What should I buy at Trader Joes?

[java]

We love the flat breads
The Orange Chicken
Fried Rice
Spicy Green beans
Chocolate coissants
LATKES! I'm going for those next week!

 

[Poohbug]

Thanks all.

I have a big list and am heading off. The store is about an hour and a half away and has been there for over a year but I just have not gotten there yet.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Never been to Trader Joe's and I am going tomorrow with my sister. What are your favorites? I'm sure I will be at a loss as to what to buy.

Whatever you buy, don't waste your money on their turkey. I bought one when some raved about it. I thought my frozen Butterball tasted just as good if not better. Maybe they are better in other parts of the country, but if you live in NJ, stay away...stay far away.

Some things I do buy:

WINE - I LOVE THEIR WINE

JO-JO's - chocolate or vanilla filled - YUMMY

Granola (maple and vanilla)

Yogart

Frozen Brown Rice and Orange Chicken - great for a fast meal

Organic Italian Pasta

Fruit Bars

Pretzels filled with peanut butter

Jams/Jelly

Coffee

One Pound Chocolate Bars

 

[Schmoodle]

I love Trader Joe's - for some things. I always stock up on their nuts, dried fruits, and cheese. Good prices on these things. I skip the produce - expensive, not local, and usually doesn't look great. I also don't get meat, because I prefer to buy from a local butcher. Some other favorite things - soy chorizo, frozen soy corn dogs, frozen edamame, marinara sauce (has no sugar added), refried black beans (canned), whole grain couscous, dark chocolate. I don't buy much of the frozen prepared foods, as we've gotten sick off of these twice.
Sadly, no wine at our store.

ETA: How could I forget? My favorite salad dressing ever - Goddess.

 

[Pirate1+Princess4]

This time of year, you MUST grab a box of Holiday JoeJoes. It's like Oreo with peppermint bits in the cream filling. I suggest ONLY one box as they are like crack

I get a lot of our snack foods there-
Best Oyster Crackers ever
Peanut Butter filled pretzels
Multi-grain crackers
Veggie Sticks
Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks
Their cookies are good for little kids- like animal crackers and Teddy Grahams

Also cereal-
Joe's Os
Frosted Wheat squares
Cereal bars- granola and fruity are a VERY good price and don't have the extra junk like Nutri-grain and Quaker.

Best deal on peanut butter and fruit spreads. Few ingredients and none of the junk. We don't do jams and jellies anymore, only these.

For convenience foods I buy the boxed mac/cheese that is comparable to Annie's Pasta. And my favorite is their boxed rices. SOOOO much better than Rice-a-Roni. More flavor, less salt. We don't use these too much, but when I want convenience I buy at TJs.

I don't buy sandwich bread there unless I'm going to use or freeze it quickly, as I find it will mold. I love their tortillas for wraps and the pizza dough is yummy and affordable.

Hmm.... need to make a run for our Disney snacks this week.

ETA: I started getting our cat food at TJs. My kitty is 17 and her health is failing. Before we switched, I was cleaning up vomit regularly- like daily. It's Holistic Natural Feline Formula.

 

[MEM]

We make a Trader Joe's "run" weekly! Some of the things we buy all the time:

oatmeal with flaxseed
Granola with pumpkin seeds
bananas at 20cents a piece
baby spinach at $1.99
various chicken sausages
various flavors of hummus
Frozen roasted corn
Orange chicken
frozen turkey meatballs
chile lime chicken burgers
chocolate covered pretzels
Ginger cat cookies
Triple ginger cookies
Indian simmering sauces
orange blossom liquid hand soap
Charlie Bear cookies for dear doggie
various salsas
Jasmine brown rice
very low sodium chicken broth
various nuts and dried fruits
Don't care for the Charles Shaw's wines - for an extra two dollars, the Banrock Station from Australia is very good
Unsalted tortilla chips

That's just a quick list off the top of my head. We are very fortunate in the Boston area to have 5 stores within easy driving distance.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm so sad our TJ's doesn't carry wine... we'd have to drive for HOURS to get some!

