Blog

Apr 15, 2023

28 Things That'll Help You Avoid Grocery Shopping

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Including *several* things that'll help you eat what you have at home to extend the time between grocery runs.

BuzzFeed Staff

I tried out these noodles as part of the Ultimate Variety Pack and haven't looked back since. I want to ALWAYS have these in my kitchen cabinets. Yes, they're THAT good. I'm very lazy and have spent way too much money on takeout in my life, so I'm forever looking for a solution to help me get takeout-worthy food at home for the least amount of effort. These totally fit the bill. I also like to toss chopped scallions on top. I'll even even mix in sautéed veggies and chicken to help bulk up the dish...or just use up the stuff that I have that I know I need to eat. I adore them so much that I even bought my brother a big bundle of them for Christmas and he was VERY excited when he opened it because Momofuku and David Chang's amazing reputation precede them.

Get a 15-pack from Amazon for $47.99 (includes 5 servings each of 3 varieties) or get a 20-pack from Momofuku for $52 (includes 10 servings of the popular Soy & Scallion and 5 servings each of the other 2 varieties).

So $15 for a jar of seasoning might feel a bit steep but hear me out: This has made so many lackluster quick home lunches feel like something I paid $20 for and stood in line to order with everyone else in New York City. And you don't need a whole lot to add some amazing flavor either. When I use it for salmon, I rub the salmon in olive oil and then top it with this before cooking. I love salmon but am sorta bad at grocery shopping, so I tend to eat the same lunch over and over again. (Also, cooking for one is hard!) This keeps things feeling lively and gets me excited about food I actually fixed for myself.

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Fly By Jing is Asian woman owned and sells sauces, oils, and dumplings!

Promising review: "I have purchased my share of Chili Crisps, but this is BY FAR MY FAVORITE!!!!!!! My job allowed its employees to build a box of our favorite items and this was one of the items I chose. And I tell you I’m so GLAD I DID!!!!! It had just the amount of heat and DID NOT HAVE A GREASY TASTE!!!! After my first BITE, I looked it up so I can place my order!!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!!!" —Pozaya B.

Get it from Fly By Jing for $15.

I've used this stuff and it is FANTASTIC. Just don't let them pour it in their morning tea! It's not that kind of honey.

Get it from Amazon for $13.49.

Dan-O's Seasoning is a small biz that specializes in delicious spices.

Check out the Dan-O's Seasoning above and more flavors on TikTok!

Promising review: "I became interested in this product while watching TikToks. I have been adding it to so many things. I use it in spaghetti, on fish, and one of my favorites is to add it to popcorn. My husband had to ask why my popcorn smelled like steak. I love the fact that it is low sodium as well. I am not a fan of extra salt and most foods already have plenty of salt but need some seasoning. This should be your go-to seasoning." —Heartcri

Get a pack of two (one original, one spicy) from Amazon for $14.50.

Promising review: "This za'atar is the best quality I have found. I've also found that the balance of sumac and thyme to be just right. This instantly spices up my boring meal prep food and I put it on my chicken, meats, salads, yogurt, or just in olive oil — basically it makes everything taste so much better. I highly recommend it!" —TC

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in two sizes).

Happy Grub is a family-owned, US-based small business specializing in products to bring families together in the kitchen.

Promising review: "I love these pancakes and their ease with no messes! Just add water, shake and squeeze! Organic ingredients too! The kids love making shapes! Also perfect to bring camping!!" —KJ

Get a set of two from Amazon for $22.99 (available in five flavor combinations and in four-packs).

Promising review: "My daughter wanted to organize the fridge after watching a series of TikTok videos! These were exactly what she wanted! Download TikTok for your kids and maybe they will want to help organize too!" —Timothy C.

Get a set of eight bins from Amazon for $20.79 (available in 2 sizes and in sets of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 14).

StoveShelf is a small business and these shelves are built to last a lifetime.

Promising review: "This is an excellent buy. The shelf helped me declutter my cabinet and it is an awesome storage space for my more-often-used spices. It is sturdy, easily installed, and attractive. I recommend this shelf." —Pamella R.

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in six styles and three sizes).

It also comes with a small bag cutter at the bottom for easy access when it comes time to reopen!

Promising review: "Convenient. One of those 'TikTok made me buy it' decisions. LOL. I love it!" —Dayreona Irvin

Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in four colors).

