Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    Trader Joe's products that you DON'T like?

    Posts: 26,368 Member
    edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
    I bought their brand of plain nonfat Greek yogurt a few days ago. BLEH.

    Is there anything else I should stay clear of? I tried their cottage cheese (4%) and it's pretty good though (although still not as good as Friendship).

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register
    «1

    Replies

    • Posts: 652 Member
      The apple cranberry bran muffins were disgusting and molded very quickly.

      I did not care for the spinach yogurt dip. It had a very strange taste.

      Their high fiber cereal tastes good but has half the fiber of the original Fiber One. I'll stick with Fiber One and pay a little more.

    • Posts: 4,374 Member
      Nobody in my family liked the chocolate pecan pie. It was too sweet for em.
    • Posts: 160 Member
      The Chocolate Lovers dark chocolate bar (85% cacao, think that's what it was called) wasn't very good. And the "two buck chuck" is not worth the wine.
    • Posts: 1,886 Member
      Maybe because ive been a whole foods shopper for almsot 10 years now... but trader joes confuses me its so small and i can never find anything. Im gonna go today to see if maybe it was just a few weird times.
    • Posts: 652 Member
      fishshark wrote: »
      Maybe because ive been a whole foods shopper for almsot 10 years now... but trader joes confuses me its so small and i can never find anything. Im gonna go today to see if maybe it was just a few weird times.

      It is very small. I only buy specific things from there; there's no way I could do all my grocery shopping exclusively at Trader Joe's. But they do have some great products and really amazing prices. Their black bean pasta is $2.99 - the black bean pasta at Whole Foods and Kroger is $8.

      It's close to work and home now. When it wasn't I didn't go out of my way to shop there. I know that's blasphemous to the hardcore Trader Joe's fans.
    • Posts: 812 Member
      Fresh produce
    • Posts: 786 Member
      I'm not a fan of their tomato basil hummus. It's just not right as a hummus for me. Maybe as a creamy pizza sauce or something. Others rave about it, so maybe it's just me. I usually buy their 2% and whole milk greek yogurts and mix them. I like Chobani full fat more, but no stores nearby carry it.

      I can't think of anything that I bought and didn't finish (and they have a generous return policy if you don't like something, by the way), but there are several that I just wouldn't buy again (either not great, or just not great enough to justify the calories) such as: speculoos cheesecake bites, dark chocolate almonds, roasted garlic tomato pasta sauce, banana nut cereal, ketchup, sourdough cheese stick cracker things (forgot the name) and any of their flavoured greek yogurts.

      I mostly shop at TJ for "ingredients" (rather than premade foods), actually. It's just way cheaper for some items. I finish my shopping by going to the Kroger right next to it.
    • Posts: 59 Member
      Don't like any of their products
    • Posts: 1,706 Member
      I tried a salsa that tasted just like dirt - it was awful. I figured I must have gotten a bad batch, but I was too scared to try it again.

      The mini chocolate chip cookies that come in a clear tub taste really dry to me.

    • Posts: 1 Member
      Try the Trader Joe's version of the Kind Bar... Taste great and price is lower too. The produce is fab and the riced cauliflower is amazing!!
    • Posts: 26,368 Member
      zdyb23456 wrote: »
      I tried a salsa that tasted just like dirt - it was awful. I figured I must have gotten a bad batch, but I was too scared to try it again.

      The mini chocolate chip cookies that come in a clear tub taste really dry to me.

      Seconded. I liked the dunkers though.
    • Posts: 3,177 Member
      Riced cauliflower is awesome! Great prices on most frozen veggies. Unsweetened soy milk is a fav--I use it in my protein shakes. Love th breaded chicken tenders. I do about half my shopping there.
    • Posts: 1,886 Member
      alyssawentland wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      It is very small. I only buy specific things from there; there's no way I could do all my grocery shopping exclusively at Trader Joe's. But they do have some great products and really amazing prices. Their black bean pasta is $2.99 - the black bean pasta at Whole Foods and Kroger is $8.

      It's close to work and home now. When it wasn't I didn't go out of my way to shop there. I know that's blasphemous to the hardcore Trader Joe's fans.

      im glad its not just me then!
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      Yeah their yogurt is like...ok. I'll eat it once in awhile because the price is good but I just miss my Fage when I taste it.

      I just tried their chipotle salsa this week and it's really weird. It taste like soup and I don't really love it. I also got some pickled vegetables that taste unlike any other pickled veg I've ever tasted. Not in a good way.

      Nothing exciting this trip. Deficit is strong.
    • Posts: 1,168 Member
      They have a couple different eggplant dips in cans or jars - the one I got was disgusting.

      I mostly stick to single ingredient items so I love shopping there. I get a few things like low carb (and low calorie) tortillas which are awesome and sweet chili sauce and soy chorizo, a few other things ....mostly whole food items though.

      I used to love their ready made ready to eat now meal of spicy thai style chicken pasta - they recently changed it - not a good change :'(
    • Posts: 181 Member
      ASH_DVM wrote: »
      The Chocolate Lovers dark chocolate bar (85% cacao, think that's what it was called) wasn't very good.