 

[mcco5543]

TJ's is a speciality store for my family and a treat to go to. (Too expensive)

Really I'd buy out the whole store if I could. I always try and buy the things I wont'/can't get at a regular grocery store. Really you can't go wrong at TJ's

 

[dizneechic]

Two Buck Chuck.

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

Veggie isle
Mire poix- it's a container of chopped carrots, celery and onions.Great for starting soups this time of year.

Freezer
Whole wheat french toast
BBQ teriaki chicken
Fettucini Alfredo
Bow tie pasta medley

Chocolate
It's all good!
We like the peanut cluster and clouds
If you bake buy the ssemi sweet and milk chocolate chips
Gummy Penguins
$.99 Advent calender (if Christmas is your thing)

Cereal
Joes O's
Cereal Bars

Chips
Sour cream and onion Treasure Booty (white cheddar is good too)
KETTLE CORN

Staples
Yellow lable canned corn (it's the best!)
Enchilada sauce
Organic white shells and cheese
Mac and cheese (like the blue box but with healthier stuff in it)
Bananna bread mix and Pumpkin bread mix(great for giving)
Trader Giato's Marinara sauce

And you must run don't walk and grab as many boxes of Cany Cane Jo Jo's as you can carry!!! Dip them in chocolate and give as gifts. Mix them in a food processer with a block of cream cheese and make truffles ....I could go on and on!

Also like pp's said great prices on milk, butter and eggs. DD likes the Strawberry and Bananna yogurt 6 pack.

 

[Jsme]

The closest TJ to us is an hour away. However, we enjoy going there. NO it is not a deal when we have to pay for gas to go but we do enjoy the store.

I do not buy their wine. I did at first but found I like other wines better. Sorry to those who like the Two Buck Chuck. I can buy similar priced wine that I like better. Each to their own though.

I love their cheese, coffee, fresh pastas, marinated Ahi Tuna in the freezer section, fresh fruit or veggies are always a good deal. Someone mentioned their pizza dough. I love the whole wheat pizza dough. Very yummy to make pizza with. Their Lobster Bisque is great with the Lobster Ravoli. Heck it is good with out the ravoli but very nice to use as a sauce with it.

 

[TIAMOMMA]

Only available at Christmas time: Candy Cane Jo-Jos. Sandwich cookies that are chocolate, but the filling is peppermint! Soooooo yummy.

I tried these for the 1st time this weekend and YUMMY!!!!! It reminds me so much of the GS Thin Mint cookies. I have to go back and stock up on these!
I also love their pierogies but haven't had much luck finding them lately. Their kettle corn is delicious too. Oh, I can't wait to go home and stuff more Candy Cane Jo-Jo's in my face!

 

[DaisiLou]

Two Buck Chuck.

Here it's called Three Buck Chuck, or Charles Shaw wine. Absolutely hands down the best value wine out there. $3 a bottle, love the White Zinfindel!

 

[summerrluvv]

Veggie isle


And you must run don't walk and grab as many boxes of Cany Cane Jo Jo's as you can carry!!! Dip them in chocolate and give as gifts. Mix them in a food processer with a block of cream cheese and make truffles ....I could go on and on!
.

can you post the truffles recipe please!! that sounds yummy

 

[MinMouse]

Never been to Trader Joe's and I am going tomorrow with my sister. What are your favorites? I'm sure I will be at a loss as to what to buy.

So Pooh --- what did you get?

 

[Poohbug]

Ohhh-I got the Candy Cane Joe Joe's and they are yummy.

I also got the carrot cake cookies because I love the ones at DHS so much. They are not really the same but still very good.

I looked for the Pirate Booty and dried apples but did not find.

I also bought the mac and cheese, beer bread mix, Truffle brownie mix, fruit bar and cheese tortillini. The cheeses looked nice but being in WI I can find good cheese pretty easy. I am not a big wine drinker but made a quick look at the wines for Two Buck Chuck but did not find. Having a two yr old around all those wine bottles made me nervous so I did not look very hard.

Now that I know where it is, I'm sure I will visit more often. Maybe next time I can go without kids and take more time. Next time I am getting the Orange Chicken.

Thank you all so much for the help.

 

[Swimalie]

Be careful Pooh, Trader Joe's is addictive. hee-hee