Trader Joe's

brainsndbeauty
brainsndbeauty Posts: 29 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So i found a Trader Joe's by my "male friends" house and I was wondering what they have that has it so crowded. Well ITS ALL ORGANIC FOOD!!!

So how many of you live close to a trader joe's or Mom's Grocery Store and if so what do you like to get from there. Im thinking about going shopping and I need some ideas!!!
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Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I don't believe TJ's is all organic. I believe they have specific standards about GMO's, but definitely not everything is organic. With that being said, I love their jalepeno/cilantro hummus and the mandarin chicken is delicious. Oh and the cookie butter!
  • anastasiadietitian
    anastasiadietitian Posts: 19 Member
    I love Trader Joe's! My favorite things to buy include: Ezekiel Bread, Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos (in the frozen section), organic shredded cheese, Thai vegetable dumplings (also frozen), General Tso's sauce (for making stir frys) and lots of fruits and veggies of course. I think Trader Joes is very reasonable.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I don't believe TJ's is all organic. I believe they have specific standards about GMO's, but definitely not everything is organic. With that being said, I love their jalepeno/cilantro hummus and the mandarin chicken is delicious. Oh and the cookie butter!

    It is not all organic. They do have good food, reasonable sized containers (not a store for the Costco crowd), and reasonable prices. I buy their Tea Tree Tingle shower products, black bean dip (I know, it's easy to make...), coffee, and assorted other stuff. I prefer to have an in store butcher, and have a very good one nearby, so I don't buy meat at TJ's. The only thing I have been disappointed by was their knock-off of Bailey's Irish Cream, which just didn't work for me.
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,423 Member
    Trader Joe's is far from all Organic. Most items are private label conventional foods just done well and at a great price. Check it out.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Cookie butter.

    Ate a whole jar of it last week and I don't regret it.
  • glassgallm
    glassgallm Posts: 276 Member
    Found out that Trader Joe's is owned by the same company that owns Aldi.....
  • lmr0528
    lmr0528 Posts: 427 Member
    A Trader Joes opened in a nearby town last year, 1st one in the area. I went just to check it out but I wasn't impressed. I'll stick to my Wegmans :-)
  • Ems500c
    Ems500c Posts: 153 Member
    Posting to see the answers! I have one that just opened by my house about a month ago.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Found out that Trader Joe's is owned by the same company that owns Aldi.....

    I like aldi. I'm not crazy about all the premade food that TJ has. I do like their broccoli slaw. And their bread section is pretty nice.
  • notyouraveragetalia
    notyouraveragetalia Posts: 223 Member
    Cookie butter.

    Ate a whole jar of it last week and I don't regret it.

    This.

    And the guacamole! The nut sections pretty great too!
  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member
    I like buying the Cilantro, basil, garlic all frozen in cubes for cooking. I love love love them.
  • ThinLizzie0802
    ThinLizzie0802 Posts: 863 Member
    Yogurt Stars
    Cowboy Bark
    Wasabi Wow!
    Mandarin Chicken
    Grilled Chicken Strips
    Fresh Veggie Packs
    Chocolate Covered Pretzels
    Cheap Wine
    Any of their frozen meals or prepackaged meats

    I just love Trader Joe's and sadly we don't have one any closer than three hours :(
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    I like TJ's salsas, chips, spaghetti sauces. I'm not wild about their produce or meat selection. I do think most of their products are reasonably priced, even for the organic or non-GMO stuff. Now, I've gotta try the cookie butter.....
  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    It's not all organic but they have many great low cost organic options and they have the best, most savory prepared packaged (frozen) foods around. They have so many ethnic frozen foods that I find we eat out much less simply because we can have a wide range of flavor on hand! (Favorite Mexican: frozen tamales - mini chicken ones or even the regular sized cheese and sweet corn // Favorite Chinese: Gyoza chicken potstickers // Frozen Indian: Naan bread is killer!)

    I find that I live off of their healthy snacks when I need a fix - their dried fruit selection is tops (favorite is the sliced dried mango: the unsweetened is my favorite - it's super sour!) and also the nuts selection is by far the cheapest and best. (Splurging on the calories of one macademia nut lasts me for hours when I need to simply have a quick taste of something. I know, this sounds crazy.)

    Favorite frozen snacks include chicken cilantro wontons (2 minutes in microwave + add a quick homemade a soy/rice vinegar dip sauce -easy!)

    Kids love mini-chicken pot pies and the mini pizzas.

    Produce is great for organic options - I buy the arugula lettuce bags (organic) and organic strawberries. Their organic options are 1/2 the cost of Whole Foods (though we still go to WF for special items we can't get at TJs). We are saving a ton of money by not eating out (bec of frozen ethnic options) and by buying organics at TJs.

    Great salsas and pasta sauces - salad dressings and sauces for cooking.

