Some foods come with a hefty price tag, but not all of them live up to the cost. While it’s tempting to splurge on trendy or premium products, many of them just are not worth the extra money. This article highlights popular foods that often disappoint compared to their high price. Choosing wisely can save you a lot and still leave you with plenty of delicious options to enjoy.
Gourmet water
Imagine paying several bucks for a bottle of water branded as gourmet and premium.
Although it sounds ridiculous, gourmet water is a popular grocery food for many people. Gourmet water is supposed to taste better and be of superb quality. But is it really? No.
We all know this is just a clever marketing scheme. You’d save hundreds of dollars by buying a purifier or filter pitcher and getting the same results as fancy gourmet water.
Truffle oil
Truffle oil is advertised as high-quality and supposedly enhances the flavor of every dish, but it’s costly. It might have a slightly earthy taste, but that’s the only characteristic.
You’re much better off buying regular olive oil instead of truffle oil; you’ll save hundreds of dollars and have a delectable meal. Truffle oil is overrated.
Celebrity-endorsed foods
Celebrities endorse countless snacks, such as chips, cookies, gum, and candy, so people are fooled into buying it all.
However, most celebrity-endorsed foods are insanely expensive just because of the celebrity's name. They are meant to generate sales for celebrities, so they don't care about the quality or the nutrition.
You can buy regular brand-name snacks that will probably be much tastier than anything a celebrity endorses.
Organic produce
You might have noticed stores and dieting trends have been promoting organic produce like vegetables and meat more and more over the past few years.
Organic produce is said to be of greater quality, and although we should be eating organic, it’s not worth purchasing from a big chain grocery store. The stuff they label as organic may not really be the best.
It’s best to buy organic food from a local farmers' market where you can talk to the farmer and know that the produce is high quality. Plus, it will typically cost less at a local market rather than a big box store.
Imported cheese
If you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a slice of cheese just because it’s imported, you’re definitely on your way to bankruptcy.
Although some imported cheeses have better quality than local cheeses, their insane costs make them entirely out of reach. You can definitely find local cheeses that are just as good and cost a fraction of the price.
Grass-fed premium beef
Chefs claim grass-fed premium beef tastes better and pulls off the bones easier, but this isn’t always true.
You can get the same results with a cheaper cut of beef. You just need to know how to cook the meat properly. Just stick to your regular beef and enjoy a classic bone broth, pulled sandwich, or smoked and barbecue meat.
Specialty coffee
Most of us can’t live without coffee, so we’ll spend hundreds of dollars on premium coffee beans.
While the quality of coffee differs across brands, most specialty and premium coffees are pretty expensive. Specialty coffees don’t taste that all that much differently, especially if you will be adding flavorings, sugar, or creamer that can mask the taste.
If you shop local or buy your usual coffee brands, you’ll get a nice blend. Don’t fall for the specialty tag.
Specialty pasta
Similarly, specialty pasta tastes the same as regular pasta, but its price is almost double.
Just get regular pasta, folks. You’ll serve four families with regular pasta for half the price, and we promise that no one will notice the difference in taste.
Premium ice cream
The next time you see a food labeled premium, it’s best to assume it’s not worth the purchase, even if it’s ice cream.
Premium ice cream typically contains fancier ingredients like Belgian chocolate instead of regular or vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract. While they may differ in flavor, you can’t really tell the difference, so it’s best to stick to regular brands.
Premium ice creams also have smaller servings. And honestly speaking, who wants less ice cream?
Flavored hummus
Flavored hummus is a trending food, and although it’s on its way to becoming cheaper, it’s not worth the current high price.
It is one of the few costly foods because of its unique, cutting-edge flavors. While we might be tempted to have a taste, flavored hummus doesn't usually live up to the hype.
Vitamin water
Vitamin water isn’t worth the purchase because it’s practically a scam.
Regular water does not have vitamins, so companies infuse it with artificial vitamins. You probably get the same vitamins just by eating a regular diet so why drink poorly flavored water to get some fake vitamins? Sounds like a very bad idea.
Whipped Cream
You used to be able to get a can of whipped cream for around a dollar. These days, whipped cream costs almost five times more! Why has the price of whipped cream skyrocketed over the past year? The can and the cream are the same, so what changed?
You are much better off buying plain heavy cream and whipping it yourself. It will cost you a fraction of the price.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are becoming more and more expensive by the day. They are pretty pricy for something that is only about three bites of food. Maybe all the chemicals inside a store-bought protein bar are driving up the price. All we know is that it isn't worth the cost to eat such a small bar.
Fresh Seafood
Grocery stores hike up the price of the seafood that they sell as fresh. But do you want to know a secret? Most of that "fresh" seafood was just frozen and thawed.
There are many regulations about seafood, and most rules require all fish to be frozen before being sold. So why not save money and just buy frozen seafood at the grocery store that costs less? It is actually the same thing.
Candy Bars
Grabbing an individual candy bar by the grocery store checkout counter is one of the worst things you can do. Those small candy bars come with a huge price tag. If you need candy, buy it in bulk rather than one bar at a time. The larger bags are a fraction of the price compared to those single bars by the cash register. Or, you could just skip the candy completely. Why pay for something that is so unhealthy?!
This article was first published at Spatula Desserts.
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