Trader Joe’s faves
Hey hey! How are you? Hope you’re having a wonderful morning. <3 I’m going to an event with Liv at her school, chilling with miss P, and looking forward to catching up on some things around the house.
I have to admit that I’ve recently been hit with a bit of FOMO. It’s been too long since my last Orangetheory class, barre class (that I haven’t taught myself), and Trader Joe’s. I really, really miss Trader Joe’s.
We’ve been doing meal kit delivery services for dinners (Sunbasket and Blue Apron), picking up produce from the CSA, and ordering things from Thrive Market. Even though we’ve found something that works well for us, I certainly long for the days when I can whisk through TJs and get everything we need, in one trip, on the cheap. When we make a road trip, it’s one of our must-do stops (#adulting is real), and I beg madre to bring green salsa, bars for the girls, and almond butter in her checked luggage.
I thought I’d round up some of my very favorite Trader Joe’s finds, especially for those who haven’t visited one yet and want to know about the good stuff! I’d love to hear about your favorites, too, if you’d like to shout them out in the comments below.
Pantry:
Almond meal
Nut butter
Trail mix (I like the one with chocolate acai berries)
New trail mix disks
Hatch green salsa
Chili Lime seasoning blend (we’ll also get cinnamon, sea salt, pepper, Everything seasoning, garlic powder, and vanilla beans)
Olives
Pasta sauce
Avocado oil
Coconut oil
Fresh/cold:
Cauliflower rice
Squash
Green juice
Kombucha
Jicama mango slaw
Organic shredded cabbage
Organic meats
Wild salmon
Smoked salmon
Berries, fresh produce, greens, herbs!
Dairy:
Kerrygold butter
Eggs
Yogurts for the girls (they love the organic squeeze packs)
Goat gouda
Blueberry creamy goat cheese
Frozen:
Grilled cauliflower (word on the street is that you can add it to smoothies but I still haven’t tried it)
Mixed organic berries (great for smoothies)
Artichoke hearts (delicious roasted in the oven or in a Mediterranean chicken dish with lemon, fresh herbs, and olives)
Fries (potato and sweet potato)
Veggie mixes for quick dinners (the girls CRUSHED the one in the pic above)
Brown rice and quinoa packs
Cauliflower pizza crust (this one crumbled on me, but the taste was great)
Acai puree packets
Green chilies – perfect for making salsa or enchiladas!
Snacks:
Bars! They have so many to choose from – I’ll usually grab a lot of RX bars and the dried fruit bars for the girls
Seaweed snacks (the wasabi!)
Plaintain chips (the OG ones; not the sweet)
Peanut butter pretzels (I could eat a whole bag by myself)
Chocolate bars
Organic cold brew coffee
Seasonal:
Rosemary Christmas trees
Pumpkin branches
Wreaths (they smell ridiculous and I’ll buy a fresh one for the door and some small ones to have around the house)
The BEST flowers (especially during ranunculus and peony season)
Succulents
Winter Wassail (heat it up in the slow cooker and add red wine and orange slices. BOOM)
Dark chocolate sea salt caramels (during the holidays, many boxes will disappear and I’m pretty sure I eat them all by myself.. #tistheseason)
Gluten-free candy cane Joe-Joes
Peppermint bark
Wine + cocktails:
All of our favorite inexpensive red wines are here!
Organic margarita mix
So, tell me friends: what’s your all-time favorite thing from Trader Joe’s? Have they come out with new stuff that I haven’t tried yet?! Please let me know and I’ll make my list for our next road trip.
xoxo
Gina
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Literally as I’m popping some into my mouth… dark chocolate coconut almonds. Frozen shrimp stir-fry is a fav for a quick meal, yes to the mango jicama slaw, all the seasonings, and their frozen organic brown rice is the best.
The chocolate sea salt covered almonds are SO GOOD!! I also like their sesame oil and taco seasoning packets.
I keep a running list on my phone of things I want to try from TJs! I’ve definitely got some staples there, too – their regular salsa, medjool dates, pesto, canned dolmas (SO good), marinated artichokes, peanut butter pretzels (YES), and a recent staple is their canned jackfruit. I’ve been dying to try the cauliflower pizza crust but haven’t found it yet! And I want to try their cultured coconut milk yogurt, chocolate filled crepes (yummm), crunchy nutty rice bites with quinoa and cranberries, and the organic cold brew mocha nut latte. I’ve been meaning to get the acai packs, too! And now I need to get some wreaths this winter!
