Grocery Store Tour for Vegans: Kroger

Kroger is on my rotation of main grocery stores. I tend to visit at least once a month as my primary weekly shop, simply because they generally have everything I need in one stop, and there are two stores fairly close to my home.

As an added bonus, because I have a rewards card, they send me coupons once a month to entice me back. The savings from these alone add up to at least $10 per packet, plus they have specials every week.

For those who prefer to shop online and pick up, Kroger also has click list. This has been a great resource when I’ve needed it. Although I’m typically a touch everything before I buy it in store kind of shopper, there are times that this has really saved me! Navigating this system is simple. Since it uses your customer card for your account, it saves your frequent in store purchases for reference. Be aware that they will make substitutions if they are out of items.

Kroger’s store brands are good. Their Simple Truth Organic brand has really stepped up their plant-based game recently, adding burgers, jarred Alfredo sauce, and sweet goodies, too. I have to say, especially for the price point, their plant-based burgers rival Beyond Meat.

In the Richmond market, we have smaller stores as well as Marketplace superstores. The two locations I frequent most are the larger stores. All of our local stores have removed the “natural” sections in the past year and have essentially integrated all of their organic brands into the main parts of the store.

My primary frustration with Kroger is that each store is organized slightly differently, so you have to learn each store’s layout, and they recently moved all of their fermented products to a separate refrigerated aisle in the middle of the store. Sometimes I miss the kombucha!

So, what are some of my must-haves from Kroger?

• Produce
  • Selection and quality are typically very good. They do separate most of their organic from conventionally grown produce, with the exception of berries, root veggies, tomatoes, and bananas. There is usually also a wide variety, so if there is something specific that you need for a recipe, they usually have it. This is also where I stock up on bagged Organic apples, either honeycrisp or gala.
• Farro
  • Kroger sells their own brand of this ancient grain. As I have written about before, I love this grain for its high protein and fiber content as well as its delicious nutty flavor! You can find this on the rice aisle near the quinoa. Check out this blog post for recipe ideas!
• Canned beans
  • Their Simple Truth Organic brand canned beans are available in 4 packs, usually for less than $4. This is also an item for which I’m typically given a coupon. I’ll buy black beans for soup and Mexican nights, kidney beans/tri-blend beans for salads, garbanzo beans for mock tuna or chicken salad substitutes as well as homemade hummus, pinto for chili, and white beans for salads and soups. 
• Frozen, prepared Vegan foods
  • Gardein products are stocked here, with their “chicken tenders” and “meatballs” as favorites for me. These are good back-up emergency meal starters.
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  • Hillary’s breakfast sausages are also a favorite of mine that are carried here. I really like these because all of the ingredients are identifiable.
  • Amy’s frozen meals. I love the tofu scramble, and I try to have one on hand for a last minute meal.
• Simple Truth Organic products
  • Plant-based “meats.” Like I said in the intro, I really do like their burgers. They also make a ground pack not formed into patties that I have yet to try. For the price point compared to the name brands, these are worth it.
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  • Sauces. They make a jarred, plant-based Alfredo sauce (pasta aisle) and red curry sauce (international aisle) which are both good and are vegan. The curry sauce is SPICY! When I don’t have time to cook from scratch, these are meal savers!
  • Tofu. I really love that they sell a block split into two as one pack. I’m the only one in my house who will eat it, so I like the convenience of smaller portions.
• Plant-based milk alternatives
  • Kroger carries the entire Silk line of products. I love the dark chocolate almond milk for my coffee. For unflavored milk, I love their oat milk!
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• Bean based, high protein pastas
  • Both the Pow! and Banza brands are sold here. I’ve tried both. I actually prefer the Banza brand, which is made from chickpea flour. The texture is most like regular pasta to me. The lentil based pastas from Pow have a peppery kick, though! If you are looking to boost your protein intake, these are great options while still enjoying pasta!
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• Dave’s Killer Bread products
  • These are, by far, my favorite breads! Organic, whole grain, and delicious. My family is addicted to their berry bagels, but we love all of their products. Now if they could just start making sandwich buns…
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Grocery shopping at Kroger is a good, general option. Prices are always competitive, they have weekly specials accessed by my Kroger card, and they send me valuable coupons! This past week, I saved just under $29 between coupons and store specials. I can count on their Simple Truth organic products to be on par with the name brands for a good price, but they also carry the name brands I know and love. And I can use Click List when I really need it! And they have also added a delivery service!

Do you shop at Kroger? What are your favorites here? I’d love to hear about it!