    Steer clear of trying their cookies and frozen treats. Not smart for a fitness pal....they are addictive! (Kids love the mini ice cream cones called 'Hold the Cone' ) - Almost forgot - dark chocolate low carb choc bar has lasted me all week. A little square per day was my choc rescue for TOM.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I do about 75% of my shopping at Trader Joe's. The rest is at Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and rarely Meijer (one of the few places I can get bagels that are "safe" for me). Their prices are great. Their meat is pretty good if you just need basic cuts. Also love their selection of nuts, instant oatmeal, produce, ice cream, and much more. I also just love shopping there especially if i have a chance to go when it's not super busy. The staff is great!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I love that I can buy 4 bottles of wine for less than 25$

    it makes me happy- along with dark chocolate covered espresso beans.

    So delicious.
  • csk0018
    csk0018 Posts: 219 Member
    Blue corn tortilla chips are addictive so I buy that always. I love their fresh produce. And I'm a big fan of their microwave indian meals! :bigsmile:
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    I could walk into Trader Joe's and buy pretty much one of anything, but their fresh produce is amazing (and expensive). Also, their frozen food. I like the ice cream, macarons, orange chicken, fried rice, some of the individual meals.

    And their soy milk beats Silk by a mile. Just try some things out! :)
  • lizb214
    lizb214 Posts: 10 Member
    One just opened near me, so far I like:

    Reduced Guilt Guacamole
    Spinach and Kale Dip
    Chicken Sausage (sweet apple, is amazing!!)
    Fat Free Greek Yogurt
    Priobiotic Yogurt
    Sweet potato chips and sweet potato tortilla chips
    Brewed Ice tea
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    WISH THEY SOLD BOURBON :-(

    They are pretty awesomer though :-)
  • doIdaretoeatapeach
    doIdaretoeatapeach Posts: 26 Member
    Another vote for their nuts. Lots of variety and the best prices. Some of their produce prices are very good. They have some good prices on cheese, although not all of the cheeses are that great. If you like feta, there's a really good kind that comes in a plastic tub, packed in liquid that's one of the best I've tried.

    If you like lentils, I love their pre-cooked french lentils that are in the refrigerated produce area. Toss some of the precooked beets in with chopped carrots,celery, onion and a little balsamic dressing for a quick and tasty salad.
  • brainsndbeauty
    brainsndbeauty Posts: 29 Member
    k well its not all organic.. doesnt matter to me! its still cool stuff... some people just steal ur joy right away lol
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    It means nothing that Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by the same company. They may leverage some of their best practices across the stores, but the products/sourcing are totally different.

    Anyway.

    I go to Trader Joe's for a few products that are consistently far cheaper or far better quality (or both) than the conventional grocery store where I do the rest of my shopping. I love:

    Cereal and granola bars (kids love the "this _____ walks into a bar" and I love the high fiber peanut butter bars)
    Cheese, usually goat and cheddar (it's always cheaper than even the sale prices other places)
    I don't remember the exact name, but they have this full-fat yogurt that is TO.DIE.FOR, comes in 6 packs of 2 flavors each - my kids get to eat it and I snag a spoonful :wink:
    As previously mentioned, their nut and dried fruit selection is phenomenal
    Frozen fruits and veggies for smoothies
    Mandarin chicken (mix in some steamed broccoli and serve over white rice...YUM)
    If I need extra thick cut bacon, their uncured applewood bacon is delish and extremely well priced

    Aside from all that, I'll usually impulse buy one or two other things - mochi, Inner Peas, chocolate covered espresso beans, toffee, dark chocolate bars, one of the bins of cookies, any of their huge variety of chip/cracker snacks...I've never ever bought cookie butter, though. It just seems far too delicious for me to have in my house, so I figure if I never taste it I can just pretend it doesn't exist.

    I've never been impressed with their produce, though. Everyone raves about it, but I always find it goes bad even more quickly than the regular grocery store. Their bagged salads are good, though.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
    So many things I love from TJ's...

    Meatless sausage flatbread pizza tops the list, mmmm so good
    Unsweetened Vanilla Almond & all the soy milks
    Inner Peas (like Snappea Crisps)
    New Mexico Pinon Coffee
    Really cheap coffee filters
    Spices - they don't have much but what they have is cheap and good

    I really love their snacks/frozen foods too. Just be prepared, at TJ's your favorite item will disappear for months, maybe forever. Some things are seasonal, some things seem to disappear (where did the frozen fava beans go? And the shelf-stable tofu?). I suppose it's part of how they keep prices down.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member


    Just be prepared, at TJ's your favorite item will disappear for months, maybe forever. Some things are seasonal, some things seem to disappear (where did the frozen fava beans go? And the shelf-stable tofu?). I suppose it's part of how they keep prices down.

