Favorite/Best TJ's Buys

[WolfpackWife]

We're cracking down and being a LOT more economical with our grocery shopping. That means, no more extravagant trips to Whole Foods, justified by "hey, we're only feeding two people it's not that bad!" It is. That shit is not cheap.

Our Trader Joe's has pretty great produce, from what we've seen. What are the other things you get there that you absolutely love? Bonus points if you find that they are cheaper at TJs than at the grocery store!

I have shopped there for a few years but usually just for specific items - frozen meals that we liked, wine, cheese.

Our favorite items include: the frozen brown rice (AMAZING), tempura sweet and sour chicken, their fresh egg noodles which we use for stir fry dishes, their individually packaged organic chicken breasts. Their packaging alone is worth the trip out there. I can very much appreciate a clean, raw-chicken-juice-free package of chicken. So rarely do I find that at Kroger.

Drawing a blank here. I sometimes will snag a bag of their chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels. Omg.

What are your favorite and most economical buys from TJs? I feel like I'm not maxing out the usefulness of having a Trader Joe's about a mile from us.

[corn poffi]

Maybe it's cuz I live in the Midwest, but I think their produce sucks for the most part. It doesn't seem to have a long shelf life in my neck of the woods.

But, I still love than darn place! I also love their frozen brown rice and some of their frozen Mexican dishes, pico de gallo and edamame hummus, any of their snack/dessert products. I am obsessed with their meringues. My dad is addicted to their pumpernickel pretzels and my mom with their jarred bruschetta and frozen veggies.

I have no idea how the prices compare. I am the world a least savvy grocery shopper.

[WolfpackWife]

Maybe it's cuz I live in the Midwest, but I think their produce sucks for the most part. It doesn't seem to have a long shelf life in my neck of the woods.

Well to be honest, I felt the same way with our NC Trader Joe's. However, we had a grocery store chain in NC that had GREAT produce sections. Here in VA, we have shit for good produce sections in local chains, hence our costly trips to Whole Foods (you go in for a couple produce items and leave $60 lighter will all manner of delicious things you don't REALLY need but feel compelled to try). The TJs here has better produce than the one in NC, and way better produce than the awful grocery stores we have here. :-\

[SuzySunshine]

I honestly have no idea if they're deals because I shop at Trader Joe's for no GMO's, less preservatives, etc so they probably aren't cheaper. Most things are going to go bad faster from there because of the no/less preservatives.

Their produce is definitely hit and miss - we subscribe to an organic fruit delivery so we don't buy their fruit but I do buy their veggies and you not only have to check them when you buy them you do have to use them rather quickly.

We buy a ton but our favorites are:
Gorilla cereal (like Kix)
Puffed Wheat
Pecan Praline Granola
Individual greek yogurt servings
Big tub of French Vanilla whole yogurt
OJ (pulp free)
Milk, not the really expensive organic one but still not rbt
My kids LOVE their chocolate and peanut butter granola bars
Peanut butter
Frozen fish, especially the marinated ones, mahi mahi, etc.
Frozen crab cakes - this is BY FAR, DH's favorite TJ's item
Bottled lemonade (not the organic one - it was icky!)
Frozen rice
Frozen Tamales
Frozen meat lasagna
JoJo's (especially the candy cane ones at Christmas!)
JoJo's ice cream - best cookies & cream IC I've ever had!
Chocolate covered caramels
Handmade flour tortillas
Taco shells (be careful when you cook them, they only take 2-3 minutes versus 5-6 for regular shells)
Red Enchilada sauce

I'm sure there are more but since I do all most all of my shopping there I'd probably give you my shopping list!

[spotty_dog]

Their "fresh" meat always skeeved me out, they do those hermetically sealed trays that they inject an anti-aging gas into so that they can survive the trip across country from the processing plants. Gack.

But their frozen breasts and thighs, and their frozen coho salmon, were staples in my house when we were near one. Also the frozen biryani and some of the other basic rice or pasta dishes -- saute up with some of that frozen chicken, and you have a complete meal! Frozen berries and veggies were also great.

These days we stock up on their pasta, pasta sauce, rice, nuts, bruschetta, granola (we have to do non-perishables because we're always driving a few hours to get home). Tortilla chips, plantain chips, dried cranberries (the orange flavored ones are delightful in salad).

[WolfpackWife]

Their "fresh" meat always skeeved me out, they do those hermetically sealed trays that they inject an anti-aging gas into so that they can survive the trip across country from the processing plants. Gack.

.

OH yikes, I didn't know about that. Between the 8lb Kroger whole chickens that are CLEARLY too large to have not been pumped full of hormones, and now hearing this, I feel like I can't win with raw chicken. I tend to not buy frozen because I've not liked what I've tried in the past. Might have to revisit that.

[alotofyarn]

I'm going to be totally unhelpful, but we usually get junk at TJs (not anymore, because we don't have one here, sadly) - we love the seasoned popcorn, gummy candy, and anything chocolate. Oh, and the wine. I've had some good canned soups too.

[MsSassyBaskets]

They have the cheapest gluten-free pasta I've found. It's not the absolute best, but way cheap. I'll take it. Frozen fruit for my smoothies, frozen chicken and fish. Quinoa black bean tortilla chips. And the CHEEEESE, omg the cheese selection.

[spotty_dog]

Well, hormones aren't permitted in poultry regardless. But yeah, it's really hard to get good AND cheap. I just try to go for "didn't have to travel terribly far". We're fortunate to have local poultry people, a big regional concern called Draper Valley has their main raising and processing facilities within 50 miles of here so I prefer that (especially their free-range line, but I can't really afford it -- woe!)

The nice thing about frozen thighs is that you can chop them up and put them in anything -- pasta, stir-fry, etc. The texture doesn't matter much and the dark meat provides nice flavor. But then, during medical school we didn't have a lot of other options that fit our budget (we did eat plenty of chickpeas!)

[WolfpackWife]

Well, hormones aren't permitted in poultry regardless.

I actually did not know that. All I know is it's disturbing to go not be able to find a whole chicken under 5-6lb, but when you look at organic ones, they seem to be a much more reasonable and realistic 3lbs.

[spotty_dog]

I agree that the increasing size of chickens is disturbing. But that's mostly due to the breed, as well as restricting their movement and increasing the caloric value of their feed.

[SuzySunshine]

Yes, I don't usually buy meat at TJ'a either unless its frozen or marinated.

[MrsK]

I'm going to be totally unhelpful, but we usually get junk at TJs (not anymore, because we don't have one here, sadly) - we love the seasoned popcorn, gummy candy, and anything chocolate. Oh, and the wine. I've had some good canned soups too.

This is us too. But we don't have one in our city so when we go, it's a treat and we can only buy things that are not perishable and do not require refrigeration. So, yeah, we buy jo jos, candy, nuts, jams, cookie butter (OMG!). I like their Thai sauces and dressings too. I definitely wouldn't consider TJ to be the place to go to stretch your grocery budget. You'd do better in the natural/organic foods and produce sections at Kroger.

SS - please share the info on that produce delivery. And do you know any good CSAs?

[SuzySunshine]

I have not found a good CSA, the delivery we use is doortodoororganics.

[MrsK]

I have not found a good CSA, the delivery we use is doortodoororganics.

OMG, I'm going to love this!