The maple chicken breakfast sausages are soooooo good! And easy! Just heat them up.
I dont have one super conveniently close but when i do venture to a tjs i always get almond butter, goat cheese (with cranberry in the fall), dark chocolate preztels. Last time i picked up some natural cleaner spray with essential oils and it cleans my countertops and stainless steel appliances really well!
I love their whole cheese section, especially the 1000 Day Gouda! Some other faves that you can’t find anywhere else are the Corn and Chile Tomatoless Salsa, Guacamole with Greek Yogurt, Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers, and Gluten Free Granola.
The corn salsa and sweet and spicy jalapeños sliced in a jar. YUM
I freakin’ love TJs! We just got some flowers from them, which we hardly ever do, but the selection was great!
Basically everything I eat comes from TJs! Some of my recent faves: frozen rides cauliflower(for adding to smoothies), dark chocolate pb cups, the everything bagel seasoning(I put this on everything!) and the coconut cold brew.
It’s pretty sad how little need I have for a grocery list when I’m going to Trader Joe’s! I know that route REAL well 🙂 Some of their “TJ’s specific” faves I always grab their medjool dates, soft & juicy mango (which lasts approx. 1 day in our house until the next run), cilantro & jalapeno hummus, Dr. Praegers veggie burgers to have on hand, and their mini mango ice cream bars… sooooo good. This week they had these really thin gingersnap-type cookies on the end shelf that I grabbed and they are awesome! Might not be new, but new to me.
Dark chocolate pb cups, fruit and veggie wash, dog treats, vanilla almond milk, brown rice tortillas, Joe’s Os, and tofu are my must haves. Love TJs!
I’m a little bias because 1) my TJs can’t sell booze and 2) I’m vegan. So when I go I totally stock up on cheap vegan foods like their tempeh (SO CHEAP!!) soy chorizo, the holiday roast, soy ice cream, chocolate bars, and their frozen “meatballs”
I am a big fan of TJ’s! It’s like the IKEA of groceries + liquor:) There are 2 stores each about 10-12 miles from us, so that limits how often I go………….and I know that is super silly sounding since you don’t have one near you—ugh. Last wknd I stopped in and it was so fun, even if I missed about 5 fav items after I left……..so, I may need to head back soon! I love so many of the food items but they are doing well with skincare too! I dig the honey mango shave cream, the head to toe balm—great on feet, the organic argan oil, such good quality!
Oh and thanks for sharing your home via pics with everyone, it looks soooo good!
I wish Trader Joe’s in NYC wasn’t such a mad house — even though there is one close to me I avoid it at all costs because the line ALWAYS wraps around the store and the aisles are aggressive. So many goodies on this list though!
I think I live in the land of TJ’s (there are four within a 10 mile radius).
I am incredibly loyal to their meatless meatballs. There was a period a few years ago where they stopped making them (supposedly had a sourcing issue) and I was lost. I heat them up in the micro and then mash them before adding to pasta/sauce.
They have yellow squash that looks like zucchini (not the meh looking yellow squash). Just discovered the Everything spice and am loving that. The frozen multigrain blend (with veggies) is a great side dish backup plan to keep in the freezer.
I like the beet hummus although I know that’s not for everyone. The caramelized onion dip is a favorite of my whole family. The birds nests are also a great app. to have on hand.
I need to stop otherwise you’ll have (even more) paragraphs! 🙂
TJ’s is my go-to for dried apricots, nuts, and dark chocolate (I’m partial to the dark chocolate lover’s bar, which is 85% cocoa). They also sell GT kombucha in limited flavors…I think it’s only time until they come out with TJ’s kombucha!
A newer find that I like is the everything but the bagel seasoning, which is just that — the blend of salt, garlic flakes, sesame seeds, etc.
