Priscilla Zhu/Business Insider
There were lots of delicious frozen foods to try.
- Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Wegmans are all often crowded with loyal shoppers, and many of them go for the stores' frozen foods.
- As a frozen-food fan who frequently shops at Trader Joe's, I decided to try two frozen-food products from each grocer to see if a switch was necessary.
- Despite there being some healthy and tasty options at Whole Foods and Wegmans, I stand firm as a Trader Joe's fan for its products' unique and sophisticated flavors, large servings, and unbeatable prices.
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Demand for convenient and high-quality frozen foods is growing globally, and millennials, especially those with children, have become the core market for frozen food, according to a report from the American Frozen Food Institute and the Food Marketing Institute cited by Grocery Dive.
And among all frozen foods sold in 2018, sales of store-exclusive labels grew more quickly than manufacturers' brands, the report found.
Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Wegmans all have their own frozen-food products in addition to carrying other brands. Trader Joe's, in particular, is well regarded for its varied frozen-food section. In many major US cities, fans of the chain's products are willing to wait in lines that weave through the store like a never-ending maze.
I'm one of those Trader Joe's frozen-food fanatics, but I usually stick to those I've already tried and enjoyed. I decided to open myself to more options to see if there were better choices out there.
I went to Whole Foods, Wegmans and Trader Joe's with only $10 in hand and bought ingredients for a two-course meal at each of them. Though Whole Foods and Wegmans drew me in with some tasty and healthy products, my heart and money stay with Trader Joe's for its products' unique and sophisticated flavor, large servings, and unbeatable prices.
Here's how my test went: