6 places to find and buy food when your grocery store is out of stock

Your local supermarket is low on frozen peas, and bread and flour just can't be found. Rice seems scarce and the beans are all picked over. This is the effect of panic buying as millions of people all over the US settle into quarantine and self-isolation in response to the coronavirus outbreak -- not an actual food shortage.

If your usual Kroger, Publix or Whole Foods seem in short supply, we have solutions. The aisles of your local Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican or general grocer might be more fully stocked, for example. You can also shop grocery delivery, meal kit delivery, produce boxes from farms and several more online options.

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The key is not to get discouraged, and to only buy what you actually need so that there's enough stock for others who are in the same boat. Read on for more options to fill your fridge and cupboards.

Grocery delivery from chain stores

Walmart: Delivery costs $8 to $10, Delivery Unlimited costs $13 a month or $98 a year and no per-delivery fee.

Whole Foods: Free delivery to Amazon Prime members.

Kroger (select cities): Store delivery costs $10 to $12. Shipping from the warehouse costs $5, free on orders of $35 and up.

Albertson's: Delivery costs $10, free on orders $150 and up.

Safeway (select cities): Delivery costs $10 to $13 (no free option). Pickup costs $4 to $5.

Other services: Instacart (though workers are intending to strike). Shipt ships Costco, Target, Meijer, CVS and H-E-B.

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Buy food from online grocery stores

Most online general grocery stores have a free shipping option, but some may have membership fees or steep delivery charges. These are some tough times, so you might just want to suck it up.

ShopFoodEx: Independent general grocer. Shipping cost varies by order and location, 33% discount on shipping for orders $100 and up.

Boxed: Shelf-stable, bulk item wholesaler (think, Costco). Shipping costs $7, free on orders $49 and up.

Thrive Market: Organic, natural foods. Membership costs $60 per year. Shipping costs $6, free on orders $49 and up.

Amazon Fresh (select cities): Delivery costs $5 to $10, free on orders $35 and up ($50 and up in some places). Free pickup.

Peapod (Midwest, East Coast only): General groceries. Delivery costs $3 to $10, plus fuel surcharge. Free pickup.

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Specialty grocery stores

Use Google Maps to find your nearest retail store for in-person shopping, like 99 Ranch, which also has online ordering, or one of these top supermarkets serving the country's Latino population. Here are some additional online store options.

AsianFoodGrocer: Shipping cost varies by order and location. $5 shipping on orders $30 and up.

iShopIndian: Shipping costs $4 to $9, free on orders $109 and up.

MexGrocer: Shipping cost varies, free shipping on orders $60 and up with code SHIP2ME4FREE.

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Buy meat and produce delivery boxes

Your local farmers and ranchers cut out the middleman -- the stores -- by shipping direct to you. A quick internet search will yield a list of produce delivery in your area, where you can often select the types of fruit and vegetables you want. The same applies to popular and specialty meats like beef, chicken, pork and even deer.

Here's a great list of seven produce vendors where you can get fruits and vegetables online. Omaha Steaks, Kansas City Steaks and others will ship you cuts of beef. You can also go upmarket and buy cheese from cheesemongers like Murray's, or produce and meals from Harry and David's.

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Meal kit subscription

BlueApron, HelloFresh and these other top five meal kit subscription services will deliver a set number of meals on a consistent, reliable schedule, so you can worry less about what's in stock locally. EveryPlate and Dinnerly are more budget-minded options.

Meal kits cost more than what you'd pay at the grocery, but that might be a better option if you're solo or part of a small household, or new to cooking. Personally, I think it's fun to learn how to make new dishes, and self-quarantine can get boring, so chalk the extra cost up to entertainment.

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Restaurant delivery

Buying food from your favorite restaurants for take-out and delivery can feed you and also support local businesses that are reeling from shelter-in-place orders and other measures that keep people at home. You can order a large amount to feed yourself and your family over the week, or to pad the freezer for an easy dinner down the road.

Here are three rules you should follow for using delivery services during the coronavirus outbreak.

David Pac

Update 28 March 2020

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