Trader Joe’s

What are some of your must haves from Trader Joe’s?
«1

Replies

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    edited September 2022
    There's a Trader Joe's 5 minutes from my house, so I do a lot of my regular grocery shopping there. I won't bore you with the mundane items that are always on my list....produce, milk, yogurt, eggs, etc.

    Here's some of the specialty items that I get occasionally

    Fancy cheeses: By far, the best price around on interesting imported cheeses.
    Marinated fresh meats: If you eat meat, I recommend the Balsamic Rosemary Beef Tips, the Shawarma Chicken, and the Carne Asada. All are good on the grill.
    Simmer/Stir-fry Sauces: For a quick, easy meal, I like the General Tao's Stir Fry Sauce, Green Curry Simmer Sauce, and Red Curry Simmer Sauce.
    Gluten Free Sandwich Bread: My husband need gluten-free bread...none of it is GOOD, but this brand is less bad than others.
    Organic Corn Chip Dippers: Like big Fritos...they are a tasty snack.
    Frozen Asparagus Risotto: Another quick and easy meal...I throw some chicken in and make it a main course.

    That's all I can think of right now.

    EDIT: OH. WAIT. Wine. Chianti Classico Riserva and Primitivo Epicuro are my favorite red wines. Like $7-8 a bottle and better than a lot of more expensive wines that I have had.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 277 Member
    Private selection reserve extra virgin olive oil, Irish breakfast tea, roasted salted cashews, spices and sauces.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    Pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin oatmeal, Joe’s pumpkin cheerios(forgot the name). Are you sensing the theme? Once a year, and I’m so excited. It’s almost time!
  • Mise_enPlace
    Mise_enPlace Posts: 61 Member
    Their soup dumpling are delicious and only 250 calories. Also love their argentinian red shrimp and their scallion pancakes are 160 calories for a little disk of deep fried goodness.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    Pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin oatmeal, Joe’s pumpkin cheerios(forgot the name). Are you sensing the theme? Once a year, and I’m so excited. It’s almost time!

    So....you do or do not like pumpkin??? :smiley:
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I just go there for fruit and veggies. Their prices seem better than most for fresh produce.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    Pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin oatmeal, Joe’s pumpkin cheerios(forgot the name). Are you sensing the theme? Once a year, and I’m so excited. It’s almost time!

    I do give Trader Joe's some credit here...most (not all) of their pumpkin products actually do contain pumpkin. Not just the "pumpkin spice" flavor that dominates the fall season.
  • skelterhelter
    skelterhelter Posts: 803 Member
    Their organic ketchup and spices are repeated purchases. I also love their grilled rosemary and balsamic chicken, Mediterranean salad kit, Patio potato chips (something I can’t buy often or I’ll go off the rails), and their coffee creamers.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,572 Member
    *cracks knuckles*

    This is not going to be the "healthiest" of lists :)

    Always Have on Hand:

    Mini chocolate chip cookies
    Schoolhouse cookies
    Mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups
    Bamba puffed peanut and corn snacks dipped in dark chocolate
    Low Sodium turkey slices

    When I Buy Bananas and Feel Like I Should Buy More Items:

    White cheddar puffed corn
    Everything But The Bagel crackers
    Fruit Jellies
    Chocolate covered espresso beans (I don't like the beans part...I just like the portion controlled chocolate)




  • nspitaleri89
    nspitaleri89 Posts: 3 Member
    The wine selection is amazing (fave white is Honeymoon Voigner and fav red is the Barrel Heist Cabernet)
    Lots of interesting cheese
    Marinated tri tip
    Croissant croutons
    White cheddar corn puffs
    Frozen Seafood blend (shrimp/calamari/scallops, perfect for stir fry or pasta)
    Sesame Teriyaki sauce
    Pepita salsa
    Maple sandwich cookies
  • ldaltonbishop
    ldaltonbishop Posts: 95 Member
    Trader Joe's has sugar-free, salt-free, just peanuts peanut butter that is about half the price of most stores. They have both creamy and crunchy. Sure, you have to stir it but it's quite good. (Don't ask me about the time I used an electric mixer with one skinny dough hook directly in the jar and forgot to hold the jar tightly). It really does work if you hold tight, though.)

