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I will usually try the store brand, especially since they are generally made by the same companies that make the name brands. I've been very happy with most store brands of most items. Compare ingredient lists.
Store brands are cheaper because they don't spend money on advertising. There are a few things that are better coming from name brands, but most things are pretty comparable to me.
I recently read that store brand products have a lot of hidden chemicals/ingredients in them that they don't list on the label. This is because the store brands goal is to simply get as close a replica to the generic brand without copying it 100%. Granted, I do find that I'd rather buy the cheaper one (store brand) because the generic brand isn't necessarily any healthier anyway, even if it's shy 5 ingredients. But it is something to watch out for. They may be cheaper, but they can also be the lowest of the low in quality.
Poptarts, for instance, I figure are generally so unhealthy, it doesn't even matter if you buy kellog's or dollar store one. They're all equally horrible and something we shouldn't be eating.
One store brand I absolutely love is Target's Mac n Cheese over any other kind of Mac n Cheese. Never was a fan of Kraft's. Saves me $.60 a box!
Neither; I buy a hunk of parmesan and grate it myself.
But in the case of Kraft parmesan cheese vs. a store brand, it's probably six of one, half dozen of the other. Read the ingredients to check for fillers.
I usually stick with national brand because I have tried store brands several times where the quality was not nearly as good as the national brand. I know sometimes they are the same with just different labels, but after some yucky store brand mushroom soup one time, I have stuck with store brands. The exception is Costco. I have found their store brand (Kirkland) to be just as good or better than national brands on just about everything.
My store brand grates their own giant wheels of parmesan cheese. I find it much fresher than the national brand.
HEB does the same, their parm and 3 cheese blend is the bomb! And $1 cheaper. .. That being said sometimes I still splurge occasionally and grate my own, just because. ..
To my taste, the national brands are usually better.
I do like the Great Value canned greens because they don't have anything in them but the greens and water....I can season them the way I want to. We tried some others that were already seasoned and found them too seasoned for us.
I'll have to give that Target mac 'n cheese a try for my daughter....she's very picky and eats a good bit of boxed mac 'n cheese.
Store and private label brands. There are a handful of national brands that I prefer.
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