Roll a shopping cart down the grocery aisles at Dollar Tree and you’ll find a wide variety of canned and frozen foods, snacks and drinks, ranging in price from $1.25 to $5.
You’ll find some healthy groceries in that price range, like those I highlighted in “8 Cheap and Healthy Dollar Store Groceries That Are Actually Good.” But you’ll also find items that push you well on your way to the recommended daily limit for fat, sodium or added sugar.
I purchased some of the unhealthiest grocery items I could find at Dollar Tree, scrutinized their nutritional labels and tried them to find out whether they were as tasty as you’d expect given all the fat, salt and sugar they contain.
Following are some of the unhealthiest foods I found at Dollar Tree, based on the federal government’s recommended daily limits, known as daily values (DVs), for a 2,000-calories-per-day diet.
Breakfast sandwich
The price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: One Jimmy Dean Biscuit Sausage and Egg Sandwich contains 22 grams of total fat (28% of the daily value), including 9 grams of saturated fat (45% of the DV) and 680 milligrams of sodium (30% of the DV).
My take: For just $1.25, this was a pretty tasty breakfast. However, eating all that fat and salt on a regular basis seems more like a recipe for a heart attack or stroke. Not to mention that sausage is a processed meat, and such meats have been linked to an increased risk of everything from cancer to Type 2 diabetes. So, this product isn’t one I’d buy again.
Iced tea
Price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: A 34-ounce bottle of AriZona Iced Tea with Lemon still contains 35 grams of added sugars (70% of the daily value). But in fairness, it’s healthier than sugar-laden soda pop. A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola, for example, contains 65 grams of added sugar (130% of the DV).
My take: This tea is delicious and refreshing. When I get parched, I’m not above downing a bottle, even if its sugar content is high. However, I won’t make it habit, choosing iced water instead most of the time.
Chow mein
Price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: One 4-ounce package of Nissin Teriyaki Beef-Flavored Original Chow Mein contains a whopping 1,010 milligrams of sodium (44% of the daily value) and 24 grams of total fat (31% of the DV), including 9 grams of saturated fat (46% of the DV).
My take: Noodle soup bowls similar to this item are notorious for being high in sodium and fat. However, this product takes the sodium level far out of my comfort zone, so I’ll pass on buying this again, even if it did make a tasty lunch.
Dumpling bites
Price: $3
What makes it unhealthy: The entire package of just over a dozen Bibigo Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Crispy Dumpling Bites constitutes one serving size, and these crispy bites are small, so it’s easy to eat the entire bag. The problem is one serving of these bites, including the sweet and spicy sauce, has 25 grams of total fat (32% of the daily value). One serving also contains 1170 milligrams of sodium (51% of the DV).
My take: These crispy dumpling bites are delicious, which makes sense with all that fat and salt. If you happen to eat an entire bag of them like I did, make sure you at least restrict how much salt and fat you eat for the rest of the day. If you have high blood pressure, perhaps eat less than one serving at a time or avoid this product entirely.
Potted meat
Price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: A mere one-quarter-cup serving of Armour Star Potted Meat — which is a little less than half the 5.5-ounce can — contains 16 grams of total fat, including 5 grams of saturated fat, as well as 590 milligrams of sodium. That’s 25% of the daily value for each. One serving also contains 60 milligrams of cholesterol (20% of the DV).
My take: The idea of eating a paste of mechanically separated chicken and pork doesn’t appeal to me. Neither did the taste of this product. I’ll stick with meat that actually looks like meat.
Fried chicken bowl
Price: $3
What makes it unhealthy: This Banquet Mega Bowl in Country Fried Chicken tops the list for its sky-high sodium content at 1,460 milligrams (63% of the daily value) per serving. It’s fatty too, with 20 grams of total fat (26% of the DV), including 5 grams of saturated fat (25% of the DV).
My take: I’m not a fan of frozen meals, but this was delicious and made for good comfort food. If you want to keep a box in the freezer for after a bad day at work, that’s probably fine. But pair it with some veggies and don’t make this packaged food a habit.
Cheeseburger
Price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: This 4.6-ounce microwavable Fast Bites Cheeseburger contains 17 grams of total fat (22% of the daily value), including 6 grams of saturated fat (30% of the DV) and 560 milligrams of sodium (24% of the DV).
My take: I had low expectations for a $1.25 cheeseburger. This burger was OK when I dressed it with lettuce, tomato and mayo. It didn’t taste like high-quality beef, of course, but it could do in a pinch if not consumed regularly.
Frozen burrito
Price: $1.25
What makes it unhealthy: This 8-ounce El Monterey XX Large Beef & Bean Burrito contains 22 grams of fat (34% of the daily value), including 7 grams of saturated fat (35% of the DV). My local Dollar Tree was out of that particular product but stocked the even unhealthier Tina’s Big Burrito Red Hot Beef, which contains 36 grams total fat (46% of the DV), including 13 grams of saturated fat (65% of the DV).
My take: I don’t eat frozen burritos so I may not be the best judge, but the Tina’s Big Burrito was a filling meal that tasted like canned chili and beans. The more I ate of this burrito, the more it grew on me (maybe literally).
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