Problems w/HEB store brand foods? (Floresville, Spur: sale, live, price)

[open minded]

There are several generic items that I buy and most are usually good. There were 2 items i tried that were HEB or HCF that I had to return because they were so bad! Peanut butter and spaghetti sauce. They were horrible. But I like their milk, cheese, bread along with other items. The only HEB frozen items I get are veggies, and they are also good.

But I agree with TexasNick - Bring back Kroger! They give a discount for bringing your own grocery bags and have double coupon days.

[mamatotex97]

I buy HEB brands. We love them. I will say some of their packaging is not the best quality...soda cartons, chip bags..

Also, keep in mind some of the off brands are made by the big name brand companies.
For those that love Albertsons for example their ice cream was made by blue bell....

[CelesteDF]

Originally Posted by LionT

Regarding milk, we get the Central Market Organics Whole Milk. I thought it is a lot nicer than the regular one, costs a bit more though.

Originally Posted by sapphire

I heard a long time ago and don't know how much truth there is to it....but I was told that the HEB cheese is actually Kraft with their packaging.

A friend of mine is a brand manager at HEB and says that many of the Central Market Organics brand commodity products are repackaged/private label national brands. CM Organics milk is actually Horizon brand organic milk. Same thing for HEB brand - private labeling of national brands like Kraft, etc. - while Hill Country Fare is typically private labeling of generics.

[pobre]

We buy HEB/HCF for some things, but not all. For instance, pasta and rice are not OK, but my kids LOVE their chicken noodle soup! Hotdogs no, breads yes.

I buy their milk and half & half, too. When I buy Target milk, it never, and I mean NEVER makes it to the expiration date! It always sours quickly!

[gingerale]

The HEB brand chicken nuggets are far superior to any similar product. The use real white meat chicken, not the processed stuff you find in Tyson or other brands. They a re mostly chicken and very litle breading. Highly recomended for kids meals.

[RecovringKrspyKremeAddict]

Originally Posted by open minded

There are several generic items that I buy and most are usually good. There were 2 items i tried that were HEB or HCF that I had to return because they were so bad! Peanut butter and spaghetti sauce. They were horrible. But I like their milk, cheese, bread along with other items. The only HEB frozen items I get are veggies, and they are also good.

But I agree with TexasNick - Bring back Kroger! They give a discount for bringing your own grocery bags and have double coupon days.

Exactly what we will not buy either. Tried that spaghetti sauce a few weeks ago and ended up throwing it down the garbage disposal. So bad the dog wouldn't even eat it! I hate that they've started lowering their name brand choices on many products, so that you have no choice but to buy THEIR brand.

[cheermomof4girls]

I generally like the HEB brands. My dad has told me, at least when he worked for a certain company, he had to go to Oak Farms and saw their milk plant. After that, he told me that he would never have Oak Farms again. He also had to go to where ever the HEB milk plant is and he said you could "eat off the floor" it was so clean. This has been years ago, but after hearing that, I was a big fan of HEB brand milk.

[Turtle_Mom]

I do have to agree that HCF is one step below HEB brand.

One I did get recently was HEB brand hashbrowns (the frozen kind.) I followed the directions on how to cook them - they said 4-6 minutes. It took 20 minutes to get any type of a crust on them, and by then they were soggy in the middle.

It's hit and miss. I just know that some things are ok, others are not. I do know that Mac and Cheese is never good unless it's the blue box!

[LionT]

I like their bread. I think they have a new range (or is it just new packaging)- including the 12 grains - quite nice.

[orejitagirl]

There are not very many things I buy HCF, and or HEB branded..but the ones I do are allright..I usally buy the HEB branded easy meals such as burgers, and the meat to make philly steaks. I often buy the cheese but only the pizza one to add as extra to a frozen pizza. I tend to stay away from HCF meats in the Deli, my mother worked there for a few years..and always tells me that thier so called chopped ham is nothing but water and grease, in other words they take all the scraps from the good ham and put it to make that one. The same goes for the turkey as well, we usually buy Mickleberry ham, and Butterball turkey. If we are lucky enough to go to a HEB that sells Boars Head we buy that. Our HEB here on 24th st, has nothing in much of variety in the deli as far as brands, Mom worked at that one and said almost everybody who went to the counter ordered HCF chopped ham, she asked how come they didnt have Boars Head like at the HEB at the Deco district, and they told her it would be a loss of money as people would not buy it because of the price. That is one thing for HEB they are all different, some things you can get at one and somethings at another because of the fact that they go by what people buy.