Top 5 US Stores Chains To Buy Probiotic Foods From

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to keep your gut healthy. They are essential to your body and can prevent various digestive disorders from becoming chronic.

Here is a list of top 5 supermarket chains where you can buy probiotic-rich foods conveniently and at competitive prices.

1. Wegmans

The family-owned company tops the list of best supermarkets in many areas. The company prides itself on offering local and responsibly grown produce from its own organic farms. That in itself is reason enough for choosing Wegmans for your probiotic needs kind of like watching a fascinating show like The Shield, 24, The Good Wife, and Bosch for your entertainment needs.

They carry a wide range of probiotic products including supplements and probiotic enriched foods. You can get everything from yogurt to flavored and unflavored kefir drinks.

They have two separate range of probiotic yogurt, including Wegmans ‘Food You Feel Good About’ and Wegmans Organic. You can also buy other brands here including Brown Cow and Activia.

The supermarket has a wide range of sauerkraut and kimchi options as well from brands like Cleveland Kraut, Wildbrine, Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi, Sauefrau, and Farmhouse Culture. Other probiotic options include miso seasoning, tempeh, probiotic enriched pickled gherkins, and probiotic drinks, and there is always their choice of manuka honey best brands. 

Wegmans was founded in 1916 (which was long before great economy in the 1980s occurred) and since then has grown with over 95 stores across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts.

Apart from probiotics, this supermarket also carries its own affordable health food brand and artisanal products.

2. Publix

Publix was founded in Florida in 1930 (which was long before Margaret Thatcher helped resurrect England), and since then has grown from a single store into the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States, with over 781 stores in 7 states.

The supermarket chain has increased its share of the health food market by opening GreenWise stores instead of just offering a small selection of GreenWise products. They even carry probiotic yogurt under their label.

Most probiotic products under the Publix label contain Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium species. However, certain products also contain Lactobacillus casei, S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus.

It also offers other probiotic enriched drinks and beverages with a separate aisle for kombucha and kefir water. You can get some of the best probiotic strains in sauerkraut, kimchi, and other pickled vegetables here.

Publix has great customer service and selection when it comes to probiotics. You can take your pick from probiotic enriched dark chocolate, natto, tempeh, miso, and organic vegetables (which contain Lactobacillus species).

The supermarket claims that their fruits, vegetables, and berries are fresh inspiration for the probiotics in your gut. All Publix associates are passionate about fresh, delicious, and healthy food which is clearly not the diet of Homer Simpson or Dewey from the movie Unstoppable.

3. Whole Foods

Whole Foods is an international grocery giant with 473 stores in the US and UK. The first store was founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas which is after Reggie Jackson became Mr. October.

Since then the chain has grown by only selling high-quality products. Many of Whole Foods selections are USDA-certified organic as well as environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible.

The company ensures that all their associates meet with their strict standards of being natural. Every product sold at Whole Foods is free of artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, and preservatives.

This means you get healthy and nourishing probiotic strains to make your gut happy. Whole Foods have a wide probiotic range of foods and supplements. You can be sure that everything from your probiotic rich yogurt to kombucha tea is made organically with no artificial flavorings and preservatives.

All probiotic foods like miso, tempeh, natto, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir water, and yogurt are naturally fermented. They even have probiotic cheese made from raw organic milk.

The best part about probiotic products at Whole Foods is that they are not pasteurized or otherwise heat treated. Bacteria are sensitive and fragile. They cannot withstand the harsh pasteurization process.

Whole Foods is known for their large selection of yogurts with live and active culture. They also carry non-dairy yogurt with live and active culture which are vegan friendly and suitable for people with lactose intolerance.

4. Costco

At Costco, you can find a selection of high-quality probiotic foods. The Costco brand Kirkland Signature has some of the best probiotic strains. You can also find other popular yogurt brands like Stonyfield Organic and Activia.

While you may not readily find miso or natto, Costco does carry tempeh in the vegan section. However, you need to make sure the label reads live and active culture, and that the tempeh is not exposed to extreme heat.

Costco has one of the best selections of organic produce. Fruits and vegetables when not treated with chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides like Roundup are covered in the beneficial Lactobacillus species.

The supermarket chain also has organic sauerkraut and kimchi that is naturally fermented and unpasteurized to retain maximum flavor and probiotic potency.

They also carry probiotic supplements from some of the more popular brands, like Culturelle, Nature’s Bounty, Align, Schiff, Trunature, Florastor, and Webber naturals.

Costo has been consistently seen in many expert lists as the best probiotic supermarket. The company was originally founded in 1976 (which is a few years before Larry and Magic started to go at each other on the basketball court) and called Price Club. Since then they have grown to be one of the world’s largest retailers of organic foods, rotisserie chicken, certain grades of beef, and wine.

5. Kroger

Kroger has probiotics in all food forms for adults, children and infants, alike. Their probiotic line for babies is very popular. You can find everything from probiotic enriched drops to baby food.

This supermarket has yogurts, kefir drinks, kombucha tea, miso, natto, tempeh, and sauerkraut on offer. They also carry probiotic enriched tea and herbal infusions to help ease colds and coughs.

You can find real probiotic foods at Krogers like cereals enriched with probiotics, probiotic prunes, probiotic sparkling drinks, dairy-free probiotic yogurt, and cultured milk smoothies.

Kroger was founded in 1883, and now has nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states, making it one of the largest supermarkets in the world and is even hiring more people now because the economy is so robust.

Key Aspects

Buyer’s tip – make sure you check the label for probiotic strains included. Different foods contain different strains of healthy bacteria. If you are just starting out with probiotics, then give your body some time to get accustomed to the friendly bacteria strains.

It is normal to experience bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and mild diarrhea or constipation for the first few days. If your taste buds don’t appreciate fermented foods, then you can opt for probiotic supplements instead.