What are your favorite things to buy at Trader Joe's?
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OMG that cheesecake!
I'm avoiding TJ. So much delicious stuff that is hard to fit in my calories, lol. The cookies are great. All the pumpkin stuff in October was amazing (I still have some frozen krugel that I take out occasionally). Their mini pies are delicious but 170 calories per... Haven't dared trying the cookie butter, frankly.
I LOVE the 'tarte d'alsace' (frozen section), and it's actually not too bad calorie wise (500 calories for the whole thing?). The 100 calorie chocolate bars are awesome (and the one pounder ones too..). The little ice cream balls (forgot the name) are fantastic and I totally used to eat a whole package of them... The frozen croissants are great too.
The only thing I don't like at TJ is the fresh bread and packaged pastries/croissants, it just tastes bad IMO compared to other stores like Whole Foods, Wegmans or even Acme. Their sushi is pretty awful too.0 -
veganbettie wrote: »martyqueen52 wrote: »Nothing. It's over priced, over crowded, and under staffed.
where are you from? there are tons of employees where I am and they are seriously the most pleasant people I've ever met, they all love their jobs.
Some of the stuff is pricey, but they really do have a ton of great deals.
I'm From W.V., so when I go it's up in Pittsburgh which is about 2 hours away. I personally though the prices are way to high as compared to PA's Market District, which I like a lot more. There was about 5 kids working the floor from what could see with my own eyes. And there was about 17 people in line, per checkout lane, with 2 lanes open.... worse than Wal-Mart, IMO.
And BroScience.... you are aware of municipal value and how it differs from state to state, right?
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There are a few staples on my list:
Full fat yogurt- for the kids. They love it and price is great for a six pack.
Orange chicken- cheap, quick and easy, and calories are pretty easy to fit in, especially if you mix in some fresh snap or snow peas and carrots.
Two buck chuck- how has it not been mentioned more? Okay, sure its $3 here, but its a bottle of good wine for three freaking dollars!
Hard boiled eggs- For lazy weeks, already boiled (best I've found) and peeled. In my store not much more $$ than the current price of fresh eggs.
Seasonal items- all the pumpkin stuff and now all the cranberry stuff. My kids ate pumpkin cornbread croutons as a snack for like 3 straight weeks.
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You just HAD to?
Apples
Bananas
This Cranberry Walks Into a Bar
This Pumpkin Walks Into a Bar (gone)
Pumpkin Seed Brittle (also gone)
Breaded Chicken Tenderloin Breasts (basically just as if I made them myself)
Reed's Ginger Beer (singles always $1, which every other store's sale price)
usually the best price of grass fed beef (ground is $6/lb, currently)0 -
I see you're from Buffalo! Me, too! I am so happy we have a TJs. I used to always love it when my mom lived in California.
Unfortunately we don't get the wine.
Boo. That's always a must for me.
Cookie Butter. I like to mix it in their multigrain oats for breakfast!
Their produce is hit or miss. I check it everytime I'm there.
I like their KCups.
They have a good variety of dried fruit and nuts.
I loved their sushi in California, but here I prefer it from Wegmans.
Their frozen selection is great. I try to stock up on some healthy frozen meals. They have some low sodium varieties. Just have to read boxes to see what suits your fancy. I love their Asian foods.
Cheese.
Hummus.
I love their bagel chips.
I honestly just give myself plenty of time to browse, think about price and read labels. There are lots of hidden gems. Overall is it cheaper than other stores? No. Are there some really good bargains and variety? Yes. Are there the most amazing team members ever? DEFINITELY. I shop Wegmans or TJs based on customer service alone!0 -
sweet potatoes
roasted sunflower seeds
organic oats
organic ketchup
3-grain tempeh
raw cashews
chips/salsa
wine/beer
pumpkin butter
fig buter
coconut milk
pasta
cocoa powder
coconut sugar
coconut flour
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The two MUST buys: Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Pudding (in the frozen section) and Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage (my mother hates sweet potatoes, tried this, and loved it).
Trust me, you won't be disappointed with neither of them!
