Root veg

Large potatoes tend to be floury and good for mash, roasts or gratins. Small ones are mostly good for eating whole with skins on. They are waxy in texture, which is excellent for salads.

If you are buying carrots for a soup and you are going to chop them roughly, buy budget carrots as these are generally only cheaper because of their size and shape. If you want to peel them and cut them into batons or matchsticks, it is worth buying them for their shape and size.