Trader Joes

24

Replies

  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    edited October 2016
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    I shop there but can't say I'm obsessed w/TJoes. I find it expensive for most items, so I just pick and choose when I go there, looking for things on sale or priced competitively w/other stores.

    Actually, just stopped in a few mins ago and bought some ground coffee (2lbs for $9.99), a lb of dried Turkish apricots for under $5 and a pkg of basil for $3, which were the best deals I saw today.

    The only "must buy" item for me at TJoes Is the pre-made Hollandaise sauce. It's the only place that I know that sells it. Saves me the time/trouble to make it when I want to have some Eggs Benedict for breakfast Yum! :)

    Expensive? Wow...never heard anyone say that. It is considered very inexpensive here.

    I don't go often (they are a 45 min drive from me) but when I do, I pick up olive oil, marinara sauce, salsa verde, and whatever else looks yummy at the time. I also ALWAYS check the shelves to see if they have any Danish Kringles. They get different flavors in, but only a few times a year, and once they are gone, that's it. They sell for 7.99, and they are insanely good, and freeze well. Or you can order them online from the baker in Racine, Wisconsin, where they fly out the door for
    $20!! :ohttps://www.kringle.com/store/kringle-multi-pack
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    I love Trader Joe's but the closest one is a bit of a drive for me. I get to go once every couple of months, but I stock up on my favorites.

    Green Dragon Hot Sauce
    Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
    Chicken Gyoza Pot Stickers
    Steamable Cauliflower Rice
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    I shop there but can't say I'm obsessed w/TJoes. I find it expensive for most items, so I just pick and choose when I go there, looking for things on sale or priced competitively w/other stores.

    Expensive? Wow...never heard anyone say that. It is considered very inexpensive here.

    Now, you have. ;)

    I live in the SF Bay Area where there are discount markets, like WinCo and FoodMaxx, available to me.

    Trader Joe's ranks up there in price with Whole Foods, Sprouts and Raleys but each does carry some discounted (loss leader) and some specialty items only available at their stores that I look out for when I shop there, like the Hollandaise sauce I can only get at Trader Joe's.

    However, for common items, I usually buy them where I can get them cheapest and rhat is seldom at Trader Joe's.
  • elias1609
    elias1609 Posts: 71 Member
    They have some cilantro dressing that I love using on my salads !
  • VeloRat1969
    VeloRat1969 Posts: 18 Member
    I'm obsessed with this recipe:
    1 package Trader Joe's cooked lentils
    1 container Trader Joe's Fresh Bruschetta Sauce
    1 container Trader Joe's crumbled Feta Cheese with Mediterranean Herbs

    Mix together and eat. I usually also add an entire bunch of shredded dino kale. Divide into four servings. I usually do this and call it lunch for four days.

    Nutrition Facts

    Servings 4.0
    Amount Per Serving
    calories 337
    % Daily Value *
    Total Fat 13 g 20 %
    Saturated Fat 5 g 23 %
    Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
    Trans Fat 0 g
    Cholesterol 23 mg 8 %
    Sodium 1065 mg 44 %
    Potassium 123 mg 4 %
    Total Carbohydrate 34 g 11 %
    Dietary Fiber 11 g 44 %
    Sugars 8 g
    Protein 21 g 43 %
    Vitamin A 97 %
    Vitamin C 74 %
    Calcium 21 %
    Iron 27 %

  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited October 2016
    Yes, we love it! Most of my regularly logged foods are from TJs.
    Favorites: green dragon hot sauce (spicy but great on all things Tex/Mex and even as a salad dressing), wine, coffee, 85% dark chocolate, frozen vegetables, eggs, spices, oatmeal, nuts, cheese, chicken burgers, fish nuggets--pretty much you name it!! Of course many of the pumpkin items have made it into our cart lately! The pumpkin joe-joes were yummy but sold out already.