If you're willing to try more things, I was also impressed with Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter and also Trader Joe's Cinnamon British Style Crumpets (if you live near a Panera, these taste especially good with Panera's NY Cheesecake Cream Cheese spread - just like a cinnabon!)0 -
martyqueen52 wrote: »veganbettie wrote: »martyqueen52 wrote: »Nothing. It's over priced, over crowded, and under staffed.
where are you from? there are tons of employees where I am and they are seriously the most pleasant people I've ever met, they all love their jobs.
Some of the stuff is pricey, but they really do have a ton of great deals.
I'm From W.V., so when I go it's up in Pittsburgh which is about 2 hours away. I personally though the prices are way to high as compared to PA's Market District, which I like a lot more. There was about 5 kids working the floor from what could see with my own eyes. And there was about 17 people in line, per checkout lane, with 2 lanes open.... worse than Wal-Mart, IMO.
And BroScience.... you are aware of municipal value and how it differs from state to state, right?
I guess it's a blanket statement on both ends eh? Store is less expensive relative to any other grocery stores in my area (Chicago) for the most part.
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LolBroScience wrote: »martyqueen52 wrote: »veganbettie wrote: »martyqueen52 wrote: »Nothing. It's over priced, over crowded, and under staffed.
where are you from? there are tons of employees where I am and they are seriously the most pleasant people I've ever met, they all love their jobs.
Some of the stuff is pricey, but they really do have a ton of great deals.
I'm From W.V., so when I go it's up in Pittsburgh which is about 2 hours away. I personally though the prices are way to high as compared to PA's Market District, which I like a lot more. There was about 5 kids working the floor from what could see with my own eyes. And there was about 17 people in line, per checkout lane, with 2 lanes open.... worse than Wal-Mart, IMO.
And BroScience.... you are aware of municipal value and how it differs from state to state, right?
I guess it's a blanket statement on both ends eh? Store is less expensive relative to any other grocery stores in my area (Chicago) for the most part.
I'm in the Chicago area, too. I actually make an extra trip to TJ's every week in addition to my normal grocery shopping because there are certain staples (cheese, cereal bars, a few other things) where the prices are MUCH better at TJ's unless the items are deeply discounted on sale at my normal grocery store. Plus, the quality is always just as good, typically better. So, win/win. My store can get crowded (even for a TJ's it's quite small) so sometimes the lines get a bit long during peak hours, but the employees have never been anything but wholly available and extremely friendly. Must depend on where you are.
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sunburntgalaxy wrote: »Wow, this is perfect timing for this thread - I was trying to think of a good place to go to get some things to put a Christmas gift together for my aunt and uncle (instead of getting a pre-made food basket which is usually a total rip-off) and you are all listing so many things that would be perfect (and that sound good for me too). I haven't been there in a while but I do have to say non-food wise I adore their tea tree tingle shampoo, conditioner and shower gel - one of the few I have found that doesn't make me want to throw up from the smell when I have a migraine (which is often). Also peanut butter pretzels are a great snack (they also have them chocolate coated) and a bag lasts a long time if you stick to the serving size.
Therein lies the problem. Peanut butter filled pretzels the only food where I find myself with my hand in the bag and don't remember making the decision to eat some. Those things are dangerous ...0 -
Wait... a whole thread about TJ's and no one has mentioned Candy Cane Joe Joes??
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Their hummus is to murder for....
soyrizo- one of the cheapest places to get it
firm tofu
tempeh - again cheapest place to get it
chickenless strips
orange chickenless thingies
dark chocolate
kale chips
brussel sprouts THEY SELL IT ON THE STALKS!!!! so cute
pita bread
they have great soups
wine of course
their hummus is really the best.0 -
oh i really like their frozen brown rice too. and frozen veggies. Super cheap and convenient for work.
oh and they have this soyaiki sauce that is really good too...0 -
I love Trader Joe's! So glad there is now one 5 minutes away from our new place. Some of my favorites:
Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Reduced Guilt Guacamole
Coconut Creamer
Cold Pressed Juice
Two Buck Chuck
K-Cups
Mini Brie Cheese
Belgium Waffles
I'm making a trip there today!
