This Valentine’s Day, I will not only be celebrating my love for my husband. Trader Joe’s has become one of my loves as well!
I recently decided, out of curiosity, to wander into Trader Joe’s just to see what their prices were like. To my surprise, they were very comparable to the prices of Walmart Supercenter, where I have always sworn I’d shop because of their low prices. That day, as I meandered down every aisle with the excitement of a child in a candy store, I became a TJ’s fan! There was just one problem: what to try first?!
Every week since then, I have made it a point to try new items. Some of these items I enjoyed, and some I really did not. I’m here to tell you about the foods from Trader Joe’s that I have tried and give honest reviews, in hopes that it helps you with your shopping! The real heart behind this post, however, is to inspire you.
I want to inspire you in your hospitality. Every item that I rave about, I hope that you try. I want you to make a cheese board with the cheeses that I recommend and invite friends and family over to your home. I believe hospitality is for everyone, and to be able to have played a part in your growth in the area of hospitality would send me to the moon and back. I completely understand how overwhelming grocery shopping can be in general, and when you walk into Trader Joe’s for the first time, it can be pretty full of distractions and comparisons and claustrophobia in the rush of everyone buying their groceries at the same time.
So let me help you eliminate that.
Let these posts inspire you and your grocery lists. Let this be a fun experience full of adventure! Lastly, let it be something you make your own.
I want you to know that we will disagree. You may not like everything I like – and that is completely okay! You have a totally different family with different tastes, needs and desires. What I challenge you to do is try these items for yourself and then try something else instead. It will take time, but the thought of knowing that you can confidently go the grocery store and know exactly what items to get so that your family will enjoy the foods in your home will be so worth it! Come along, friend!
1. Cheddar Jalapeno Pub Cheese
This cheese is an instant crowd pleaser! I kid you not, it is the most delicious cheese for an appetizer, especially when paired with wheat thins or watercress crackers. The flavors are so complimentary and it is not too spicy at all. I could count on this to bring to any event – hands down.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
2. Pineapple Spears
I know that most of the time, buying pre-cut and stored fruit is not the best choice when it comes to purchasing produce because it tends to not be ripe, or even fresh, for that matter. However, this is not the case with the pre-cut pineapple spears! We buy these almost every week and they stay fresh for a long time. They are deliciously juicy and sweet. We love how convenient they are too! The price is decent and they definitely do not disappoint.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
3. Frozen Brown Rice
This rice is awesome because it comes in little pouches that you can microwave within minutes! It’s a perfect side to any dish you make and it tastes fresh. I love serving it with the frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken, but you can even make it a side for steak or salmon! The possibilities are endless!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
4. Cornbread Mix
I’m a lover of all things chili and cornbread, but I really did not enjoy this cornbread mix at all. It had dehydrated corn kernels in it, which I found distracting from the overall mix. Now, if you wanted to take the corn kernels out of the mix before you made it, I believe it would be delicious cornbread. But who has time to do that?
WORTH BUYING? NO!
5. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
I will say that I don’t think any chocolate peanut butter candy can come close to a Reese’s, but these are pretty close! They are delicious and so easy to keep on hand in the pantry. I didn’t find them as “dark chocolate” as they advertise, being that the ingredients even say “semi-sweet chocolate”, but they are such a great candy choice still.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
6. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
I just want to say that Trader Joe’s has the best selection of Balsamic vinegar that I have ever seen! There are so many options at very affordable prices. I picked this one up and I loved it instantly. I had it with a nice baguette of French bread that I pulled from their baked goods, along with some quality olive oil, and it was the perfectly-paired side to our fettuccine that night. Delicious!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
7. Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
These are an excellent side or appetizer, for sure! I loved the flavor of the breading and the cheese was so perfect. However, I’m guessing you also know that if you do not eat the mozzarella sticks within a few minutes of getting them out of the oven, the cheese will harden and the sticks will become cold and chewy. If you choose to buy these, keep in mind that they will need to be devoured ASAP!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
8. Frozen Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
I’m partial to the original Kraft Mac N’ Cheese – I know this is going to be different already. But believe it or not, I have tried many frozen Mac & Cheeses over the years. I do not like this one. It was so authentic that nothing melted right. The texture wasn’t good. Just, no. I like my Mac and Cheese unhealthy and perfect.
WORTH BUYING? NO!
