Trader Joe’s is everyone’s favorite grocery store. And for good reason – it’s incredibly affordable, excellent quality (for most things), and for the adventurous eater, there is always something new to try. Here is what I love to get there regularly:
The nearest Trader Joe’s is about 45 minutes away, so we go once every month or two and go crazy (and make a trip out of to the east side of Cleveland).
Here is what I love to buy at Trader Joe’s:
Coconut oil – In baking, in cooking, when shaving, etc etc. This stuff actually tastes like coconut, which I really like.
Balsamic vinegar – Great for roasting veggies. I love this bottle, which is 75% why I buy it.
Candy Cane Joe Joes – My obsession with these are well documented, so I won’t elaborate. Just know that my stash last year lasted until this spring.
Preserves – The cheapest I’ve found without HFCS. And Mike loves his PB&Js.
Fig butter – To be consumed on grilled cheese or with baked brie. SO GOOD.
Almond and chocolate croissants – Put these out the night before on a cookie sheet, let proof overnight, then bake in the morning. BAM. Just as good as the bakery. I am full on obsessed with these. And so is Gabe.
Alcohol-free vanilla – My favorite vanilla.
Frozen pie crusts – The only pie crusts I’ve found that have real butter and no weird chemicals in them. Flaky and delicious and perfect for quiches or veggie pot pies.
Rice milk – The cheapest, tastiest non-dairy milk I’ve found. We use it on cereal. And sometimes in baking.
Masala dosa – Tasty frozen Indian food is a theme.
Naan – Mike eats these all the time. I eat them with palak paneer. A little butter right out of the oven and YUM.
Paratha -Indian bread that is flaky and crispy and SO GOOD. I like them better than naan.
Palak paneer – You can’t go wrong with cheese and spinach.
Pumpkin pie spice – It’s cheap and I love using pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon.
Tempeh – The cheapest I’ve found, and it’s even organic. (Cheap is a theme here.)
Frozen veggies – Already cut, which makes cooking healthy much easier. Less prep and still tasty in the winter.
Non food stuffs:
Tea tree oil – I use it on cold sores, on my scalp, and blemishes.
Toothpaste – The cheapest natural (aka: sodium lauryl sulfate, which causes canker sores) toothpaste.
Cellulose sponges – Compact, cheap, and work well. Also, biodegradable.
Not pictured: tofu (SO CHEAP!), salsas, laundry detergent, lavender dryer bags, Preserve toothbrushes, various cheeses, chewable vitamins, and wines.
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Okay, who wants to make a Trader Joe’s run with me? And more importantly, is there anything I should be getting regularly at Trader Joe’s that I’m not?
I love trader joe’s too! Did you know they also have a location on the west side of Cleveland in Crocker Park?
Everyone went crazy @ our house for the Speculoos Cookie Butter… Its sweey, but cinnamon flavored. My friend stole the jar I had when we went to TJ’s & it was out of stock.
Also, the frozen Potato Pancakes with a jar of unsweetened applesauce. I also buy nuts, dried fruits, potato chips (salt & vinegar are my husbands faves), bread, & beer. Oh, can’t forget the cookies and my ‘crack’ Pita Bites Crackers.
No wine though, because Tennessee doesn’t sell wine in grocery stores! :(
Tomato paste in a tube!
Falafel chips – not particularly cheap nor, I suspect, a health food, but so delicious. They are good for dipping in hummus and with apple slices.
Honestly? http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com is a regular read for me. I always take a peek at the little section with new arrivals. Because everything is usually so inexpensive, it’s fun to try new things there! So, yeah, in case you missed the subtext: I also love trader Joe’s.
Well. Now I want to go to Trader Joe’s RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Oh man. That is a great blog!
Mmmm!! Also, thanks for the tip because I need to get some coconut oil – there’s a trader joe’s about 20 minutes from me so I am going this weekend! (Especially because I’ve never tried Candy Cane Joe Joe’s and I hope they still have some because they sound delightful!)
I love their cheeses, but the mozzarella especially is great for homemade pizza, caprese sandwiches, etc. I also really like their nuts, and the mesquite smoked almonds they have at the moment are amazing. They have a great tea selection and the cinnamon spice one is my favorite. It’s so flavorful that I never have to add sugar or anything and it still tastes like a treat.
My entire family is obsessed with the herb & spice popcorn in the green bag- so, so delicious. TJ’s are just opening in our city and there is one 15 minutes from our house- so fantastic!!
Black bean taquitos! + Chicken-Less Mandarin Orange Morsels + soyrizo + Trader Joe’s salads (I have the southwestern salad at least once a week) + channa masala. Yum yum!
Oh, and the frozen Apple Blossoms!
One of my favorite TJ’s items is the sun-dried tomatoes in a jar, with olive oil (not the dry ones in the package). They’re not organic, unfortunately, but they are soooooo good.
Also love their huge bags of ruffle potato chips– very short ingredient list; unfortunately not organic either.
Love their organic kale bags and this new one they have with all sorts of organic greens inside, can’t remember the name. I also like their organic frozen spinach which is so easy to toss into a stir-fry, rice or whatnot.
