trader joe's fav!

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toffee322
toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
hi guys. i live in canada and there is no tj here! sucks i know. i drive an hour to the states about once a month just to go there! just want to see what are you fav purchase there. preferrably healthy-ish and non meat items! thanks!

here's some of my fav that i get every time i'm there!
peanut butter pretzels
kale and spinach dip
pita pockets
non fat yogurt
chocolate covered almond and coffee bean
tortilla chips ( i get different one every time. right now i have spicy flaxseed)
canned soup

i always end up getting different things to try.. it's so much fun shopping there. good price and everything seems healthier!!! thanks for sharing!
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Replies

  • marinamoreno
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    The main thing I LOVE is the Teriyaki BBQ Chicken. TJ's is 3 hours away so whenever we go we completely stock up on it...when we get the craving for chinese take out, this fixes it! Soooo dang good! I know you said non meat items, but it's just sooo good! LOL I also love their Fleur De Sel caramels. Perfect when I'm craving something sweet. I've heard really great things about their Complete Protein Bread but haven't gotten around to try it yet.
  • darl4339
    darl4339 Posts: 4 Member
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    I just made a stop there at lunch:) I am hooked on their 100 calorie 70% Cacoa Dark chocolate bars. I can be satisfied with one. I also love their chile lime chicken burgers, their women's protein powder (Aria), frozen fruit for smoothies, Diet Hansen's root bear soda, shrimp stir fry, sweet chici sauce, the list is endless. So many goodies!!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    Joe Joes. Oh, so much better than Oreos. Yeah, I said it.

    Their Balsamic vinegar is delicious and WAYYYYY cheaper from them than anyone else, by FAR, so I only buy it there. Ditto on the EVOO.

    Those little pre-fab pizzas with mushrooms and sliced garlic.....ahhhhhhh can you smell my breath? SO GOOD
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
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    Need to bump this thread for ideas:)
  • Kathymomof4
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    I can't wait to check it out. We will eventually have two stores in Dallas. :wink:
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
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    I love their microwaveable brown rice. I mix it with some of their pico de gallo and chunks of avocado and tear a slice of their low sodium turkey for a yummy lunch. The spicy hummus makes a great veggie dip or mayo substitute on sandwiches. Their oatmeal are great as well. The pre made salads also are awesome!
  • FettsLady
    FettsLady Posts: 82 Member
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    Joe Joes. Oh, so much better than Oreos. Yeah, I said it.

    Their Balsamic vinegar is delicious and WAYYYYY cheaper from them than anyone else, by FAR, so I only buy it there. Ditto on the EVOO.

    Those little pre-fab pizzas with mushrooms and sliced garlic.....ahhhhhhh can you smell my breath? SO GOOD

    Me too on the EVOO - cheaper than anywhere and it comes in glass bottles LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO ;)

    I haven't tried their Balsamic Vinegar yet - next thing to add to my list.

    Mint Dark Chocolate Expresso beans - TO DIE FOR. Too bad they only have them at Christmas.

    I love their Mediterranean Hummus - so tasty!
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
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    Their dark chocolate almond bark with crushed regular and salted almonds. (mini)

    And their dark chocolate and whole hazelnut bars.
  • bhannana
    bhannana Posts: 22 Member
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    Some of my favorite non-meat items:

    The Seaweed Snacks ($0.99 ea. and totally satisfies my crunchy-salt cravings in 60 calories. They have a wasabi one too if you like a bit of kick)
    Power Berries (I don't usually enjoy fruit and chocolate but these are addicting!)
    Their entire cheese department (the truffle cheese is amazing and melts really well)
    Coconut Oil (for oil pulling & body oil)
    The cartons of soup (Latin Style Black Bean add a bit of greek yogurt or the Tomato Roasted Red Bell Pepper add croutons are my favorite)
    Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
    Veggie Gazpacho (I eat it like a salsa with scoops tortilla chips)
    Chocolate Almond Milk
    Greek Style Feta Dressing (good on everything. Potatoes, Chicken, Salad, Rice...)

