12 Items From the Grocery Store Chefs Secretly Avoid

Great chefs are famously picky about their ingredients. You won’t catch Gordon Ramsay tossing random items into his cart. Most top chefs would rather make their own versions at home — they know it tastes better and often costs less.

We scoured chef interviews, online discussions, and food magazines to uncover which store-bought items they avoid at all costs.

Keep clicking to discover 12 grocery store products chefs say they’d never buy — and you might agree once you see why.

Why buy bread with a bunch of preservatives and strange ingredients when you can make it quickly at home? There are even recipes out there that use six ingredients or less, with no need to knead.

Peeled garlic might be more convenient, but is it worth it? Probably not. Chefs would cry knowing you'd buy peeled garlic vs. unpeeled garlic.

Pesto sauce is a lot easier to make than you'd think. It's so much better than buying it from a store. While homemade pesto might not last as long, the flavor and scent are worth the effort.

Many sauces almost made this list. They take nearly no effort. If you have extra time and a lot of tomatoes, this is an easy recipe to make. Tomato sauce from the stores is filled with sugar and preservatives.

Fresh salad dressing is delicious. It also doesn't cost much. With just a few ingredients, you can make multiple bottles.

Pre-cut veggies and fruits are time-saving, but it's better to cut your own. You have no idea just how long those pre-cut veggies and fruits have been in the store.

Like bread, pastries take no time and minimal ingredients (depending on the treat) to make. The options are also endless! Want a croissant? Or a cupcake? Or a macaroon? Those are all options, and you don't have to buy them from a store/bakery.

Have you ever wondered what to do with scraps of vegetables and chicken/beef bones? Well, with water and spices, you can make broth/stock. Many sold in stores are high in sodium.

For people who love crustless sandwiches, you no longer need to waste the crust. Instead, blend/grind it and add your seasonings of choice. It's perfect for breading.

Another convenient ingredient is shredded cheese, but chefs shake their heads at it. A block of cheese does the trick.

Nothing beats fresh guacamole. Once you make and try it, you won't want to buy it store-bought. Add a splash of lime/lemon juice to really boost the flavor.

Packaged salads might be quick and easy, but they can also be hit or miss. If one leaf starts to mold or grow slimy, it mixes in with the others. You are also limited when eating packaged salads to whatever the package includes.