    Hatch green salsa chili is tasty, affordable, and low sodium. There is also a no-salt-added store brand red salsa but I don't care for it much. It's quite mild and a little too sweet for me.

    Their corn and black bean salsa is very good.

    If we weren't watching our calories we would be buying the chocolate covered cherries or blueberries and other treats that live above the low freezer section. They are as good as Harry and David's, and cheaper. Not cheap, but cheaper.

    Oh, yes, the 21-Seasoning-Salute in the spice aisle. Get that. Get lots of that. (No salt added.) Also the Hatch Chili spice jar. It isn't hot, and it's hard to say why, but anything I put it on is a little enhanced.

    I've enjoyed their soups in the aseptic packaging, especially the red pepper soup. That was before I was sodium-conscious, though. And I know I sound obsessive about it, but really I'm improving. Trust me.

    I found a store brand high-fiber cereal the last time I was at TJ's that I like okay. It's reasonable carbs, only mildly sweet, and (duh) high fiber. It's not a flavor explosion or anything, but I like it pretty well, and it's a change from generic O's. I think it's just called High Fiber Cereal.

    The nutritional yeast is a good value.

    Sometimes they have tea blends. Winter Wake Up Tea, and such. Seasonally.

    I'll try anything weird that fits my nutritional needs and isn't too expensive, and they just have lots and lots of unusual stuff. There isn't one close to me, so it's a real treat for me to go.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    Well, you got me. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went yesterday. Too soon for pumpkin biscotti, but I got 3 boxes of pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cookies. They were out of This Pumpkin Walks Into a Bar, but I got pumpkin yogurt and pumpkin spice yogurt. I’ll have to go back in a few weeks for more.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,572 Member
    Hah! I walked in the other day to see what was new and groaned when I saw all the pumpkin stuff.
    Me no likey.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    Hah! I walked in the other day to see what was new and groaned when I saw all the pumpkin stuff.
    Me no likey.

    Why do you hate America?

    I'm indifferent on pumpkin stuff, but I look forward to the Christmas/winter stuff...peppermint bark, those European biscuits, and the vanilla/cinnamon tea that they only have in winter.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    Their "Pound Plus" dark Belgian chocolate bar. I break it up and put it in a container. One square per day keeps depression away!
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,572 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    Hah! I walked in the other day to see what was new and groaned when I saw all the pumpkin stuff.
    Me no likey.

    Why do you hate America?

    I'm indifferent on pumpkin stuff, but I look forward to the Christmas/winter stuff...peppermint bark, those European biscuits, and the vanilla/cinnamon tea that they only have in winter.

    Ok, the crust from a pumpkin pie when you scrape off the pumpkin but can't get it all...I'll eat that :)

    I'm not a mint person AT ALL either but damned if I don't get two tins a year of those European Biscuits (the belgian cookies, right?).

    That tea sounds really good! I'll have to look for it now.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    Hah! I walked in the other day to see what was new and groaned when I saw all the pumpkin stuff.
    Me no likey.

    Why do you hate America?

    I'm indifferent on pumpkin stuff, but I look forward to the Christmas/winter stuff...peppermint bark, those European biscuits, and the vanilla/cinnamon tea that they only have in winter.

    Ok, the crust from a pumpkin pie when you scrape off the pumpkin but can't get it all...I'll eat that :)

    I'm not a mint person AT ALL either but damned if I don't get two tins a year of those European Biscuits (the belgian cookies, right?).

    That tea sounds really good! I'll have to look for it now.

    Yeah, the Belgian cookies...I think it's at Costco where they call them European biscuits. So good.

    I just looked up the tea to give you the formal name, and they may have discontinued it?!?! It's called Vanilla and Cinnamon Black Tea and has a picture of a lemur on the box. I'll be mad if I can't get it, but that is the thing with Trader Joe's...they have so many different suppliers that products come and go on a regular basis. I try not to get too attached to anything there.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    Pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin oatmeal, Joe’s pumpkin cheerios(forgot the name). Are you sensing the theme? Once a year, and I’m so excited. It’s almost time!

    I do give Trader Joe's some credit here...most (not all) of their pumpkin products actually do contain pump
    kin. Not just the "pumpkin spice" flavor that dominates the fall season.