    Non vegetarian items (sorry OP):

    Penguin Gummies (they are great in the freezer! The gummy part gets harder and the filled tummies are gooey-er)
    Frozen Turkey Meatballs (precooked and only 100 calories in 2. Delicious but a bit high in sodium)
    Roasted Chicken Patties (in the refrigerator section. Precooked and juicy when reheated)
    Frozen White Fish Vera Cruz
    Smoked Turkey Kielbasa (So much flavor! Great in soups and not bad in the calorie department. I use a little bit in cabbage soup for a super low-cal lunch)

    Things I didn't really like:

    The Quinoa "Super Food" mix (Frozen - reheated the texture was really weird and mushy)
    Crispy Snap Peas (They were "puffed" like a cheeto which I wasn't expecting and seemed oily and bland)
    Canned Vegetarian Split Pea Soup (I'm just really picky about my pea soup)
    Frozen Garlic Fries (they were super garlic-y which was good, but the texture of the fries were a bit weird. May have been user fail though and not the fries)
    "Microwave Ready" Brown Rice in the dry goods section in a clear plastic pouch (really off plastic taste and a little too hard even when recooked with extra water. The plastic taste was the worst part though)
    Salt & Pepper Dark Chocolate (I like spiced dark chocolate, but there was ALOT of salt and the pepper tasted exactly like the pepper out of a generic pepper shaker)
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Currently eating a 56% cacao dark chocolate bar from there (ok....1 square. But it's all I need!)

    Not the healthiest, but their orange chicken (frozen) is TDF. Also VERY bad for you but their cream yogurts (6 pack, fruit flavors) are divine.

    Today for the first time I picked up thai lime chile cashews and chive and cilantro yogurt dip. Yum yum yum!

    Plantain chips are also a good bet. And their frozen fruits and veggies are great.

    I actually just found cheap olive oil at Whole Foods, surprisingly, I'll have to check TJs next time!

    And their balsamic...is it thin or thick? I get this 25 year aged stuff that I use as salad dressing and it's about as thick as maple syrup, and I can't eat the thin stuff anymore. But I'd love to find it for cheaper than about $1.50 an ounce.
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    The main thing I LOVE is the Teriyaki BBQ Chicken. TJ's is 3 hours away so whenever we go we completely stock up on it...when we get the craving for chinese take out, this fixes it! Soooo dang good! I know you said non meat items, but it's just sooo good! LOL I also love their Fleur De Sel caramels. Perfect when I'm craving something sweet. I've heard really great things about their Complete Protein Bread but haven't gotten around to try it yet.

    i heard so many good things about Fleur De Sel caramels! must be addictive! :P
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    Currently eating a 56% cacao dark chocolate bar from there (ok....1 square. But it's all I need!)

    Not the healthiest, but their orange chicken (frozen) is TDF. Also VERY bad for you but their cream yogurts (6 pack, fruit flavors) are divine.

    Today for the first time I picked up thai lime chile cashews and chive and cilantro yogurt dip. Yum yum yum!

    Plantain chips are also a good bet. And their frozen fruits and veggies are great.

    I actually just found cheap olive oil at Whole Foods, surprisingly, I'll have to check TJs next time!

    And their balsamic...is it thin or thick? I get this 25 year aged stuff that I use as salad dressing and it's about as thick as maple syrup, and I can't eat the thin stuff anymore. But I'd love to find it for cheaper than about $1.50 an ounce.

    i also got their lime chile cashews!!! but i haven't opened it yet. i'm scared that i can't stop eating it once it's open lol!
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    Some of my favorite non-meat items:

    The Seaweed Snacks ($0.99 ea. and totally satisfies my crunchy-salt cravings in 60 calories. They have a wasabi one too if you like a bit of kick)
    Power Berries (I don't usually enjoy fruit and chocolate but these are addicting!)
    Their entire cheese department (the truffle cheese is amazing and melts really well)
    Coconut Oil (for oil pulling & body oil)
    The cartons of soup (Latin Style Black Bean add a bit of greek yogurt or the Tomato Roasted Red Bell Pepper add croutons are my favorite)
    Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
    Veggie Gazpacho (I eat it like a salsa with scoops tortilla chips)
    Chocolate Almond Milk
    Greek Style Feta Dressing (good on everything. Potatoes, Chicken, Salad, Rice...)

    Non vegetarian items (sorry OP):

    Penguin Gummies (they are great in the freezer! The gummy part gets harder and the filled tummies are gooey-er)
    Frozen Turkey Meatballs (precooked and only 100 calories in 2. Delicious but a bit high in sodium)
    Roasted Chicken Patties (in the refrigerator section. Precooked and juicy when reheated)
    Frozen White Fish Vera Cruz
    Smoked Turkey Kielbasa (So much flavor! Great in soups and not bad in the calorie department. I use a little bit in cabbage soup for a super low-cal lunch)

    Things I didn't really like:

