If you’re an American out running errands, CVS is likely on your list of places to stop by, whether it’s to pick up a prescription, bandaids or shampoo. CVS is one of the largest drugstore chains in the country — the company itself proclaims that 85% of Americans live within 5 miles of one of their stores.
CVS Health was founded in 1963 by Ralph P. Hoagland III and Jewish brothers Sidney and Stanley P. Goldstein, originally a health and beauty store called Consumer Value Stores. Though today it’s mainly known as a pharmacy, they also sell a surprisingly wide variety of food, including Jewish products you can’t miss when you’re rushing in to pick up your prescription. I’ve made it easy for you and rounded up the 12 best Jewish foods to pick up at CVS.
Breakfast
- Thomas Bagels About as good as any store bought bagel. Find flavors like plain, everything and whole wheat.
- Philadelphia Cream Cheese To pair with the above. CVS carries both original and whipped.
Snacks & Drinks
- Sabra Smart Snackers These adorable hummus and pretzel cups make the perfect snack.
- Everything Bagel Seasoned Cashews Even CVS can’t avoid the EBTB craze. Available from Well Market and Gold Emblem, two of CVS’s generic brands.
- Well Market Everything Bagel Seasoned Pita Chips Two Jewish products in one? Pair with hummus for a triple whammy.
- Seltzer CVS is a seltzer lover’s heaven. While they lack the iconic Vintage brand, they carry a myriad of alternatives, from Polar to Canada Dry, to Bubly.
- OH SNAP! Dilly Bites Are you ever out and about needing a quick bite and think, man, a pickle could really hit the spot right now? That’s basically the concept behind these single-serve, grab-and-go pickle packs. You can find them in the refrigerated section.
- Dill Pickle Chips CVS does not lack in the (figurative, but also kind of literal) chips department. This extends to multiple varieties of dill pickle chips, from brands including Lay’s and Hal’s. Just make sure you also grab a pack of gum to go along with them.
- Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickle Spears If bites and chips don’t appeal, go right to the source. We can’t exactly say why CVS would carry jars of pickles, but we’re not mad about it.
Dessert
- Entenmann’s Though Entenmann’s is not a Jewish-owned brand, their boxed desserts are commonly purchased by Jewish-Americans because their products are kosher-certified and quite affordable. You can find a variety of Entenmann’s desserts at the CVS, from donuts, to danishes, to their most Jewish offering, black and white cookies.
- Hanukkah Chocolate As stores become flooded with Christmas candy, some stores will also stock chocolate gelt. You also might come across a less traditional option: Milk Chocolate Hanukkah Maccabees from the brand Rite Lite. The product resembles Easter chocolate, but the foil wrapping depicts bearded soldiers with Magen Davids instead of bunnies. (P.S. Your CVS might also carry other Hanukkah fare, like greeting cards, dreidels and festive tea towels.)
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pick between Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and Häagen-Dazs’ New York Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream pints for a delightful dessert inspired by this Jewish classic.
Bonus: Over-the-Counter Medication
We couldn’t help but include these Jewish-adjacent digestion aids to the list.
- Pesto Bismol All hail the pink stuff! Gastro-intestinal issues are disproportionately common in the Jewish population, making PB a must for some. And by the way, if the liquid version grosses you out, both Pepto Bismol and CVS’s generic brand make tablet versions.
- Lactaid Some studies estimate that three-quarters of Jews are lactose intolerant, making Lactaid a pretty common Jewish product. Even the inventor was Jewish. So, depending on who you are, you might have to take some before you sit down with your cheesecake ice cream.
- Beano Now that we’ve covered general GI problems and those related to dairy, let’s finish things off by protecting ourselves from reactions to legumes and cruciferous vegetables (fun stuff, we know). Made by the same inventor as Lactaid, you can find these digestive aids in the same aisle as the above two products.
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