Inflation, the growing adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and a broader push toward healthy living are reshaping how Americans shop for food, according to professional chefs and industry data. The Food Industry Association found that 54% of Americans still prefer shopping at physical grocery stores, a finding from its U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report for 2026 that underscores why the in-store experience remains the dominant battleground for retailers. Two prominent chefs — Jason Smith of Lakeland, Florida, and Austin Beckett, winner of the fourth season of Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef — say the biggest savings and quality gains come down to where you shop and which labels you trust.
The Store-Brand Case: Pay for the Product, Not the Package
Smith, a celebrity television chef, author, and entrepreneur, names Walmart, Kroger, and Target as reliable anchors for shoppers feeding large groups, pointing specifically to their store-brand lines as strong value. The rationale is not merely anecdotal: Smith notes that most well-known manufacturers also produce the store-brand equivalent and simply change the label. The premium attached to name-brand packaging, in his telling, rarely reflects a difference in the product itself.
When budgets and geography allow, Smith favors smaller, local grocery stores. Supporting local retailers is a preference he holds on community grounds, not just cost grounds — though the two goals often align.
Reading Freshness Before the Register
Smith's approach to produce and protein is grounded in sensory checks rather than price tags. A banana that looks correct but carries no scent is neither fresh nor ripe. Fish that smells like fish is a warning sign, not a given; properly fresh fish should spring back when pressed, and a whole fish's eyes should appear wet and clear. Meat cut by an in-store butcher, Smith argues, is typically priced lower than pre-packaged, pre-shipped cuts and has been processed more recently by definition.
When Organic and Local Are the Client's Terms
Beckett, a Florida private chef, approaches grocery sourcing through a client-first lens. The two specifications he hears most consistently are organic and locally sourced, which shapes his purchasing toward Whole Foods, Bedner's Market, and, where possible, direct relationships with farmers.
For home cooks without a private-chef budget, Beckett's advice is deliberately sequential. Cooking at home is the starting point, full stop — organic sourcing and local provenance are goals to work toward, not conditions that must be met before a meal is worth making.
What Inflation Is Actually Changing
The Food Industry Association's 2026 data confirm that physical stores are holding their share of traffic even as e-commerce options have multiplied. Inflation has sharpened shoppers' attention to unit economics, and the chefs' overlapping recommendations — store brands over name brands, in-store cuts over packaged meat, local sourcing when accessible — map neatly onto the strategies most likely to stretch a grocery budget without trading away quality.