    The Quinoa "Super Food" mix (Frozen - reheated the texture was really weird and mushy)
    Crispy Snap Peas (They were "puffed" like a cheeto which I wasn't expecting and seemed oily and bland)
    Canned Vegetarian Split Pea Soup (I'm just really picky about my pea soup)
    Frozen Garlic Fries (they were super garlic-y which was good, but the texture of the fries were a bit weird. May have been user fail though and not the fries)
    "Microwave Ready" Brown Rice in the dry goods section in a clear plastic pouch (really off plastic taste and a little too hard even when recooked with extra water. The plastic taste was the worst part though)
    Salt & Pepper Dark Chocolate (I like spiced dark chocolate, but there was ALOT of salt and the pepper tasted exactly like the pepper out of a generic pepper shaker)

    Power Berries! yes i got that too, it's so good! can't stop eating it.
    thanks for the list! :)
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    I can't wait to check it out. We will eventually have two stores in Dallas. :wink:

    won't disappoint for sure!
  • 80sFanatic88
    80sFanatic88 Posts: 70 Member
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    I love Trader Joe's! I always get their mac and cheese frozen dinner, it's the best. Also Spanakopita or spinach pies, because I love my spinach. :tongue: And when they have them, I get the vegetable samosa's, they have good veggies, and a little spicy flavor. If you like pasta, check out their ravioli, I love the mushroom ones. Lastly, for deserts, I love their chocolate chunk cookies, ice cream mochi (best flavor is green tea, seriously), and around October they have pumpkin ice cream that is to die for! :happy:
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
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    Roasted coconut chips! Holy crap, they are SO amazing.
    100 calorie dark chocolate bars
    Balsamic vinegar
    Coconut oil
    Kefir for smoothies
    All of their produce! Especially those hard to cut fruits that come precut? Like their fresh mango
    Brie bites
    Creamed honey
    Chia
    Flax seed
    Frozen chocolate covered banana bites
    Water bottles! SOOO cheap!
  • MrsB123111
    MrsB123111 Posts: 535 Member
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    They have the best hummus ever! I just get the classic flavor bc I'm lame like that.

    I also love:
    the vanilla bean Greek yogurt
    unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    the WINE... OMG, the wine
    Madarin orange chicken
    Thai jasmine rice
    stir fry veggies
    organic mini cheese and crackers
    potstickers

    I seriously could name off the whole store! I have a TJ's literally at the end of my street (I walk when it's nice out), so I am an avid shopper!
  • simplyeater
    simplyeater Posts: 270 Member
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    Love to buy my nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and rices there. Other than that:

    Edamame Savory Cracker Thins
    Masala Dosas ( freezer)
    Veg Panang Curry
    Soy Cherry Choc Chip ice cream
    Japanese Vegetable Fried Rice
    Minestrone Soup
    Hummus Guacamole
    Cilantro Hummus
    Soy Chorizo
    Pasta sauces
    Olive oil
    And their Peppermint Lip Balm!
  • psych0kitty
    psych0kitty Posts: 313
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    I do 90% of my shopping at TJs. Some faves:

    vegetable samosas
    cilantro-jalapeno hummus
    cheese & green chili tamales
    3-cheese pizza (not 4-cheese, believe me)
    pizza dough in a bag!
    traditional latkes
    fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
    organic whole milk
    organic sour cream (SO GOOD)
    dark chocolate caramel black sea salt bar (drooling thinking about it)
    svelte ice cream sammiches
    frozen chocolate croissants and almond croissants (for treats)
    shaved brussels sprouts
    cubed butternut squash
    organic pea shoots
    light cheeses, like cheddar and feta
    Fruity O's
    buttermilk pancake mix (makes excellent waffles)

    I'm sad they no longer carry the Thai carrots. Those were so good. They have so many other good things. Mmm now I'm hungry.
  • bhannana
    bhannana Posts: 22 Member
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    I love Trader Joe's! I always get their mac and cheese frozen dinner, it's the best. Also Spanakopita or spinach pies, because I love my spinach. :tongue: And when they have them, I get the vegetable samosa's, they have good veggies, and a little spicy flavor. If you like pasta, check out their ravioli, I love the mushroom ones. Lastly, for deserts, I love their chocolate chunk cookies, ice cream mochi (best flavor is green tea, seriously), and around October they have pumpkin ice cream that is to die for! :happy:

    Good call, I'd forgotten about the mushroom ravioli. I like the chunky portabello mushroom ravioli in the refrigerator section.
    I like the mango mochi :)

    Also, someone mentioned the potstickers which I also love! The chicken or the veggie ones are great.
    My boyfriend also loves the little mini tacos in the freezer "appetizer" section.