The Best Time To Shop At Walmart For The Freshest Options

While it's a good place to shop for groceries when you're on a tight budget, Walmart doesn't have the best reputation in the minds of many consumers. We're here to tell you it's absolutely possible to get fresh produce and meat from the chain, but you might need to time your visits carefully to ensure shopping success.

Along with helpful Walmart food shopping hacks like taking advantage of price-matching and curbside pickup, you can enjoy access to newly restocked perishable goods by visiting the store as close to opening as possible. That's because Walmart typically refreshes its supply of fruit, vegetables, and meat late at night or early in the morning.

Keep in mind that restocking practices will vary from location to location, and the chain doesn't appear to have an official policy on the matter. Still, it's particularly likely that many fresh goods are resupplied on a nightly basis, due to their perishable nature, whereas other types of items can be restocked less frequently. Like restocking schedules, Walmart locations are also bound to vary when it comes to hours of operation, but in our neck of the woods, many stores open as early as 6 a.m. 

Visiting Walmart at the perfect time to snag the store's freshest goodies is just the first step. Customers should also know how to identify high-quality produce, which entails relying on three of your senses: touch, sight, and smell. A good vegetable or piece of fruit will be firm to the touch and free of textural issues like wrinkling or soft spots. Fresh produce also usually has a vibrant color with little to no inconsistencies and will have a mild yet earthy smell that's only evident when the produce is in close proximity to your nose. Major issues with texture, appearance, or odor typically indicate the produce item is no good. 

Many of the same factors apply when determining the quality of meat, but details vary according to type. Beef should be a deep red shade when fresh in its packaging, whereas pork has a subtler pinkish color. Depending on the type (think lamb, for example), you'll also want to look for marbling, the lines of white fat that run through the meat and give it flavor.

There's also texture (any sliminess or mushiness should be taken as a red flag) and aroma (bad meat often smells sour or rotten). It's worth noting those signs are harder to detect with packaged meat, so exercise extra caution there. For more insight on the store's red meat selection, check out our ranking of the absolute best and worst beef products to buy at Walmart.