Trader Joe's favorites

chavens85
chavens85 Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
Hello! We are heading to Madison this weekend and are stopping at Trader Joe's. I love it and wish we had one closer! What are some of your favorites to pick up! I'm looking for healthy items and even some delicious (in moderation!) treats too! I think we're bringing a cooler too (I know..a bit ridiculous!) so refrigerated/frozen items are welcome too!
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Replies

  • dawn1801
    dawn1801 Posts: 117 Member
    Crab cakes, fish, veggies, whole wheat bread, and sparkling water.
  • peacek
    peacek Posts: 211
    Low fat Greek Honey Yogurt.
    Low fat blueberry Yogurt.
    Almond butter
    Black Corn chips
    Quinao medley
    roasted red potatoes
  • sicembears
    sicembears Posts: 77 Member
    Love Trader Joe's :) Here are a few things I like...

    Chipotle Hummus
    Honey Chevre Cheese
    Sweet Potato Tater Tots
    Smooth Blend coffee
    Cocoa Almond Spread (healthy version of nutella)
    strawberry vanilla greek yogurt
  • msommy
    msommy Posts: 17 Member
    I generally only shop at TJ's. Love virtually everything! If you are lucky enough you should get some Chicken Tikka Samosa's. Great tasting snack. Not sure the health value of them though. I eat them no matter what. The Indian food there - Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala - sells like crazy, they are fantastic. The "Trader Mings" stuff is great too. I get the Mandarin Orange Chicken. You have to eat it in moderation, but it is so good! You really can't go wrong shopping there. I forgot the exact name of them but the strawberry frozen treat in the ice cream isle is amazing. Very low cal. and made with real strawberries. Great frozen treat. The Jalenpeno Chicken Sausage is really good too. I get that. 100cal per link.

    Beware buying bread there. It taste good and all but it must be eaten quickly. I find that TJ's bread expires way too fast. I hardly get the chance to eat any of it before it spoils.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I second the Mandarin Orange Chicken and the Jalapeno Chipotle Hummus! Both delicious. We also like their chicken quesadillas, the mini mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches (serving is 2, but 1 is just 60 calories and perfect bit of sweet for me), kettle corn and they have great bread options.
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    I have a list, lol :)

    •Snacks/Dry Food:

    Popped potato chips
    Veggie sticks
    Reduced guilt chips
    100 calorie pack oatmeal chocolate chip crackers
    Joe's O's (like Cheerios)
    Mac 'n Cheese (boxed)
    Applesauce
    Everything bagel chips
    Entertainment crackers
    Peanut Butter sandwich crackers
    Sesame rounds
    Water crackers


    •Fresh Food:

    Tri tip
    Bool kogi
    Ground beef
    Chicken jalepeno sausage
    Beer bratwursts
    Balsamic and rosemary grilled chicken
    Pork loin chops
    Chicken tenders
    All of their fruit
    All of their veggies
    All of their cheeses
    Guacamole 2-pack


    •Frozen Food:

    Jumbo sea scallops (1 pound bag)
    Mini tacos (chicken, beef)
    Taquitos
    Breaded chicken tenderloins
    Cod sticks
    Pierogies
    Fettucini alfredo
    Orange chicken
    Gnocci Sorrentino
    Petite peas (16 ounce bag)
    Frozen sweet corn (16 ounce bag) (BEST CORN EVER!)
    Mango chunks
    Tuna steaks
    Jumbo shrimp (1 pound bag)
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    Gyozas, frozen brown rice and haricot vert (slim green beans). Makes the greatest quick lunches.
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
    3a9s5.jpg


    Vanilla Almond Clusters, aka Crack Clusters. I highly recommend you buy two boxes and hide one.
  • Katie320
    Katie320 Posts: 61 Member
    TJ's jarred bruschetta is one of my absolute favorites. 25 calories for two tablespoons. I love to use it on sandwiches instead of other condiments. The sushi is good too if you want to splurge a little. I also love the spicy black bean dip. So good! Also, I read somewhere that TJ's has the best deal in terms of price and quality of olive oil.
  • Dani_Davies23
    Dani_Davies23 Posts: 86
    Trader Joe's Chocolate Soy Mini Ice Cream Sandwich.
    <3
  • curlszz
    curlszz Posts: 4
    their smoked salmon is really really good and low cal.
  • v_woolf
    v_woolf Posts: 33 Member
    Their sunflower seed nut butter is to die for! (I live in Canada and I always bring it back across the border with me!)
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    I get my mom to get stuff at trader joe's for me before I see her (there's one near her but not near me and I live over an hour from her)...... stuff I ask her to get me.....

    almond meal
    almond butter

    and most recently I asked her to get me some speculoos cookie butter!
  • Bobtheangrytomato
    Bobtheangrytomato Posts: 251 Member
    Spinach artichoke greek yogurt dip and tofu burgers
  • Cupcakehippiemommy
    Cupcakehippiemommy Posts: 457 Member
    LOVE Trader Joe's - Chili Lime Chicken Burgers- I usually cook them and make them into tacos or over a spinach and jicama salad with lime and cilantro vinagrette :)
  • LORIANN1108
    LORIANN1108 Posts: 11
    TRADER JOE EGG WHITES
    MANGO SORBET....YUMMY
  • GeneveSparkles
    GeneveSparkles Posts: 283 Member
    Hello! We are heading to Madison this weekend and are stopping at Trader Joe's. I love it and wish we had one closer! What are some of your favorites to pick up! I'm looking for healthy items and even some delicious (in moderation!) treats too! I think we're bringing a cooler too (I know..a bit ridiculous!) so refrigerated/frozen items are welcome too!