9. Yogurt Pretzels
If you’re into yogurt-covered foods, I think you’ll like these. I, however, bought them somehow hoping they’d taste like white chocolate – they did not. It’s my mistake, really! But if you’re looking for a healthy twin of white chocolate-covered pretzels, this may not be it.
WORTH BUYING? NO!
10. Candy Cane Green Tea
We have been enjoying this tea all winter long! It’s the perfect balance of minty flavor and smooth tea. It’s an awesome choice for something to sip late at night while watching tv, as it’s decaffeinated! Overall, a delicious tea!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
11. Dark Chocolate Mint Coins
While we’re on the topic of mint, I want to talk about these Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Coins! These are absolutely delightful and refreshing. What I enjoy doing now is freezing them, so that they’re cool and crisp, as they break in half when I eat them. Call me crazy, but frozen chocolate anything is good!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
12. Brie Cheese
TJ’s brie cheese is always so tasty! It doesn’t really matter which kind you get – they’re all affordable. I love pairing their brie cheese with blackberries or grapes, along with watercress crackers! This is a perfect appetizer for a gathering of friends and family.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
12. Aloha Rolls
These Aloha Rolls are just like the King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls! The pricing on them is pretty decent too! They are perfect to dunk in a pot roast or a hearty soup! Love these!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
13. Family Style Meat Lasagna
If you love lasagna, you’ll love this! It has a sauce that is a really happy medium between meat sauce and marinara sauce. It was around $6, and we got at least 3-4 meals out of it between the both of us! Pair it with a salad or even a baguette with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, like mentioned before! Highly recommend!
WORTH BUYING? YES!
14. Scandinavian Swimmers
These are the equivalent of Swedish Fish. They’re absolutely tasty and have such fun shapes. I think these would be a hit with the kiddos – even for adults. We love snacking on them when we are watching a movie on date night. They’re so fruity and the texture is perfect.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
15. Yellow Lentil Brown Rice Pasta
I love having spaghetti noodles on hand to use for anything I need throughout the week. I picked these up out of curiosity on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, and I will say that I did not like them. They cooked to a good texture, but they had a flavor that I did not like. I like pasta to taste like normal pasta. It’s my preference, but I would not buy these again.
WORTH BUYING? NO!
16. Candy Coated Chocolate Drops
These are awesome! They’re basically just like M & M’s, but a little better for you. I don’t think you’d notice the difference if you ate them with your eyes closed, but why would you want to when they have such pretty colors? We really enjoyed them a lot – I think you will too.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
17. Chicken Gyoza Potstickers
I love these! There are so many ways to use them. You can add them to a boiling pot of soup broth, like the Miso Ginger broth with a little chicken bouillon powder added along with water, to make Wonton Soup or even just simply pan-fry them up and dip them in soy sauce. These would make a great appetizer or side to an Asian-themed dinner. I especially like that it’s fully cooked chicken, so you don’t have to really worry about under-cooking them.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
18. Lactose Free Milk
Yes friends, they have these there! The price is even pretty similar to other stores. I just love the fact that they don’t only have almond milk or soy milk as the lactose free option, but they have lactose free milk additionally! It’s good too, guys. So easy on your tummy and not too bad on the budget.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
19. Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cream Cheese
This cream cheese spread is so delicious. It reminds me of the Honey Walnut cream cheese from Panera Bread. However, as delicious as it was, it did not last us longer than a week or so. I was really disappointed with how quickly it went bad. I’m used to being able to have a container of cream cheese last us for the month, or even longer at times. I believe that if you buy this product, you should either have a large family that will eat a whole bag of bagels and use the container of cream cheese in one breakfast sitting, or have two devoted people eating bagels and cream cheese for breakfast 4 days in a row. It is delicious, but can be a waste of money if you have a busy schedule.
WORTH BUYING? NO!
20. Frosted Sugar Cookies
If you love the fluffy frosted sugar cookies that you can get at basically any grocery store, you will love these! Now this is just my opinion, but I have to say that these are the best fluffy sugar cookies I have ever had. It almost seems like the frosting has a touch of cream cheese to it – maybe not, I don’t know. I do know that they’re magical, and that is what counts here.
WORTH BUYING? YES!
Well there you have it, friends! 20 Trader Joe’s finds for you to try on your next grocery run. See any of your favorites? Leave a comment below to tell me what you like from this post, what you wish you saw or even what you think I should try next! Thanks for reading and check back next month for an update of March Trader Raider finds!
XO,
B
MY LIFE 