Here's What You Should Buy On Your First Trip To Kroger

Kroger is one of the biggest U.S. supermarket brands with almost 2800 stores in 35 states. If you don't have a Kroger near you, you may still be able to find some of its items at other stores under its twenty-brand family of companies, including Fred Meyer, Fry's, Ralphs, and Smith's. As it continues to expand, many people are finding themselves shopping at a Kroger grocery store for the first time.

One of the things that makes Kroger unique and beloved by shoppers is its variety of store brands. It was the first grocery store to private label and produce its own versions of name-brand items, and it continues to make some of the best store-brand items on the market under its Kroger, Private Selection, and Simple Truth brands. These private-labeled items are often very affordable, and Kroger offers a lot of them, meaning that customers are able to find great deals and save money by shopping at Kroger. As a first-time shopper, be on the lookout for items marked with a WooHoo! sale sticker—these items are close to expiration, but still good, and are sold with heavy markdowns. You can also find weekly digital deals via the Kroger app or website, which refresh every Wednesday.

In addition to offering great value, Kroger has some unique and delicious items for shoppers to discover. As a lifelong Kroger shopper, I've tried many of these items and I'm here to share with you my favorites to ensure that your first shopping trip to Kroger is a successful one.

The Private Selection Croissant Loaf is one of my favorite finds from the bakery department at Kroger. Private Selection is Kroger's gourmet brand, and is one of my favorites because it offers you bougie flavors and ingredients on a budget.

We all love a buttery croissant, but this bread steps it up a notch by opening up a world of possibilities. The nooks and crannies perfectly soak up your egg mixture to create the best French toast you've ever had. If you're a fan of grilled cheese, this bread makes even the simplest dish taste totally gourmet. I like to use Gruyère, prosciutto, and a little fruit jam, which pairs perfectly with the buttery and fluffy croissant.

If I'm feeling lazy, I just pop a slice of this bread in the toaster and put some butter on it. It's also a decadent choice for my morning avocado toast. If you see this bread at your Kroger's bakery department, I definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a try!

Kroger brand makes the best imitation crab, and my favorite version of it is the leg style, which has been my go-to for years. It has a great flavor that's not too fishy, and the texture is firm and flaky, but not chewy.

Considering the quality, Kroger's imitation crab is a great deal at just $3.79 — though you can often find it on sale if you have a Kroger card. I find that the leg style is perfect for California sushi rolls, which are surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need is sushi rice, nori sheets, avocado, and cucumber — just take a look at our recipe for California rolls.

In addition to the imitation crab leg, Kroger also sells flake style and chunk style imitation crab. These styles are particularly great for making crab dip. If you find you've made too much, you can even turn your leftover crab dip into a pasta bake.

If you've ever tried cookie butter, then you know what the hype is all about. I first tried the Biscoff cookie butter in England in 2017, and went on the hunt for it back home. That's when I discovered that the Private Selection brand at Kroger is not only just as delicious, but more affordable too. At just $0.28 per ounce, Kroger's cookie butter is a better value than both classic Biscoff spread and Trader Joe's Speculoos cookie butter.

Based on a spread originating in Belgium, this hazelnut-cookie-based spread is the even more addictive cousin of Nutella. It has a creamy, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth quality that can't quite be described. You can spread it on your toast in the morning for a sweet treat, or try adding a dollop of cookie butter in your latte for a comforting treat. If you buy this Private Selection cookie butter from Kroger, you might just be hooked forever. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Simple Truth is Kroger's organic, GMO-free brand. While the Simple Truth salsa is free from additives and harmful ingredients, it's certainly not lacking in flavor. I love the pineapple habanero salsa for its bold, spicy-sweet flavor. It also has the perfect thick and chunky texture without being watery like many store-bought salsas.

My favorite way to use this pineapple salsa is to put it on top of some shrimp tacos, but it tastes just as great on a chip. Unlike some other, less healthy store-bought salsas, this Kroger salsa is low in sodium, has very low added sugar, and is made of fully organic and natural ingredients. If the pineapple habanero flavor doesn't appeal to you, Simple Truth also has mild and medium chunky salsa options with a similar great texture and ingredient list. I really recommend you give this brand a try for salsa if you're headed to Kroger!

If you're looking for a healthy but still fun soda option, look no further than Kroger's Mercado Tropical Pineapple Guava Soda. The Mercado brand is a newer one to the Kroger family, offering flavors inspired by Hispanic culture. I recently picked up and tried this pineapple guava flavored soda and loved the tropical feel. It's made with real cane sugar so it has that perfect natural sweetness that makes Mexican Coke taste better than regular Coke.

Kroger also makes a few other flavors of this soda that I haven't tried, but those have great reviews as well. One customer shared on the Kroger site, "I've tried almost all of the flavors and haven't found one I don't like." Others say that they like the Mango flavor and that these sodas mix well with spirits to make a fruity cocktail. I think this soda would work great in a tequila cocktail, kind of like a twist on a Paloma — one of the best soda-alcohol pairings. It would also make for a great mocktail. Definitely give this one a try if you see it at your Kroger.

If you're like me and don't always have time to cook a hearty breakfast in the morning, the Kroger Sausage Egg and Cheese Croissant breakfast sandwich is a godsend. It's perfect for those days when you're just running out the door and need a quick and easy breakfast packed with protein and flavor.

