pantry items like cereals, chips, etc. Much prefer the Kroeger brand over the GV brand, if buying store brand.

 

[Robbi]

My husband is the carnivore in the family and he does not want me to buy meat at Wal Mart. I buy it at a local market that has choice and prime beef.

 

[pyrxtc]

just had our first Walmart steaks and they were not good. Also bought their hamburg and hot dog buns for a BBQ weeks ago and they were still not molding.... makes me not want to buy them again because how much preservatives do you put in them no to mold or even get hard ??

 

[ICF]

We don't buy much food at Walmart that's not the "name brand" stuff that the same everywhere.

But we do buy hamburgers, chicken and the like from Sam's club all the time and think it's good.

 

[Stitchfans]

I buy a lot of our meat from Aldi's. I figure it is cheaper and often less fatty. For DD's birthday she wanted Bar B Qed ribs. Went to WalMart. It was over $3 a pound and mostly fat. Aldi didn't have any. So we ended up buying corned beef her second favorite meat. Our Walmart does not have any competition so they can sell at a high price and don't have to worry about quality since Aldi's stock changes constantly. There is a Krogers in the area but they are expensive also a bit more than WalMart often.

 

[tvguy]

NO. I have had to return their peanut butter, granola bars,and a few other things because they were not tasty ( my kids used other words). They do have a satisfaction guarantee where they will refund you the price if you bring the product and receipt back.

Everyone once in a while I will buy one of their products forgetting my past experiences. I'm frequently reminded why I don't buy their GV line.

Personal preference I guess, Many of their GV line are made by the same national companies that make the name brand versions, on the same line, using the same ingredients, just different packaging.*

We don't like the saline they add to meat, but we will buy Foster Farms chicken there because it's $3 a pound cheaper than at the grocery store. Produce, freshness can be an issue, but you look at the boxes and it from the same growers as the grocery store known for their produce.

*My dad used to work in a tomato cannery, and on more than one occasion he took friends who insisted that one brand of catsup was better than another on tours when they were bottling catsup. There was one huge cooker feeding catsup to 4 bottling lines, one had Heinz catsup coming off the line, one had Hunts, one had Del Monte, and one Sacramento Brand (the canneries brand).

 

[marcyinPA]

NO. I have had to return their peanut butter, granola bars,and a few other things because they were not tasty ( my kids used other words). They do have a satisfaction guarantee where they will refund you the price if you bring the product and receipt back.

Everyone once in a while I will buy one of their products forgetting my past experiences. I'm frequently reminded why I don't buy their GV line.

I bought a huge box of GV granola bars for my DS18 to take to camp (he is a counselor at an overnight camp this summer). He said they are gross- they taste stale. I don't think I have the receipt anymore- so they are garbage- but I won't be buying those again! I normally never shop at Walmart for food, but just happened to be in there buying some other stuff and picked these up.