    I also love that most items are free of artificial colors and flavors, and the small store size and limited number of products makes for easy decision-making and a quicker grocery shopping trip (unless I'm sans kiddos--then I tend to linger!).
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    Oh the Green Dragon hot sauce is so good! Someone just told me to try the riced broccoli. Spray of extra virgin olive oil, onion, fresh garlic and/or ginger.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    For those of you near one, I noticed in their weekly ad that HEB also sells premade cauliflower rice.

    I really need to pick up some of their cheese one day. I forget every time I'm actually in one.
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
    They have black bean noodles that are fun. I also really like their soups in the cardboard containers. My favorites are the roasted red pepper and tomato, and the black bean soup.

    When I'm in a pinch, their frozen section is great for reasonably healthy food fast. They have tons of frozen veggies so sometimes I'll grab the frozen chicken teriyaki, a bag of frozen stir fry veggies or broccoli and some frozen steamer bags of a wild rice blend.

    The trader's grotto pizza sauce is cheap ($1.99) and I can get two or three pizzas out of it. And it tastes pretty good.

    Their seasonal goodies are my love/arch nemesis. Last year, they had this peppermint chocolate cheesecake and I just...
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    I have yet to find food that I find worthy enough to deal with the disastrous parking lot. :D
  • TanyaHooton
    TanyaHooton Posts: 249 Member
    Trader Joe's reminds me of European grocery stores just with the way they utilize their space. I don't go there often, as I like Fresh Thyme, but I always get their little bags of dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

    Their seal salt turbinado dark chocolate almonds are quite possibly sin itself in food form.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    I wish we had one close by......all this sounds so yummy!!!

    This-I've never been to one but cookie butter sounds absolutely amazing....
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    Trader Joe's reminds me of European grocery stores just with the way they utilize their space. I don't go there often, as I like Fresh Thyme, but I always get their little bags of dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

    Their seal salt turbinado dark chocolate almonds are quite possibly sin itself in food form.

    We're getting a Fresh Thyme in my city soon. I'm excited! So it sounds like the quality of their products is pretty good, then.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I wish we had one close by......all this sounds so yummy!!!

    This-I've never been to one but cookie butter sounds absolutely amazing....
    Check around the peanut butter section of your local grocery store. I've been seeing more and more of the stuff come out thanks to TJs.
  • mylifeisbeautiful
    mylifeisbeautiful Posts: 292 Member
    Yes! Addicted!
    I may be moving to Canada and am wondering how I will survive without my favorites:

    Peanut butter pretzels
    Garlic Parmesan potatoes
    Red Thai curry sauce
    Marinated Kansas City roast
    Light feta cheese (so cheap!)
    Various fresh pastas
    Meatless meatballs
    Cheap frozen bell peppers and Brussel sprouts
    Dried coconut


  • BigTandthesquatters
    BigTandthesquatters Posts: 151 Member
    Chopped vegetables called "Healthy 8". Some of that stuff, left over chicken, trader Joe's Greek yogurt and some spices you got a great chicken salad for lunch.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    They have frozen chicken burger patties, chili lime or something, that are good and easy on the calorie balance. The chicken gyoza are an amazing calorie deal too. They used to have a peanut dressing that was good but I didn't see it last time I was there. Couple tbsp of that on a nice veggie salad was satisfying.
  • racheljonel
    racheljonel Posts: 400 Member
    I can't get enough of Trader Joe's! I do most of my shopping there. Some of my faves are the cilantro chicken mini wantons (super low calorie and so good) and lately I've been munching on their pumpkin cranberry crisps and laughing cow cheese....such a good combo. Would be good with their mini brie bites too!
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    Has no one mentioned TJ's cookie thins? They're so good, especially the gingersnaps. Spicy, crispy, not overwhelmingly sweet, and full of flavor!
    Also, the serving is 9 cookie thins for about 120-140 calories. I often have 4 or 5 with tea for a snack or dessert, and it's well under 100 calories.

