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Trader Joe’s favorites: a mix of pantry staples, salad toppers, and kid snacks. Here’s the loot from a recent trip to stock up.
The Monthly Stock Up Trip For Trader Joe’s Favorites
We use Trader Joes as a pantry and freezer store. We make a weekly trip to Whole Foods for fresh produce, coffee, and all the other staples (milk, meat, etc). About once every other month I head over to Trader Joe’s to stock up on the things one can only buy there. That’s what TJs does best – unique store label foods. (And cheese!) Here is what I got!
Salad Toppers
Della at Plenty told me that these Parmesan Crisps make great croutons. What a great hack!! They are amazing on a caesar salad (foreshadowing 😉 ) And these Oven-Baked Cheese Bites are SO GOOD! They remind me of the parm crisps at Chopt, but they’re a little bigger in size. I bought them to put on salads, but I’ve been snacking on them too.
Flavored Nuts
In addition to good cheese at a good price, I’ve always gone to TJs for their nuts. These three are my favorites – rosemary marcona almonds (tied with the truffle ones!), candied walnuts, and honey roasted almonds. I also love the little bags of trail mix, but we still had some from last time!
Dried Fruits
I bought some apricots to up our dried fruit game plus freeze-dried raspberries that Birch loves.
Cornbread Mix
I’ve tried a bunch of other cornbread mixes and this is the best! Stock up during chili season 🙂
The Best Baby Snack Ever
Birch LOVES these peanut butter bambas! They’re kind of like a cross between a peanut butter cereal and pirate’s booty. And they melt in your mouth so they’re great for someone with only 2.5 teeth 🙂 I also picked up some honey graham crackers for Birch.
Toffee Cereal
What can I say? I love toffee flavored anything.
Other Foods I Often Get But Didn’t Need This Time
- Sunflower butter
- Smoked trout
- Sardines
- Crackers of all kinds
- Trail mix
- Lemon Ricotta ravioli (I forgot to get this!)
- Unexpected Cheddar
- Vanilla meringues (love those)
- All kinds of chocolate (didn’t need)
What are your Trader Joe’s favorites?
What’s one product you don’t leave the store without? And what’s one that you’re newly hooked on?
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Comments
Amy says
Do you check products for palm oil? It’ has such a huge impact on the environment and I just wondered if it influences what you buy at all. So few people seem to know about it. There’s some debate about its health risks too. Just being nosy!
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KathEats says
It’s on my radar, but probably should be a higher concern.
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Sara says
I miss Trader Joe’s so much! I used to go to the Short Pump location on my lunch break once a month or so and switched jobs. Now I’m too far away. I will have to make a random trip there on a weekend soon! I love all their snacks and seasonal items. Yum!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Can Trader Joe’s please come to Hong Kong? All the snacks look incredible! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.comReply
Lauri says
The Avocado Tzzatziki dip – Yum!!
Avocado hummus
Balsamic and fig dressing
frozen green vegetable foursome
The cheeses! So many cheeses
Several of the Hummus are great
cauliflower rice
Chicken sausages
Rosemary balsamic steak tipsReply
Renee says
My kids would love the peanut butter bambas! Putting that on my list. We can’t seem to leave without Cinnamon Apple Snack Sticks! Also love Cookie Butter (great as a drizzle on ice cream), but that’s definitely not an every trip purchase. New favorite is the marinated mozzarella – great on salads when you want a cheesy bite.
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KathEats says
I’ll have to look for those apple sticks!
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T says
I also only go 1x a month or every 2 months to stock up. Sprouted bread, everything but the bagel seasoning, cauliflower gnocchi, balsamic dressing, goddess dressing, lentil curls, frozen polenta, cashews, sliced almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds & Oats!