And the coconut milk cans, I always get a ton of those, they’re cheaper than anywhere else. I make soups and sauces with coconut milk.
Finally, the brown rice pasta (since I don’t eat gluten)– organic and the best I’ve found (as long as you don’t overcook it).
Their Indian food is SO GOOD. I always have some on hand for nights when I want to cook something quickly.
One of my favorite things is their chicken chili verde burritos. But since you’re a vegetarian, you can buy the chili verde sauce in a jar and make your own! It is SO YUMMY.
The frozen mac & cheese is to die for, but it’s also basically a heart attack in a box. But OMG TO DIE FOR.
The organic ginger snap cookies in the plastic tub are the most addicting things on the planet.
Ah, this is such a good post! I have a quick drive (or I could walk if I wasn’t buying so much stuff) to my nearest Trader Joes, but I don’t think I realized they sell laundry detergent and stuff like that! I need to look at this! If it’s cheap I’m on board, I hate spending a lot of money on that stuff! I really need to make better use of Trader Joes- thanks for the motivation!
We rejoiced when the in-the-works-for-more-than-five-years store opened up in Charlottesville, which is less than an hour away! My coworkers and I go as a group, shifting the driving duties each month, to save on gas. I did not fully appreciate my luck when I lived within a half hour of five stores and close (as in, part of a regular shopping trip) to three. THREE. When I moved here, the closest store was almost three hours away.
Did you know that SLS also causes tiny blisters for those of us with a particular kind of eczema? I had no idea it was in almost every kind of cleaning product, personal and household.
I love the frozen mac & cheese, it’s the only kind of frozen pasta I like. And all the specialty seasonal dessert items, most of all the dark chocolate covered peppermint/Candy Cane Joe-Joes (similar those ones but covered in chocolate! so good!) which were sadly out of stock on the last trip.
Love this post and love Trader Joe’s! You’ve inspired me to pick up a few new things during my next visit. Can’t wait to try their Indian food!
Basically one of each TJs pre-made Indian meals. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
There’s a Trader Joe’s a few blocks from my office but I almost never go (sorry!). I think Trader Joe’s has some interesting frozen meals and such, and I get why people like it, but for regular old groceries the supermarket seems to have better prices and selection (especially on produce). A few years ago my roommate pointed out to me that Trader Joe’s brand canned, boxed and frozen goods are made by the same manufacturer as Amy’s Organic brand and the products are actually identical in many cases (example: he had a can of TJ’s vegetable chili, I had a can of Amy’s vegetable chili – exact same stuff). When Amy’s brand is on sale it can be less expensive to buy, when it’s not on sale, Trader Joe’s is less expensive. I don’t know if this is still the case but it might be worth investigating if you can buy Amy’s brand in a store closer to you.
Someone did recently tell me about a vegan chorizo product that Trader Joe’s sells, so I might check that out. Is alcohol free vanilla made from real vanilla beans? After I use up the bottle of McCormick in my cupboard I’m going to make my own (vanilla beans + vodka in a mason jar for 3 months = vanilla extract). The price is pennies on the dollar compared to the bottled stuff, it isn’t booze-free though.
I absolutely love shopping at Trader Joe’s. The nearest location to our house is about 25 minutes away, which isn’t bad at all, but I still wish it was closer! I’d do all of my shopping there if I could. Some of my favorites have been their Reduced Guilt Spinach and Kale dip, their whole grain tortilla chips, and I also love their pizza dough! They sell both white and wheat and they’re pre-made, easy to roll out, and I think they’re about $1.25. Score!
I looooove Trader Joe’s! I never heard of it until a former co-worker of mine talked about the place constantly and INSISTED that I had to go once one opened up in the neighborhood. Well ever since that happened about four years ago, I’ve been hooked.
I always stock up on the white cheddar popcorn, veggie fried rice, vanilla greek yogurt, unsweetened dried mango slices, and naan. I will be looking for the almond & chocolate croissants next time!
Their indian food is amazeballs. Also? I just discovered the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s this year. And? Insert sad panda face. Cause I only bought ONE box. And I was in heaven. I tried telling chad how amazing they were…. he isn’t a fan of peppermint. And I’m not usually a fan of oreos. But these? These are INCREDIBLE! And now I can’t find them anywhere :( I’m so bummed.
I love love love the nourish hand soaps, face soap and moisturizer!
I did a post about this too! http://ohshellsbells.blogspot.com/2012_10_01_archive.html
the ginger snap icecream is not on my “regulars” list, but is still amazing. oh and the vegetable gyoza in the frozen section!
You should try the Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix! SO easy to make and so delicious! They’re fat free, moist, chocolaty and really (really) good. With No Pudge upwards of $5/box, the Trader Joe’s mix is $2.49 and just as easy and equally (if not more) delicious! Check out my review: http://traderjoesgirlnyc.blogspot.com/2013/02/trader-joes-reduced-guilt-brownies.html
Hi Ashley,
I wish there is Trader Joe’s here in our area. I wanted to try their products too.