    Side note: people have told me I like "old lady flavors," so maybe the lemon and gingersnap aren't for everyone. :)

    Also, marinara (I think recipe #9 or something - can't quite remember). Low cal, low sugar, low cost, and tastes the way I want jarred sauce to taste. I keep that in my pantry.
  • Robertus
    Robertus Posts: 558 Member
    This is a great thread. I've been meaning to make my first trip to a Trader Joe's and now I have some great suggestions.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    ALL the nuts, "Unexpected cheddar," my daughter likes "minty mouthfuls" <--ice cream sandwiches for 60 cal. DH has been hitting the minty mouthfuls, too, of late.

    They also sell a shelf stable heavy whipping cream. Fascinating. I like having it on hand, and I like that it's a small size (less waste). Ultrapasturized so it keeps a long time.
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    I am so glad I got the hummus quad thing there yesterday.
    Delicious.

    I have a question on the apple chicken sausages people keep mentioning....I'm not much of a sausage person but have only ever tried pork sausage, turkey sausage and once a chicken sausage from a regular grocery store (Kroger.) I enjoyed none of them. Too salty and just...the texture maybe? So, are these apple chicken ones from TJ's to die for and I should try them? What do you put on them? Anything? Thanks!
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    joans1976 wrote: »
    I am so glad I got the hummus quad thing there yesterday.
    Delicious.

    I have a question on the apple chicken sausages people keep mentioning....I'm not much of a sausage person but have only ever tried pork sausage, turkey sausage and once a chicken sausage from a regular grocery store (Kroger.) I enjoyed none of them. Too salty and just...the texture maybe? So, are these apple chicken ones from TJ's to die for and I should try them? What do you put on them? Anything? Thanks!

    For me, I like to grill them and get a good chat on the outside. That helps with the texture. I put them on buns with whatever toppings you like or in pasta. I like them, but I wouldn't say "to die for".
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    Thank you!
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    No one has mentioned the pickles! Love their pickles, the pre-cut veggies and fruit, cauliflower rice, nut selection and baking section. I don't understand how people can do the majority of their shopping there though, both for the cost and the selection. Trader Joe's is small. I feel like it's more wine than grocery.
  • Hope228
    Hope228 Posts: 340 Member
    I'm so bummed. I went there yesterday hoping to get some Pumpkin Biscotti. It's gone.. :/
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    Hope228 wrote: »
    I'm so bummed. I went there yesterday hoping to get some Pumpkin Biscotti. It's gone.. :/
    Out if stock or gone for good
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    Hope228 wrote: »
    I'm so bummed. I went there yesterday hoping to get some Pumpkin Biscotti. It's gone.. :/

    This would be one of my few complaints with Trader Joes. I realize this particular item is seasonal, but there have been many times I've gone in looking for everyday items to find that they are out of stock. Seems like they tend to have supply problems, which is annoying when you don't live within easy driving distance of one of their stores...sigh..
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    edited October 2016
    Hope228 wrote: »
    I'm so bummed. I went there yesterday hoping to get some Pumpkin Biscotti. It's gone.. :/

    This would be one of my few complaints with Trader Joes. I realize this particular item is seasonal, but there have been many times I've gone in looking for everyday items to find that they are out of stock. Seems like they tend to have supply problems, which is annoying when you don't live within easy driving distance of one of their stores...sigh..
    Yeah, this was my issue with their pumpkin spice cookie butter last year.

    There was also the mushroom... chips I think? I never saw them.

  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    Hope228 wrote: »
    I'm so bummed. I went there yesterday hoping to get some Pumpkin Biscotti. It's gone.. :/

    This would be one of my few complaints with Trader Joes. I realize this particular item is seasonal, but there have been many times I've gone in looking for everyday items to find that they are out of stock. Seems like they tend to have supply problems, which is annoying when you don't live within easy driving distance of one of their stores...sigh..
    Yeah, this was my issue with their pumpkin spice cookie butter last year.

    Yeah, I tend to have it with their BBQ sauce. This year I lucked out and got in.there early enough to score some of the pumpkin spice cookie butter. Otherwise, I'd have to resort to ordering some again. :(