TJ’s does make Kombucha! I just tried it last week. It was good, but not as good at the GT Dave’s (in my opinion). But, it was cheaper:)
whaaat! i had no idea they made kombucha
I adore the pound plus bars, especially during the holiday season, as they are pretty much the answer to all of the baking chocolate needs you could possibly have and really well priced for that much quality chocolate. The upside (down side?) is that they are pretty difficult to break up so they also don’t get eaten when someone wanders the pantry in search of sweets.
yesssss! the chocolate is the best for baking
Their acai packets are probably one of my favorites! I love making my own acai bowls at home because then there are unlimited toppings!
they’re so good!!
I’ve lived in Flagstaff for almost 10 years and I will never comprehend why we don’t have a TJ’s. I never go to Phoenix, Tucson, or Prescott without a cooler. I just discovered a frozen, off-the-cob Mexican street corn. It was pretty amazing. My daughter is a big fan of the sour cream & onion puffs (basically their version of Pirate’s Booty). I also just discovered sliced hearts of palm in a resealable bag.
YUMMMM. and yes! flag should totally have a TJs
YAAAAS such a great list! I <3 TJ's!
(That being said, I always get SO sad when they discontinue a fave product…Baked Blue Corn Chips, I'm looking at you…)
Can whiz around the store for all the staples, and occasionally some fun new finds, but here in NYC it's the line that makes the trip take so long. #worthit
Obsessed with the cauliflower pizza crust for sure.
Question: I used to love one of their trail mixes because they had dry-roasted nuts in them, not roasted in oil. They've since changed the recipe. Seeing as you like their trail mixes too, do you think nuts roasted in oil is a problem? Any suggestions?
i don’t love the idea of nuts roasted in oil, but every now and again, i don’t think it’s a big deal. especially if you just want a quick snack! don’t they have a raw trail mix?
and yes, it’s so sad when they discontinue favorite things
Love TJs! Hope your future home is back close to one. I’d have such a hard time living without one. What don’t I buy from tjs?! Lol!
the struggle is real. i miss it so much
Hey girl! I’m curious do you ever make any of the stuff you pin on Pinterest? I was just looking on yours and SO many things sound incredible but I want to know which things turned out well and which ones not so much. Thank you! xx
yes! i’ve had a couple of hits lately! i need to go through and see which ones were the winners and maybe make a separate board
You can definitely add the frozen cauliflower to smoothies and it’s SO good! It’s my favorite when I actually want a smoothie bowl because it makes the smoothie super thick!
I LOVE the TJ’s single serve guac pacs which are perfect for packing in my lunches and pickle sauerkraut. YUM!
we love those guac packs around here, too! pickle sauerkraut?! i haven’t tried that!
oh, that pickle sauerkraut is the bomb! I’m a weirdo and put it on scrambled eggs.
you’re seriously making me want to run out to TJ’s right this instant and pick up groceries!! I’ve tried a lot of what’s on your list, but there’s so much I’m dying to grab on my next run – the goat gouda and blueberry goat cheese?! neeeeed those on a salad!!!
the chili lime seasoning is a new fave of mine, plus their freeze dried fruit!
love love love that seasoning!
I love this post! Our nearest TJ’s is 2 hours away. Wishing we were closer, but we’ll enjoy it when we can. 🙂
My favorites are the nut butter and salsa.
same. it’s about 2 hours. WAHH
Oh, that stinks….I love your website, by the way! 🙂
The dried mandarin oranges are my favorite for hiking. The new ranch chickpeas are AMAZING! The mirepoix is great in soups and makes it so easy. The shave cream is something that rarely gets mentioned but I absolutely adore.
liv is a mandarin orange fanatic; i need to look for those for her!
and yes, the mirepoix is so awesome, especially during the holiday season
i will definitely try the shaving cream
I live in the land of Wegman’s, which I find to have WAY, way better produce, but still make the trip to TJ’s for certain items. My faves:
Chocolate Babka- sooooo good, sooo not a great thing to eat on the daily
Fig bites- cheaper and better than Fig Newton’s.
Unexpected cheddar- pretty much the best cheese ever
Coconut yogurt- amazing.
Frozen organic veggies/berries- cheaper than anywhere else
Roasted red peppers- again, way cheaper than elsewhere
All the dark chocolate bars
i need to try that cheddar!
and yes, the frozen berries are cheap and so good. love the red peppers and chocolate bars, too!
I love their hummus, entire cheese section, and jarred marinated mushrooms with garlic! Yum!