    And the stone ground grits. I can't find them anywhere. I had to switch to polenta from Whole Foods - it's just not the same.
  • Terihardman
    Terihardman Posts: 4 Member
    Actually, they do sell bourbon (at least the one here does). Hubby tried it a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much he bought a second bottle
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    Trader Joe's is good about avoiding GMO's, and putting gluten-free options next to the regular versions of the same product. I went gluten-free for two years when I was feeling sick and my idiot D.O. was hiding my bad thyroid numbers from me, so I figured maybe the problem was gluten. Trader Joe's made gluten-free easy. Turned out my problem was thyroid though--changed docs, got treated for hypothyroidism, got tested negative on gluten sensitivity after eating some bread to trigger a reaction (otherwise even if I was sensitive, after two years without it the antibody levels would have been undetectable).

    They also have very few non-candy products that contain corn syrup--high fructose or not.

    My Trader Joe's favorites:

    Pre-pack chicken salads, such as Crunch Slaw and Pasadena Salad and Broccoli-Kale slaw with chicken.
    Whole-wheat hamburger buns
    Chili-lime-chicken burgers
    Mahi-Mahi burgers
    Avocado's number guacamole
    Frozen Indian food--channa masala, butter chicken, garlic naan, palak paneer....
    Gluten-free pizza (tasty enough to eat even if you don't have celiac disease)
    Frozen Macaroni and Cheese, ranging in subtypes from gluten free to reduced guilt (lower fat) to full-on hedonistic indulgence.
    Cream without stabilizers or thickeners like guar gum--read the labels, most major cream brands have vegetable-derived additives which stabilize whipped cream but give a slimy mouth-feel to coffee or tea. Not unhealthy just gross.
    Applewood Smoked Bacon (thick sliced, uncured/no nitrites.)
  • Terihardman
    Terihardman Posts: 4 Member
    oh and the Healthy 8 Veggies are a must - in fact, it is why I make the 40 minute drive to TJ each week. It is a mixture of 8 different veggies (fresh) that includes cabbage, broccoli, celery, green peppers, radishes, carrots and something else. I can't eat lettuce, so this is my salad I have almost everyday for lunch. It also makes a great base for soups and for stir fry's too. And their baked onion Oh's are wonderful - much better than funyons! I usually pick up a few other things while I'm in there - reduced fat feta crumbles are great. Good selection of protein bars. Produce selection is pretty good and reasonably priced
  • HornedFrogPride
    HornedFrogPride Posts: 283 Member
    TJ's is so awesome! Here's what I buy there:

    First, & most important, the organic Tuscan (aka dinosaur) kale *their kale is always fresh, I can't say the same for Target or
    Wal-mart (sometimes the area by the kale is congested with indecisive people!)
    unsweetened almond & coconut milk
    almond butter (i'm allergic to peanuts)
    almonds & pistachios (wide variety to choose from salted, unsalted, roasted, unroasted)
    frozen fruit, especially their mangoes (higher quality than some store & commercial brands like Dole) & pineapples
    coconut oil
    coconut oil cooking spray
    Clif Bars
    cereals are amazing (they have a coconut chia one and a chocolate almond one that I like a lot!)
    their wines are amazing, especially the Chilean reds
    unique, wide variety of beers, including some off the beaten path I've never heard of
    dark chocolate (sometimes w/ coconut)
    gummies for runners

    Our daughter loves to try all the samples and to find "Archie" the wooly mammoth for a treat/prize.
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member


    Just be prepared, at TJ's your favorite item will disappear for months, maybe forever. Some things are seasonal, some things seem to disappear (where did the frozen fava beans go? And the shelf-stable tofu?). I suppose it's part of how they keep prices down.

    And the stone ground grits. I can't find them anywhere. I had to switch to polenta from Whole Foods - it's just not the same.

    Something I learned in a business class--when producers have excess factory capacity because their main customers are ordering less, they will often take on orders at a lower price from other, smaller customers, to fill the gap in production and make some extra profit. Since the price for their primary customers was set to cover all their fixed costs (rent, equipment leases), the money producers make from these smaller contracts needs to cover only 'variable costs', such as the salaries of the people doing the extra production, and the extra utilities costs. So these extra contracts often offer very low prices.

    I suspect that the non-staple items Trader Joe's offers at low prices, that appear and disappear, are made via these small contracts using "excess capacity" in producers factories. I think these items go in and out of production based on the availability of low-cost "excess" factory capacity.

    I think for other items that they offer consistently (eg: bacon), they contract as a main customer, at prices that cover the producer's fixed cost, like everyone else, so that their supply is steady.

    And of course produce is subject to the seasonal harvest. Trader Joe's probably only buys produce that meets both price and quality standards, and if the market for that particular item goes out of Trader Joe's range, they simply don't offer it until the price and quality come back into Trader Joe's guidelines again.

    I'm making an educated guess here. The pattern fits a business model I learned in school (though I majored in Engineering).

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