Frugal people say these 27 generic foods taste better than the name-brand version
Save money without sacrificing flavor at the grocery store.

Frugal people share the generic foods that are better than the name brand.
With prices higher than ever, saving money on groceries isn't easy these days. Being a money-savvy grocery shopper takes skill and planning, plus a few tricks, like opting for generic instead of name-brand foods.
With many grocery stores and retailers offering their own store-brand foods, such as Kroger's Private Selection, Walmart's Great Value, and Target's Good & Gather, shoppers have even more ways to save money without compromising quality or taste.
Store-brand foods are becoming more popular in America, with sales growing 4% to a record $271 billion in 2025, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association.
On Reddit, frugal grocery shoppers are sharing their insights after ditching name brands in favor of generic options. They offered their thoughts on the best generic foods that actually taste better than brand-name options.
Here are 27 generic foods that taste better for less, according to Redditors:
"Controversial, but ALDIs version of the Girl Scout samoas!" - RoyalWin9082
"Also Aldi's [Ben & Jerry's] Cherry Garcia dupe. It's like a third the price AND BETTER." - User Unknown
"I grabbed the generic toaster waffles because they were half the price and I just needed something cheap for breakfast. I expected them to taste like cardboard, but they ended up being better than the name brand ones I usually buy. Something about them feels more hearty and real, like they are trying less to be perfect and more to just be food." - James_B84Saves
"Trader Joe's peanut butter cups (especially the dark chocolate ones)." - TriangleMan
"The Malt O Meal cereal that comes in bags is better than most of the cereal they're imitating." - Ajreil
"Jewel's 'fig bars' are 100% better than Fig Newtons!" - katusala
"Walmart Good Value brand garlic parmesan sauce is better than Buffalo Wild Wings IMO." - OrganicAlterEgo
"HEBs fudge mint cookies have real peppermint oil and are better than Girl Scout thin mints." - moonflower311
@thehungryfoodie name vs. off brand, what is the most worth it?!👀 #namebrand #foodbattle #offbrand #cheapfood #foodtiktok
"Meijer mac and cheese in the box is my comfort food. Far superior to kraft and I will die on this hill." - No_Outside_7069
"The [Kroger] PS [Private Selection] premium ice cream is incredible! The black raspberry gives Häagen-Dazs a run for its money." - dinosandbees
"WalMart Great Value All Purpose UNBLEACHED flour has actually malted barley flour in it and not just a squirt of 'enzymes'. The malted barley flour not only assists with the Millard browning, it makes it much more digestible. I'm not a food scientician nor do I play one on TV, but when flour companies began removing malted barley flour from flour, everyone seemed to become gluten intolerant. We were good for fucking hundreds of years, then to save a quarter of a cent, so many have to suffer. King Arthur Flour also has it, but costs much more. However, if you're making roll-outs, gingerbread, or any cut cookie or puff pastry, buy the King Arthur, it has a much lower moisture content with will maintain your cut same as much, much better." - DausenWillis
"I always prefer generic ice cream sandwiches and generic grape soda. They are always much better than any brand name version. At least to me." - after_tomorrow
"President’s Choice Decadent chocolate chip cookies are better than Chips Ahoy. The chocolate chips are bigger and meltier, plus there are more chocolate chips in the cookie in general. Chips Ahoy chocolate chips are hard, smaller, and the chocolate chip itself is almost indistinguishable taste-wise from the cookie." - vesper_tine
"The Dollar Store Oreos! I don’t even like Oreos but sometimes when I crave one with some milk I always go for dollar tree brand. Tastes better and way cheaper :)." - calypso_99
"Same with the [Dollar Store] Toast'em Pop-Ups. So much better than Poptarts." - iweartoomuchblush
@realmelissasimo Are generic and name brands different really? #groceryshopping #marketing#greenscreen
"Trader Joe’s version on Takis." - Im-a-sim
"I am a ketchup fiend to the point where I can tell Heinz Vs Hunts Vs Restaurant-Made based on taste. Trader Joe’s has the best ketchup. Hands down. My only complaint is that I can’t purchase it in the giant 64oz 2-pack bottles that Costco stocks Heinz in." - donuthead_27
"Aldi crackers taste better than name brand for the most part, especially their Wheat Thins." - Representative_Bad57
"Trader Joe’s corn chip dippers >>>> Fritos Scoops." - WeebsMom
"Generic cottage cheese is always better. Larger curd. Slightly saltier." - PangolinPride4eva
"HEB Mi Tienda tortillas. I will die on this hill. IYKYK. There's tons of other stuff too like their tajin and chamoy candy, Hawaiian rolls, etc. That grocery store is the best." - _kiss_my_grits_
"Aldi brand (Miillville) shredded wheat is by far the best. They no longer carry the plain shredded wheat, with the frosted shredded wheat is outstanding." - SomebodyElseAsWell
"Wegman's Spaghetti Sauce has ruined all other sauces for me." - thisisntnam
"Winco pizza rolls are better than Totinos pizza rolls. Generally I buy the Winco brand of most foods if it's available as an option." - Old-Act-232
"The Great Value [Walmart] version of the Nature Valley oats and honey crunchy granola bars are better, AND the wrapper is way easier to open. I don’t know why, but I can never open the Nature Valley ones without scissors, defeating the purpose of eating them on the go." - tessviolette
"Good and Gather fruit snacks from Target are better than any name brand options in my opinion. I don't know which brand they're trying to copy, but they are so good." - Ihaveamazingdreams





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