This product is a total dupe of the Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches, but these actually have better reviews, and I have to say I agree. The sausage in the Jimmy Dean version is made with chicken and soy, while the Kroger version uses an all-sausage patty, which results in a better-tasting breakfast sandwich.

When you consider that the Kroger sandwich is one dollar cheaper than the Jimmy Dean version, you've found yourself a pretty good deal. The croissant sausage is my favorite, but Kroger also makes a bacon croissant, ham muffin, and sausage biscuit variety if those are more your style. Grab this from the Kroger freezer section and you'll never have an excuse to skip breakfast again!

My family has been eating Private Selection Ice Cream for as long as I can remember. My personal favorite flavor is the Black Raspberry Dark Chocolate Chunk. Made with real raspberry purée and juice, it's creamy, not overly sweet, and balances perfectly well with the rich dark chocolate. Reviews say it's a dupe for Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip that tastes just as good at a quarter of the price.

This Kroger brand ice cream offers tons of different flavors, so I'd recommend giving your favorite flavor a try on your first trip to Kroger. The Southern Butter Pecan and Denali Moose Tracks are also on frequent rotation in my house. Every new flavor I try is delicious, creamy and rich. Because Private Selection is Kroger's gourmet brand, you'll find high-quality ingredients in this ice cream, whatever flavor you choose — and all for less than six dollars for a half gallon. That value is why we love Kroger!

This one is definitely indulgent, but we all have to treat ourselves once in a while. If you're a chocolate lover like me, you definitely need to try out the Private Selection Belgian Chocolate Brownie Liege Waffles at Kroger. Not only do these waffles taste like the best brownie you've ever had, but they're also made with pearl sugar. That's a common ingredient in Liège waffles — because the sugar doesn't melt easily, it makes those delicious crunchy, caramelized bits throughout the waffle.

I find that these frozen waffles make the most amazing dessert. I pop them in the toaster long enough to get a nice crust on the outside, then I top them with a scoop or two of my favorite Private Selection ice cream. The hot waffles melt the ice cream just a bit and make the most heavenly bite. If you're looking to treat yourself, this is the Kroger item for you.

People can get particular about their favorite peanut butters. I mean, there are entire internet communities dedicated to discussing it. And who can blame them when there are so many types of peanut butter to consider? Crunchy, smooth, natural, salty, sweet, the list goes on. As a peanut butter lover, I have to say that the Kroger Honey Crunchy Peanut Butter is definitely one of the best spreads I've ever tried. It's the perfect balance of salt, texture, and warm sweetness from the honey. 

I love to put this on toast with sliced banana and a sprinkle of chia seeds for a sweet breakfast or snack. It also works great for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At only two dollars for a jar, this is one of my go-to Kroger grocery items. If you're not a fan of crunchy peanut butter, the Kroger Creamy Peanut Butter also has great reviews, with some saying it's even better than the name brand.

I love this frozen Chicken Fried Rice meal for a quick dinner. It's only seven dollars, but can feed two to three people easily. With white breast meat, carrots, corn, peas, red bell pepper, and green onion, this frozen dinner offers a pretty well-rounded meal in a pinch. The flavors are well-balanced and taste better than takeout at a fraction of the price.

It's super easy to make on the stovetop or in the microwave — I prefer the stovetop method, so I can get that nice crispy fry on the rice that you would get at a restaurant. Since it takes less than 15 minutes to cook, I like to keep one of these on hand for those nights when I'm all out of groceries and have no time to cook. If you're stopping by Kroger, I definitely recommend grabbing this from the freezer section for a quick and delicious dinner.

If you're a fan of at-home meal kits, you may have heard of Home Chef. Since Kroger acquired this meal kit company in 2018, the ready-to-cook kits have begun appearing in stores. These kits range across a variety of different cuisines, diets, and effort levels, but my favorite is the Green Chile Chicken Enchilada meal kit.

This kit is super easy to put together and easily serves two people. All of the ingredients are included and the chicken is pre-cooked, so all that's left to do is assemble the enchiladas, put them in a pan, and heat them. You can do this in the microwave if you're short on time, but I prefer to bake them in the oven to really get that crispy, melty enchilada taste you would get from a restaurant. The green chili enchilada sauce with this is so good, but I just wish they included more of it. These meal kits are usually on display in a fridge near the deli section. If you see them at your local Kroger, I definitely recommend picking this one up and trying it out for an easy at-home dinner!

I'm a huge fan of crispy rice and fried sushi rolls, but they can be a pain and a mess to make at home, and eating out at sushi restaurants always seems to cost way more than I expect it to. So, I've been fulfilling my cravings with the Private Selection Crunchy Sushi Salmon Rolls from Kroger.

These freezer rolls are great as an appetizer or dinner. If you have an air fryer, you can get them crispy and golden brown in just 10 minutes. The cream cheese and salmon remind me of a Philadelphia roll, which is one of the best sushi rolls in my opinion. But my favorite part of this item is definitely the dipping sauces included in the box.

This roll comes with both sweet soy glaze and sweet chili aioli, and both are delicious. The soy glaze is thick and syrupy, with a sweet-umami flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon. The chili aioli is creamy with a kick, easily complementing the cream cheese. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite new Kroger items.