Before my weekly Food Lion run, I check which vegetables are worth making room for in my cart. This week, these seven made my list.
Prices were checked at foodlion.com on November 14; they vary by store and change with each week’s ad.
1. Sweet Potatoes – $1.19/lb
At $1.19/lb, sweet potatoes are already useful, but the MVP offer drops them to $0.29 a pound through 11/17. I’d grab enough for roasted weeknight sides and a holiday casserole, keeping in mind that weekly offers can vary by store.
Taste: Roasting brings out their earthy sweetness and gives the edges a deeper, almost caramelized flavor. Inside, the flesh turns soft and creamy enough to mash easily.
Make It Better: Roast extra while the oven is on, then mash the leftovers with a little butter and warm spice for another meal.
Parting Thoughts: Holiday cooks and practical meal planners should get especially good mileage from this deal.
2. Green Cabbage – $0.89/lb
When a pot of soup or stir-fry needs inexpensive bulk, a head of green cabbage earns its space in my refrigerator. It is $0.89/lb, with an MVP offer of $0.79 a pound through 11/17 that may differ by store.
Taste: Raw cabbage has a clean, mild flavor and a firm, crisp bite. On the stovetop, it softens and becomes more mellow while retaining a little structure if you avoid overcooking it.
Make It Better: Shred it finely and add it near the end of a stir-fry so it wilts without turning limp.
Parting Thoughts: For anyone stretching a soup, skillet meal, or slaw, cabbage remains one of the cart’s hardest workers.
3. Hard Squash (Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut or Delicata) – $1.19/lb
Fall dinners feel more substantial with hard squash in the oven, whether you choose spaghetti, acorn, butternut, or delicata. At $1.19/lb, it works nicely for roasted sides, stuffed squash, or the start of a seasonal soup.
Taste: Roasted hard squash is gently sweet and nutty, with tender flesh that feels comforting without being heavy. Spaghetti squash is the outlier in texture, separating into distinct strands instead of becoming creamy.
Make It Better: Brush cut squash with oil and season it before roasting; acorn squash is especially handy when you want an edible bowl for a filling.
Parting Thoughts: Choose this one when an ordinary weeknight side needs a little autumn character.
4. Food Lion Yellow Onions Diced – $1.99
My low-effort cooking shortcut is a refrigerated 5-ounce package of onions that is already diced and ready to eat. The $1.99 package is useful when I want onion flavor without leaving a cutting board and knife smelling like it all evening.
Taste: The raw pieces have the familiar pungent bite of yellow onion. Their flavor is assertive at first, then grows sweeter and mellower when incorporated into a dish.
Make It Better: Scatter a small amount over tacos or a salad when you want bite without doing any chopping.
Parting Thoughts: Convenience is the real payoff here, especially for small households that rarely need a whole onion.
5. Extra Sweet Mini Peppers – $2.49
For lunchboxes and between-meal grazing, the refrigerated 12-ounce bag of mini peppers is an easy $2.49 addition. They also bring color to salads when the rest of lunch is looking a little beige.
Taste: These peppers are sweet and mild rather than hot, so they are approachable straight from the bag. Their crisp, crunchy walls make them especially satisfying as a raw snack.
Make It Better: Split them and serve with hummus, or slice them into rings for a quick salad topping.
Parting Thoughts: Snackers who want crunch without heat will finish this bag faster than they expect.
6. Del Monte Canned Vegetables (select varieties) – $1.00
One-dollar cans of select Del Monte vegetables are the shelf-stable backup I appreciate when fresh produce runs out before grocery day. The available 14.5- to 15.25-ounce varieties can cover a quick stovetop side or fill out soups and casseroles.
Taste: Flavor varies among corn, green beans, peas, and the other selected vegetables, but the overall profile is familiar and straightforward. Expect a soft, fully cooked texture rather than fresh crunch.
Make It Better: Warm a can with herbs or fold it into a soup where the softer texture feels intentional.
Parting Thoughts: A few cans make sense for busy households that value a dependable emergency side.
7. Birds Eye Oven Roasters Seasoned Broccoli & Cauliflower Frozen – $4.89
On nights when washing, chopping, and seasoning vegetables feels like one task too many, this 14-ounce frozen bag can go straight into the oven. At $4.89, it combines broccoli and cauliflower already seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and herbs, though there is no current offer listed.
Taste: The seasoning gives the broccoli and cauliflower a savory, peppery character without needing a separate spice blend. Oven roasting can produce tender centers and some pleasantly browned edges, though results depend on how crowded the pan is.
Make It Better: Spread the vegetables out instead of piling them together so steam has room to escape and the edges can brown.
Parting Thoughts: The freezer convenience is worth considering when saving preparation time matters more than chasing the lowest price.