    You might appreciate this video...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdubcugVrZY
  • SailorDoom88
    SailorDoom88 Posts: 14 Member
    I live 3 blocks away from Trader Joe's, so I also go there for >50% of my groceries. I used to hate the idea of lots of pre-made/processed stuff (to be fair, I love cooking from scratch), but now I realize how snobby that was and appreciate all of the opportunities TJ's provides for creativity! Plus my job has become more demanding over the past few years, making long, drawn-out meal preps less feasible. For me, I have found I absolutely cannot take any of the snack foods (I'm talking dark PB cups, pink and white cookies, chocolate-covered-fill-in-the-blanks, etc.) from TJs home during a normal grocery run -- I will grab them to bring to parties or if I am having company over, but they are just too tempting and delicious and I feel like I need to white-knuckle if I keep that stuff in the house. That being said, I LOVE having stuff from there in my freezer and ready to go, with a lot of combinations at my fingertips!

    Some of my go-to's are:

    Chimichurri rice with sliced chicken sausage, add frozen petite peas, add a dash of roasted red pepper soup (from the rectangular boxes), and a dash of half and half. I like to freeze individual portions of the soups, since I don't usually eat it fast enough.

    Mushroom or asparagus risotto with any protein added (love shrimp, meatballs, sausages, or chicken tenderloins here), plus some greens on the side (I love the broccolini for flavor and price!)

    Frozen teriyaki chicken, add broccoli, carrots, or the fresh stir fry mixes (I haven't loved the frozen ones) and some of the frozen jasmine rice on the side. The rice isn't super cost-effective, but it's a game changer with this meal and others for avoiding takeout. I also love the orange chicken (who doesn't?!), but I haven't found it very helpful to my calorie goals, especially since it is so dang tasty and it's hard to limit myself to one portion.

    Frozen potstickers (any kind, cook them in a pan or steam), fresh green onions, bok choy, and miso broth (in the rectangular carton).

    Ancient grains oatmeal with any fruit (frozen or fresh, I prefer blueberries), then add a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of maple butter.

    I love the kalamata artisan bread (toasted! buttered!) as a side for basically anything, but I have a hard time limiting myself to a single serving. Same with the crumpets...so good!

    Frozen turkey meatballs added to basically any starch/veg combination -- not the absolute healthiest, but great for a fast meal that hits the macros.

    Three words: Gum Drop Grapes. These are going out of season, but try them while you can!

    I am seconding (third-ing??) the other recommendations of the marinated meats. I love the rosemary steak tips on a salad with pears, red onion, feta, and some balsamic dressing, or the shawarma chicken with veggie kebabs and tzatziki, plus the garlic naan from the freezer section....yum!!!

    Brushetta topping (in the refrigerated section next to the hummus) on pasta with some grilled chicken and the shredded Parmesan. This cheese has great flavor and good bang for your buck, but I have found it goes bad pretty fast, so I freeze it in smaller portions.

    Right now, I am also obsessed with the following breakfast when I am planning a bigger workout or a day of yard work: 30g each of pumpkin and protein pancake mix, about 70g of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), add water to these ingredients and...make pancakes, then top with thawed wild blueberries from the freezer section, 30g pumpkin butter, 70g of coconut Greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of dried coconut. I usually have this with two maple chicken breakfast sausages on the side. This is a super decadent weekend breakfast with a decent amount of protein (which I sometimes struggle with) for ~575 calories and about 27 g protein.

    I also do a lot of traveling for work, so some of the pre-prepped salads have been key for me to stay on track and not spending money at restaurants. I really like the legume and spinach salad, and I often add chicken to it to make it for two meals. Also for salads, whether I am on the road or at home, I really like adding about 70g of the frozen quinoa/rice mix (3 pack in a purple box) to any salad to give it a little more staying power. I also like grabbing a bottle of the cold brew concentrate (I prefer the French roast for $1 more) to keep me from buying coffee from Starbucks or whatever while I'm on the road.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    @SailorDoom88 I totally agree that there is a middle ground between eating highly processed premade foods and cooking everything from scratch.

    You have some great ideas for using some of the "shortcut" premade items and then adding fresh elements to make a meal.

    When I get home from work, I don't have hours and hours to cook dinner, so if a frozen risotto does the job, I'm going to use that as a base instead of making it myself. Days that I am off of work and have more time, I'm more likely to cook a more complicated meal from scratch.