    LOL I do the same thing!! I'm in La Crosse and try to get to the TJ's in Rochester as often as possible! A cooler helps during the summer months :)

    I always stock up on soyrizo and freeze it when I get home. I love their frozen polenta, cheese enchiladas, yellow curry sauce, and so much more!
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    I do the majority of my grocery shopping there. Good stuff, great prices.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    Three words: Wasabi Seaweed Snacks.

    I also like the Peruvian Crack Rice...err...Chimichuri Rice, their smooth brie, firm tofu, smoked salmon, tri tip roasts, tofurkey sausages, the TJ brand turkeyless turkey roast with wild rice (seasonal), and the veggie section. :)
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    I get a few of my desserts from Trader Hos. They have the best pretzel thins covered in dark chocolate that are AMAZING!

    And I LOVE their Fruit Floes, which are low-cal fruity popsicles. SO GOOD!

    The nearest Ho is like 40 minutes from me right now. It makes me saddddd.
  • joyous504
    joyous504 Posts: 72
    Japanese Style Fried Rice
    Frozen Organic Jazmin Rice
    Meatless Orange Chicken
    Everything Pretzel Slims
    Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    that cheap *kitten* red wine...I think it's called cheap red wine. Haven't been in ages, but we always used to buy a bunch of that for when people came over to the house...have a couple bottles of good stuff and then bring out the cheap red wine.
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    Three words: Wasabi Seaweed Snacks.

    OMGAHHHHHHHHH! I LOVE THOSE!
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Honestly, I can take or leave most Trader Joe's items. However, I was recently introduced to two things that I really like: the 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Coconut Caramel bar (yum!) and the Creamy Toscano Cheese Dusted with Cinnamon (this is saying a lot because I'm normally not a cheese person)!
  • chavens85
    chavens85 Posts: 11
    Wow! This is awesome! THANK YOU! Usually I'm like a kid in a candy shop and walk around with wide-eyes and usually forget what I even come there to get! These suggestions help so I can make a list! You guys/gals rock! :)
  • jen248md
    jen248md Posts: 2
    Trader Joe's Chocolate Soy Mini Ice Cream Sandwich.
    <3

    I second these!

    I love their Almond Butter but they've been out the last few times I've been there (at 3 different stores) because I think they said they are having issues with their supplier.
    Organic Blueberry Preserves - Reduced Sugar - this is AMAZING! I have TJ's Almond butter and these blueberry preserves every morning.
    Pumpkin Butter (sometimes this is seasonal).
    Love the frozen green beans - either the slim Haricot Verts or the regular ones.
    Horseradish hummus.
    Refrigerated package of brussel sprouts (the steamable ones and the ones they have seasoned).
    The Orange Chicken is fantastic but definitely need to watch portions.
    The frozen brown rice is great too. They also have one in the rice aisle that is a microwaveable package that is great.
    Almond Milk (their brand) - on the shelves (not refrigerated).
    Popcorn with Olive Oil (no dairy so great for those who cannot have dairy) in the snack food area.
    The Kettle corn individual packs are fantastic too.
    Fresh Produce.
    I buy the big packs of various nuts and split them out in packages at home - almonds, cashews, pistachios, so many options (including trail mixes if you need to add some sweets to it).

    They have so many things that I love there. It's hard to go wrong.
  • lgreen37
    lgreen37 Posts: 196 Member
    The Kale Yogurt Dip - YUM
    Sweet Potato Bisque - YUM
    Sea Salt Pita Chips
    Flash Frozen Albacore Tuna - This taste great after baking slow :)
    Flash Frozen Socki Salmon
    Gulten Free Granola
    Produce - Red Onions(really inexpensive)
    Frozen Cubbed Garlic and also cubbed Basil (Don't remember the brand name)
    There Sweet Red Wine - I think that's the brand as well

    I love Trader Joe's - can't you tell?
  • hreedus
    hreedus Posts: 2
    I recently read an article about rBGH in cows, and Trader Joe's is one of the merchants that claim their dairy and beef are rBGH free. (that means the cows that TJ gets their products from are not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone. A big plus in my book, so add milk, cheese, yogurt, and beef - check labels and make sure they are labelled rBGH-free).
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    VEGETABLE MELANGE <-- crack-like addiction... true story
  • Fat_Bottomed_Girl
    Fat_Bottomed_Girl Posts: 355 Member
    Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup (in a box). I LOVE it with a bit of goat cheese and some bagel chips on top. :)

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