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jennybaby89 wrote: »I see you're from Buffalo! Me, too! I am so happy we have a TJs. I used to always love it when my mom lived in California.
Unfortunately we don't get the wine. Boo. That's always a must for me.
Cookie Butter. I like to mix it in their multigrain oats for breakfast!
Their produce is hit or miss. I check it everytime I'm there.
I like their KCups.
They have a good variety of dried fruit and nuts.
I loved their sushi in California, but here I prefer it from Wegmans.
Their frozen selection is great. I try to stock up on some healthy frozen meals. They have some low sodium varieties. Just have to read boxes to see what suits your fancy. I love their Asian foods.
Cheese.
Hummus.
I love their bagel chips.
I honestly just give myself plenty of time to browse, think about price and read labels. There are lots of hidden gems. Overall is it cheaper than other stores? No. Are there some really good bargains and variety? Yes. Are there the most amazing team members ever? DEFINITELY. I shop Wegmans or TJs based on customer service alone!
I've been having cookie butter and apple/cranberry jelly sandwiches on ezekiel bread; absolutely amazing! I would agree with the produce statement. I'm more into ground coffee (love Archer Farms brand!) I want to try the dried persimmons someone on this thread mentioned!! I love wegman's sushi too much to ever try anyone else's haha. Also, will try the hummus! Nice to know other people from western NY use this site
!
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I don't know if these things have been mentioned already, and I'm not even sure if they always carry these things but...
Organic Multicolored carrots, they're blue and white and orange and they're pretty delicious
They also sometimes have this 3 pack of celtic cheddar cheeses which are like straight up crack if you like sharp cheese.
...oh and the frozen pork gyoza potstickers- woah baby0 -
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deluxmary2000 wrote: »Wait... a whole thread about TJ's and no one has mentioned Candy Cane Joe Joes??
I did. Not in a nice way, though
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tarte aux champignons and tarte d'alace are probably my 2 favorite things from there. theyre just magical.
i'm also a fan of their mac n cheese balls, arancini, and chicken tikka samosas for savory stuff.
for sweet stuff, i LOVE the cookie butter and the chocolate bars filled with said cookie butter, and the chocolate covered bing cherries with the charles shaw shiraz is tough to beat.
oh, and i recently discovered their ghee. it's great for frying an egg or 6. has a really rich buttery flavor. so good.
now i wanna stop at TJs on the way home.0 -
Oooo I forgot mini chocolate chip cookies and animal crackers (why, no, I don't have a carb problem. Why do you ask?).
But that cheesecake! I read about it on a blog and then saw it on my next trip to TJ's and...I just couldn't. Just like with the cookie butter in the jar, I just know I won't be able to trust myself with just one serving. I could trust myself to polish that sucker off in one sitting tho.0 -
It's a tie between the Habanero Lime Tortillas and the Pumpkin Butter.0
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Coconut oil for my hair and body ")0
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I do my food shopping there weekly. It's less pricy than A&P and Stop & Shop (I'm in NJ) and has a better selection of organic foods. I have also found that the TJ brand of organic romaine lettuce is nicer than the Earthbound or Nature's Promise - it's fuller and doesn't go bad as fast. I prefer it to Whole Foods and Wegman's because it's less expensive and smaller - less chance of over buying. My husband and I are both in grad school so we're trying to keep costs down anywhere we can. I'm spending $60-80 less a week depending on what I need.
Things I love from there specifically? Their beef ravioli is really good and so is their three cheese jarred sauce - something I never thought I'd say about any jarred sauce. I like a lot of their treats... The chocolate coconut milk ice cream. It is creamy and does not taste like coconut! Their smores ice cream sandwiches... So good!!! Also I'm not allergic to their laundry detergent - always a plus!
I do have to agree with the complaints about parking and crowds, but that's specific to the location - at least in my experience. I will only shop at the one near my job because it's bigger and if I go as soon as I get out (3:15 - I work at a school), there are no crowds. However, I refuse to go to the one closest to where I leave because it is ALWAYS crowded. The parking lot sucks there too. I bought insulated shopping bags so that all my food survives my 45 minute commute home - that's how much I hate the TJs near me.0
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