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Jen says
Cruciferous Crunch
Cookie Butter
Hold The Cone mini ice cream cones
Orange Chicken
Butter Chicken
Chicken Tikka Masala
Everything Bagel Sprinkle
Guacamole in the pre-portioned 6-pack
Orange Peach Mango juice
Frozen blueberry waffles
Lunch-sized bags of kettle cornReply
Karla says
What are your thought on organic foods, especially snacks? I would steer away from almost all of these because they aren’t organic. I’m interested in your take.
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KathEats says
I buy organic of the dirty dozen fresh foods and meats but not the rest of my ingredients (like cinnamon or packaged foods)
Karla says
From what I’ve read, nuts and grains are just as important. In fact, some people who think they allergic to either might just be allergic to all those pesticides! Would love to read a post on this topic from your opinion!
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The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
Our closest Trader Joes is 2 plus hours away so it’s rare that I get there. But our must buys include pretzel buns, orange chicken, and everything but the bagel seasoning. Other wise we just wander the store and throw things in!
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Laura says
Just Mango Slices – No added sugar and so delicious
Red Pepper and Tomato Soup – Add to chili
Frozen Garlic Cubes – Never chop garlic again
Olive Oil
Israeli Couscous
Curry Chicken Salad
Spices – so cheapReply
Jess says
My 9 month old is obsessed with bambas! He squeals when I get the bag out.
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KathEats says
SAME!
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Julie says
I don’t go to TJ’s often because it’s not very close to me, however, I love so much of their stuff, especially the cheese and cauli gnocchi and the teeny tiny avocados! I’ll be making a special trip soon to get ingredients for the beautiful cheese board you posted yesterday. I’m super inspired. So much so that I had a dream last night I was at TJ’s for cheese board supplies but I couldn’t find the meats and a lady working there told me she could cut some for me but it would take 45 minutes. LOLZ.
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KathEats says
Haha!!
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Jessica says
I LOVE their chia seed peanut butter. Also, this is random and probably just in my area, but Trader Joes has the best, freshest tasting Peanut Butter Puffins. Their box is bigger and a better price, and I am positive that the ones I buy from Fred Meyers (called Kroger in your area, I think) get stale a lot faster. Who knows. 🙂
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Beth M says
Sorry to be nosy, but I adore TJs chia seed peanut butter but I haven’t seen it in my store in at least six months! Have you seen it recently? I’ve assumed it’s been discontinued, but your post has given me hope!
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Jessica says
Oh no! I must be honest and say I haven’t bought it in about 6 months 😛 I will be sure to look the next time I am there. Fingers crossed!
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Andrea says
I wish we had trader joes in Canada – whole foods came here so I still have hope!
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Melanie says
We love the soy chorizo (great crumbled up in pasta), cauliflower gnocchi, tofu, pumpkin bars,everything but the bagel spice, and their flowers 🙂
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Tess says
Oh Man, I drop into TJs sometimes 3 times a week. I treat myself to a tea after preschool drop off and the market is right there sharing the parking lot. I always have the pork bau for my toddler as a quick meal, also love those mandarin dried oranges. Love the lentil curls and the summer sausage, cruciferous crunch mix and envy apples, stir fry veggies, Thai veggie dumplings, arugula prosciutto flatbread, and the seasonal items we are loving right now are the turkey cranberry frozen meatballs with their gravy in a carton and the pretty pompom garlands!
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Ruth says
I’ll need to grab that toffee cereal flavor! Yumolla looking for sure! That’s my fav cereal since it’s heavy on the clusters. My favorite mix is a few products = turbinado dark choco almonds + pecan pralines + animal crackers (TJ’s are shaped as alphabet letters). All combined makes a delicious dessert snack mix! And I definitely second you on the cheese selection being a go-to. Perfect place for a fun, unique cheese board.
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Jenny Share says
Pumpkin Butter, Lobster Ravioli, Multigrain O’s Cereal!
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Bonnie says
Chicken pot stickers, chicken andouille sausage (but still peel the casing), fresh pizza dough, dog treats – the beef and the chicken sticks, chicken Apple sausage, sparkling white grape “champagne” for treats and toasts at holidays.
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