I LOVE THOSE MUSHROOMS
I adore posts like this! Even though I live down the street from a TJs (sorry!) and visit often, I still like to learn which products people have tried and like. I love the new Mixed Nut Butter. have you tried? It’s great. We always buy the trail mix individual serving packs and all their nuts. Frozen fruits are a staple also.
Is the grilled cauliflower seasoned? Not sure how that would be in a smoothie! I use the frozen riced cauliflower in my smoothies. It blends up a lot easier than large pieces, too.
no, i haven’t tried that nut butter!!
they have a seasoned grilled cauliflower (it’s so good!) and a plain one 🙂 i think i’ll finally try it in a smoothie tomorrow 😉
I second all of your things! Also, the frozen Chicken Chile Lime burgers are awesome, both as burgers and in recipes.
ohhhh i haven’t tried those!
I will never take having a TJ’s closeby for granted anymore! My faves “fun” items are pickle popcorn (did a happy dance in the middle of the aisle when I saw it back on the shelves earlier this summer) and the “everything but the bagel” seasoning (SO good on roasted red potatoes, avocado toast!!, and basicallly everything haha).
when we first moved back to tucson and could go to trader joe’s, i was SCARY happy haha. i need to try that pickle popcorn! love that seasoning too
I was thinking of doing this too! I like the ancient grain granola, everything but the bagel seasoning, and puffins! I had okay success with the pizza crust said yours crumbled!
love all of these things! the peanut butter almond granola is awesome, too
Frozen cauliflower is amazing in smoothies just adds thickness but don’t use the grilled cauliflower…just plain frozen as the grilled I think has seasonings in it.
awesome tip! the one we have right now is plain, thank goodness haha
Oh good!!! Haha im not sure how the grilled would be, let us know!
Hi Gina! Even though I hate to go to more than one grocery store per week, I always find myself at Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I definitely agree with some of your faves from TJ’s, including the frozen cauliflower rice. But perhaps my latest major fave from there are the red lentil pasta noodles and the black bean noodles. I eat them for dinner several times a week, and I actually mix in cooked cauliflower rice. I also like the single-serve raw almond and cashew packs, because seriously, who can do their own portion control when it comes to nuts. Oh and sunflower butter — love that. And the gingermints you can get at check-out. So much good stuff!
Marcona almonds (either rosemary or truffle oil) are my new favorite find.
I buy their Raisin Rosemary crackers but LOVE when they have seasonal versions of those crackers…pumpkin spice, pomegranate, mango ginger, etc. based on the season.
They have the best selection of cheese for the money/value. Cannot be beat and I have like 10 favorites! I am doing a cheeseboard post next month and they will all be there 🙂
My go-to is the Bay Blend coffee. Other favs: jasmine rice, frozen spinach, frozen chicken breasts and tenders.
This might sound weird but I LOVE their laundry detergent. It works great and smells like lavender and doesn’t have any weird ingredients. I also love their tea tree body wash (and it’s only like $3!).
Love all the fun finds at Trader Joe’s! Been a fan of their cauliflower/broccoli rice, juices, and even their beers! You never know what you can find.
Fun fact- Trader Joes keeps track of customers zip codes so they can see how far customers are willing to travel so they’ll know they don’t have to build one in that area. Another fun fact- I love selling trader joe’s items on amazon!
whaaaat. so they know how far i’m willing to drive haha
I’m sorry that I also live 1/2 mile from a TJ’s – I would die without one close! I love the Everything But Bagel seasoning – OMG on avo toast. Frozen cauli pizza crust is insane – cook exactly as directed on a pizza stone and it’s perfect. We also love the almond butter granola, frozen organic brown rice, spatchcock lemon marinated whole chicken, and the coconut cold brew! They also just upped their sparkling water game and the coconut tastes exactly like LaCroix! Hope they get one closer to you soon!!
ah you MUST try the Tea Tree Tingle soap next time you go!! I also love their berries (the have an 18oz (!!!) box of organic blueberries for like $7 during the summer!), tahini dip, purple sweet potatoes & japanese sweet potatoes, red lentil pasta, and pasta, original marina sauce, sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste in a tube, low sodium veg broth, riced cauli, and lots of frozen- always mixed berries & organic wild blueberries, sometimes strawberries or raspberries, grilled cauliflower, cauli fried rice. and their peas snacks