Trader Joe’s Favorites

Personal

July 16, 2015

One of my close friends has a new blog and recently, while I was helping her brainstorm some new topic ideas for posts, I thought it would be fun for her to share her favorite items from Trader Joe’s. I’m a huge Trader Joe’s fan myself, so I decided to steal the idea for myself. Or, really, just borrow it 🙂

John and I LOVE Trader Joe’s. We shop there at least once a week, sometimes twice. We’re really just THAT couple in their late 20s who really gets more enjoyment out of really boring things like grocery shopping that in our early 20s we might have thought was weird. We’ve been known to make an entire date night out of driving 40 minutes to Whole Foods to shop and have dinner at the hot bar. I am serious.

Trader Joes Favorites

Needless to say, we’re pretty into TJs. Trader Joes is one of those places that everyone who shops there regularly has favorite items…these are mine!

  • Mini Chicken Samosas. I think these are meant to be an appetizer, but I regularly cook a whole box and eat it as a meal! These little guys are so crispy and delicious.
  • Reduced Guilt Mac and Cheese. This is one of my favorite quick lunches! And I recently discovered that a scoop of the TJs Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant spread goes really well mixed in 🙂
  • Kosher Ground Turkey. The Trader Joe’s ground turkey is the best! I don’t know what exactly it is that makes this particular kind so good, but it’s my favorite for when I’m trying to be a little healthier. We use it any way we’d use ground beef.
  • Wine. Trader Joes has such a good selection of wines! Especially if you are like me and not really a sommelier…just an enjoyer of a glass (or two). Right now I’m really enjoying the Green Fin Rose but I pick up a different bottle every week or two!
  • Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip. I mean, combine those three words into a dip and you’ve got a recipe for magic. So good. I recommend trying it with salt and pepper potato chips!
  • Smoked Gouda. I mentioned above that I’m more of a casual wine drinker and I’m also a pretty casual cheese person too. Gouda is one of my favorite cheeses and the Trader Joe’s smoked gouda is amazing. You can also get it in slices so you can make sandwiches with it! Or just eat it straight from the package. I mean, not that I do that or anything.
  • Spinach and Kale Dip. This dip is actually somewhat healthy (or low in calories at least). I use it as a sandwich spread a lot of the time!
  • Jalapeno Chicken Sausages. I discovered these while doing a semi Whole 30 earlier this year. These are not technically Whole 30 at all because they have a small amount of added sugar, but I didn’t really care. These sausages are so good!! My favorite way to eat them is sliced and sauteed in ghee or butter.
  • Flowers. Honestly, sometimes their flowers aren’t the best quality, BUT they usually have a way better selection than any other grocery store. Having fresh flowers around is one of my guilty pleasures and Trader Joe’s helps feed my addiction. During ranunculus and peony season, I load up on those. The rest of the year I usually choose a bunch of hydrangeas or tulips on our weekly TJs run. I can’t WAIT for Whole Foods to open near me though because I’ve bought my other favorite there…anemones!!!
  • Potato Pancakes. I went through a phase where I was literally eating these every day, with greek yogurt on the side. It wasn’t pretty, guys. The potato pancakes are so good and easy to make. They’re such a good side item you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
  • Electrolyte and Alkaline Water. These waters probably aren’t that different from any other waters in reality, but I have myself convinced that I need extra electrolyes and that this water is also extra delicious. I buy the biggest bottle and try to drink it all in one day. I usually get one a week and drink it the Friday before I have a wedding, so I’m extra hydrated going into the weekend.
  • Black Truffle Olive Oil. Holy cow this stuff is AWESOME. I am all about truffle things and this olive oil has such a nice flavor. It’s perfect on veggies or anything that could use a bit of extra flavor. I usually toss steamed green beans or broccoli in it with a bit of grated parmesan cheese! Bomb.

John’s favorite items:

  • Pitas. One of John’s famous meals is his BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas. He always uses these as a lower calorie pizza “crust” and they’re delicious!!
  • Cookie butter cheesecake bites. These are an excellent candidate for the list of my favorite items at Trader Joe’s too, but John found them first, so. You’re supposed to thaw them in the refrigerator, but let’s be real, sometimes they don’t make it to that stage and we’re eating them frozen. They’re equally good that way!
  • Anything cookie butter. TJs has figured out that cookie butter is crack to most people and capitalized on that by adding it to a bajillion of their products. Regular cookie butter, cookie butter cookies, cookie butter SANDWICH cookies, cookie butter ice cream, etc. When John first got it, I thought it was healthy, like Almond or peanut butter. I guess the “cookie” in the title didn’t tip me off.
  • Simply Roasted Chicken. This is another item that I really love too! I can be very lazy when it comes to cooking, but this pre-cooked chicken makes it really easy to eat healthy. Especially if you are trying to hit a certain number on your protein. It’s 100 calories a serving and it’s actually pretty tasty for pre cooked chicken. We use it a lot on pizzas, in tacos, and just with sides of rice and veggies.
  • Seaweed Snacks. I introduced John to these things and he loves them now. They’re basically sheets of dried, seasoned seaweed. Though that might not initially sound all that amazing, they really are delicious!!

Those are just a few of our favorite items! Any other Trader Joe’s connoisseurs out there? What are your favorite TJs items??

Leave a Comment

  1. Kim says:

    Ughhhh, I have still yet to actually buy the cheesecake bites when I’m not on whole30! I might have to finally get them after this one.

  2. Amy cherry says:

    Yes!!! My husband and I are obsessed with TJ’s! We have our little routine of going every weekend with a meal plan and we just love that store. We couldn’t live without it now! So fun to see your favorites!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *