The 5 Grocery Items You Should Never Buy at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods

I won't take these items to checkout.

I love shopping at TJ Maxx and Homegoods; every time I'm in the store, I'm like a little child in a candy store, browsing and scouting for a delicious treat. As a registered dietitian and a food and health writer, I love browsing the food section to see the latest trends and products. I always head for gourmet foods looking for Italian-imported pastas and novelty items that I can't find in my local grocery stores. Once I try something I love, I'll return to stock up the next day (or the following week) because I know the stores only keep a limited inventory.

But, there are certain items that I hesitate to take to checkout. I have also interviewed a couple of food and culinary experts and a marketing professional for their input. These are the items we will never buy.

Herbs and Spices

The spice selection available at TJ Maxx and Homegoods is mind-blowing. You can find all sorts of herbs and spice blends around the globe that you can't find at the local grocery store. The problem is, you don't know how long they have been sitting on the shelves. Some spices appear stale with fading colors.

Brian Chau, principal and owner of Chau Time, a San-Francisco-based food consultancy firm, explains that while using these spices won't make you sick, they could have oxidized, losing their color, flavor, and potency.

Since dried leaves and ground spices only last for about six months before losing their quality, you may be better off getting something similar at the grocery or gourmet food store.

K-Cups

Love coffee and have a Keurig? Grab the K-Cups at your local grocery store instead. Liza Kirsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Dymapak, notes that you could get the store brand versions at grocery chains like Aldi, Trader Joe's, and Wegman for less ($3.99 to $5.99 for a box of 12) but for the same delicious taste.

Food Items With a Fast-Approaching “Sell-By” Date

I have also encountered familiar shelf-stable items sold at grocery stores at TJ Maxx and Homegoods at slashed prices. When I look closer at the package, I realize the item has a "sell-by" date or a soon-to-expire date. I can't help but wonder how long these items have been sitting on the shelves. Chau explains that food items are sold at a discount due to excess inventory or near expiration. The products near expiration may be less tasty depending on the type of product, but he assures that the food is still food safe.

Though these soon-to-expire food items look perfectly fine, the "sell-by" or the expiration date is a turn-off, and I quickly put the items back onto the shelves.

Health Foods

TJ Maxx and Homegoods always have a section dedicated to health foods, but this is the one section that I tend to avoid buying from because many of the products are marketed with buzzwords like "organic", "gluten-free", and "keto". Certain health claims are important, like gluten-free for people with Celiac disease, but I don't fall into the marketing. Jamie Nadeau, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian based in Rhode Island and owner of The Balanced Nutritionist, echoes this, "Many of their products in the 'health food' section aren't [necessarily] healthier than their regular versions, and may even be less healthy."

For example, organic cookies made with certified organic ingredients aren't healthier than those made with non-organic ingredients. Always flip the package over and check out the nutrition label to decide whether the item is something you want to take home.

This is especially true for "veggie straws", marketed as a healthier alternative to potato chips. Snacking on veggie straws may make you feel like you're eating more vegetables, but the nutritional content is vastly different from a serving of real vegetables, according to Catherine Karnatz, MPH, RD, anti-diet culture dietitian and creator of Nutrition Education RD. They are made from vegetable powders where the fiber, vitamins, and minerals are stripped during processing. (You might as well just grab the potato chips.)

Beverages

Sometimes, I forget to bring my water bottle to quench my thirst as I browse the store. When 70% of food items placed there are less nutritious, according to the recently published study in "Current Developments in Nutrition", I would hold my thirst until I get home with my great finds, or head to the nearest grocery store to grab bottles for a lower price.