The Pomodoro sauce is hearty without any spice. And the Arrabbiata sauce delivers the heat. I've tried both of these flavors of Truff pasta sauce and they are SO good. It likely goes without saying but if you don't like truffles, you won't like this. It is VERY truffle-y. I'm also a big fan of the Truff hot sauce from the same brand. Most of the time I make a meal of whatever pasta and jarred sauce I happen to have as a last resort, but I look forward to eating pasta with this delish sauce — even if it's just noodles and sauce with not even a sprinkle of Parm to dress it up! It'll cost ya more than Prego or other store-bought sauces. But it's worth it as a treat!

Get two jars from Amazon for $24.99.

This includes: Lemon Miso Not Just Salad Dressing; Dilly Ranch Not Just Salad Dressing; Chili Lime Not Just Salad Dressing; 10 Veggie Not Just Pasta Sauce; Creamy Basil Not Just Pasta Sauce; Tomato Not Just Pesto; Coconut Sugar Not Just Caramel. I've tried the miso, 10 veggie, and pesto sauces. They've seriously jazzed up quickie lunches in between WFH meetings. The brand's site has TONS of recipes and ideas on how to use the sauces. Also, the packaging just looks nice. Sometimes it's the little things like that that'll successfully convince you to not open up the Grubhub app.

Get them from Not Just for $74. You can also buy all the condiments separately.

Cofounders and sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham started Omsom after stints at startups and in consulting. As the kids of Vietnamese refugees, they were inspired by all the from-scratch Viet dinners they watched their mom cook growing up. With Omsom, they aim to bring lots of flavor to your pantry with their pantry starters that'll help you make some amaaaazing Asian dishes. Each starter serves two to three people. (Fantastic news for lazy people like me who buy a spice once and then let it expire.)

This bundle will give you some major kick for your buck. It includes the entire Omsom collection of 6 cuisines with 12 starters total, including one Southeast Asian Omsom Sampler with Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino starters and one East Asian Omsom Sampler with Japanese, Korean, and Chinese starters.

Promising review: "Delicious and easy dinner. I love the flavors because they are nostalgic and delicious, and make mealtime a breeze with my kids." —Suzanne R.

Get it from Omsom for $59.

I've tried nearly all of these sauces and can vouch that they dress up all kinds of stuff. If you're craving some takeout food you're too lazy to replicate at home, some of these (especially the Thai Coconut Sauce that's shown here) will help you get some of that taste without buying a million ingredients.

Promising review: "These sauces are magic. A high-end trick added to our meal prep. Really tasty options. We have been doing meal prep for quite a while and the salt and pepper meals were getting old. We tried to incorporate skillet sauces into our meals and tried all the brands out there. They were OK but not very healthy. When I saw these on Amazon, I had to try them (keto and Paleo certified) and they taste amazing. Now we have a different flavor each and every day and we can still keep the diet." —Fernando Pimentel

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $15 (available in a variety of combos).

Subscribe to a single-serving plan from Blue Apron for $9.99+ a week.

This absorbs ethylene gas that would otherwise ripen your fruits and vegetables. It's safe to put in the fridge or even in a fruit bowl. Each packet lasts three months.

Promising review: "These REALLY work! We have to move them away from our fresh fruit so it would ripen! My produce is lasting at least three times as long without spoilage. This is a great product, and I have already bought many as gifts. They don't seem to work on tomatoes, but they are great with bananas, apples, kiwi, pears, grapes, plums, peaches, lettuces, mushrooms, and many more fruits and vegetables." —Jacki

"This has literally made my produce last longer! I love this. I will definitely be buying again." —Lavone

Get it from Amazon for $23.99.

Check out a TikTok of the cereal dispenser in action.

Promising review: "We have three kids and a very small kitchen with very little cabinet/counter space!!! We used to keep our cereal boxes on top of our refrigerator, but I've been trying to declutter and also come up with a solution for our kids to be able to get their own cereal in the mornings. THIS IS IT!!!! It looks great on our counter, and we have very little space, so it fits just right! This has been the perfect solution to giving our kids the independence they need to get their own breakfast! It has been a lifesaver!!! Love it!!!" —tenle

Get it from Amazon for $28.42.

I recently tried this out while staying with my parents (who are big meat eaters and aren't afraid to tell me when they hate food...which they've been vocal about when I've tested other edible goodies for work). They are BIG fans.

You can buy items a la carte here or get a three-month subscription from Pig of the Month for $295.

This stuff, also from Pig of the Month, is mouthwatering. My parents and I went through the initial bottle pretty quickly and then my mom bought two more.

Get it from Pig of the Month for $8.95.

Promising review: "Here's what you do for starters: Slice a baguette. Add a slice of blue cheese. Toast in the oven or air fryer. Drizzle with this truffle honey to finish and impress your guests. They'll think you're a genius." —T. A.

Get it from Amazon for $15.08.

My colleague Emma Lord (pictured above) is ready to divulge why this stuff is so great:

"Okay, I bought this on a whim because there's a sushi place down the street from me that makes truffle avocado sushi rolls and I was like, 'I need these in my life, but I also need money to live.' I decided to DIY it with a regular $4 avocado roll, and this seasoning and the umami bliss of it all basically exploded my brain. Since then, I've tried it on eggs, on burritos, on potatoes, on chocolate mug cakes — pretty much every sweet and savory thing I can think of. The best part is you really get an excellent bang for your buck; it's so flavorful that I've been using this for months now and have barely made a dent in the container!"

Promising review: "Yes, I'm a truffle lover to begin with. And, of course, only a truffle is a truffle. But I gotta tell ya this delectable heaven-sent powder is one heck of a more versatile option. Utterly AMAZING on popcorn, in eggs, added to soups and sauces to layer flavors, veggies, PASTA... The list is endless (I think the only thing I haven't tried was sprinkling it on ice cream...although LOL). It is a bit salty so I advise testing the waters first. But I just ordered my 9th and 10th bottle of the Truffle Zest." —Greengirl

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Amazon Fresh has almost EVERYTHING you'd want to pick up at a grocery store. In case you're wondering if you read the above wrong, yes, you can add your SNAP EBT card, shop eligible groceries and deals, and then pay with your EBT pin. And my colleague Marquaysa Battle has come to swear by it since 2020! Check out her full Amazon Fresh review.

Sign up for Amazon Fresh here.

Lots of people use this service to do ALL of their groceries, while others use it to take care of a lot of their weekly grocery haul. Food options vary week by week but you can expect the likes of Banza pasta, a rainbow veggie mix, an ancient grain pancake mix, cauliflower linguine, the Beyond Burger, spinach feta turkey patties, a lemon artichoke quinoa cup, and more. I've tried out a shipment of it and really dug the almond chickpea cookie dough, spicy refried red beans, hot smoked roasted salmon, and superfood salad.

Check out pricing and take a quiz for a delivery suggestion at Hungryroot here.

It also comes with a lid so you can easily stack them and four fill lines (½ cup, 1 cup, 125 mL, 250 mL).

Promising review: "I'm extremely happy with my Souper Cubes! I cook chili and soup, and always make too much. Having the ability to freeze serving-size portions is perfect. Saves time and food quality by not having to thaw it all each time I want another serving. High quality and since it's silicone and not rigid plastic, it won't crack in the freezer. Highly recommend!" —Alexander S. Waterman

Get it from Amazon for $36.99.

Promising review: "Had a large amount of brown sugar and couldn't keep it soft, even in a tight container. I purchased new 5-quart jars for my flour, sugar, and so forth, and quickly realized my brown sugar was a ROCK! I purchased this, soaked it, and placed it in the sugar as instructed. Within hours it was soft again! I have about 2 lbs. of sugar in the 5-quart jar currently. The jar is sealed with a gasket but I haven't had to re-soak the bear yet (only a month in use currently). Would recommend to anyone at this point, just mad I have wasted so much brown sugar over the years. I have not used it for any of the other uses, like cookies or bread, but will probably purchase more in the future since this little bear is dedicated to my brown sugar." —diosa

Get two from Amazon for $8.99.

I invested in one of these delicious cartons after reading my colleague Emma Lord rave about it. It's super salty, super buttery, and like, probably something you shouldn't eat every day. But boy is it a total TREAT.

Promising review: "I am a person who will make myself sick eating buckets of popcorn (I have no self control). This has by far been my favorite 'TikTok made me buy' item. My at-home popcorn is now my favorite thing to make and I don't need to go the theater for popcorn. Very much worth the purchase and this will last me such a long time." —S Martinez

Get it from Amazon for $9.45.

Promising review: "Buying these charms was one of the best decisions of my life. The bag is twice the size of my head. The marshmallows are aesthetically pleasing and delicious. It's everything I ever wanted in a snack." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $11.60.

I've ordered this before to provide me some WFH snacks. And...maybe I'll order again after writing this story!

Promising review: "Took advantage of a special offer and was pleasantly surprised. All items were fresh, there was a nice assortment, so everyone was happy. Economical for snacks and lunch boxes. Will purchase again." —Rose

Get them from Amazon for $23.29.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.