      What?? This stuff is like crack for me :)
      I dislike pretty much all of their convenience foods of which they have many, many, many.

    • Posts: 26,368 Member
      kirstenb13 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      What?? This stuff is like crack for me :)
      I dislike pretty much all of their convenience foods of which they have many, many, many.

      Yeah their sushi and spring rolls are a huge let down.
    • Posts: 160 Member
      kirstenb13 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      What?? This stuff is like crack for me :)
      I dislike pretty much all of their convenience foods of which they have many, many, many.

      I'm too content with my Green and Black's 85% and nothing else (yet) comes close
    • Posts: 105 Member
      I LOVE Trader Joe's, and this would be a much longer post if it were to include the things I buy weekly, haha...but there have definitely been some 'misses' over the years. The reduced guilt chicken salad - awful. Also the egg-white only, reduced guilt egg salad was really bad. I agree, their sushi is not good. I am with you on the yogurt, not a fan. Their fresh/refrigerated pizza sauce is good, but the jarred stuff is rubbish. I know lots of people liked the dried broccoli, but I thought it was terrible. Only once I bought a small chocolate ganache cake there, to bring to a party, and it looked awesome but was soggy and bland.
    • Posts: 105 Member
      Thought of another one - their light sour cream is TERRIBLE, it's SO watery.
    • Posts: 43 Member
      I've recently discovered their salads and LOVE them! Many are in the 300 calorie range which is perfect for lunch. The only thing I don't like is that they run out of them too early in the day. This is a weird, negative thread, IMO - I'd rather have a pro/con discussion instead of a "I hate xxx" discussion, but that's just me. Count me as a TJ's fan... :)
    • Posts: 786 Member
      hikernut53 wrote: »
      I've recently discovered their salads and LOVE them! Many are in the 300 calorie range which is perfect for lunch. The only thing I don't like is that they run out of them too early in the day. This is a weird, negative thread, IMO - I'd rather have a pro/con discussion instead of a "I hate xxx" discussion, but that's just me. Count me as a TJ's fan... :)

      Well, there's already a TJ's love thread going on these forums.
      spat095 wrote: »
      I know lots of people liked the dried broccoli, but I thought it was terrible.

      Oh, I forgot about this one! I should have returned it, but that went into the garbage. Bleck.
    • Posts: 12,964 Member
      Does this thread mean I should avoid Trader Joe's? Lol
    • Posts: 26,368 Member
      hikernut53 wrote: »
      I've recently discovered their salads and LOVE them! Many are in the 300 calorie range which is perfect for lunch. The only thing I don't like is that they run out of them too early in the day. This is a weird, negative thread, IMO - I'd rather have a pro/con discussion instead of a "I hate xxx" discussion, but that's just me. Count me as a TJ's fan... :)

      Yeah there's a ton of 'I love TJ' threads out there. And I do like TJ. Well, except when they release something new (post it on their website and all) but you go to the store and they just don't have it for months. Or they run out of pumpkin flavored stuff by the end of September and don't restock. But otherwise, yeah, I typically like TJ, lol.
    • Posts: 786 Member
      @Francl27 You might be interested in the blog "What's Good at Trader Joe's?" if you've never heard of it.
    • Posts: 4,374 Member
      pie_eyes wrote: »
      Does this thread mean I should avoid Trader Joe's? Lol
      Nah. I like a lot there, but like everything, not every product can be good.

    • Posts: 652 Member
      hikernut53 wrote: »
      I've recently discovered their salads and LOVE them! Many are in the 300 calorie range which is perfect for lunch. The only thing I don't like is that they run out of them too early in the day. This is a weird, negative thread, IMO - I'd rather have a pro/con discussion instead of a "I hate xxx" discussion, but that's just me. Count me as a TJ's fan... :)

      I don't think it's negative at all. There are more than enough threads about what there is to love at Trader Joe's (there's a lot to love!). I enjoy this thread. I like seeing the opposite side of it. And if my comment can save one person from buying those disgusting apple cranberry bran muffins then I'm happy.
    • Posts: 160 Member
      Same with me. I love visiting TJ's about once a month, picking up things I know I only get there. But it's good to know about these items that are not recommended.
    • Posts: 26,368 Member
      mathandcats wrote: »
      @Francl27 You might be interested in the blog "What's Good at Trader Joe's?" if you've never heard of it.

      I follow it, lol.
    • Posts: 1,886 Member
      hikernut53 wrote: »
      I've recently discovered their salads and LOVE them! Many are in the 300 calorie range which is perfect for lunch. The only thing I don't like is that they run out of them too early in the day. This is a weird, negative thread, IMO - I'd rather have a pro/con discussion instead of a "I hate xxx" discussion, but that's just me. Count me as a TJ's fan... :)

      not everything is rainbows and puppies.. i think having a thread of what to avoid is super useful. Nothing worse then getting excited for something new, spending money on it, and then it sucking.
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories