Trader Joe’s has extremely fresh produce, great on-the-go meals, and an excellent bakery section. I don’t typically do all of my grocery shopping here but I put together my top 10 favorite items that I buy every month.
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Gnocchi: This soup is beyond flavorful and full of spices. I make a quick meal during the week by sautéing the cauliflower gnocchi then adding in spinach, parmesan, and the soup. It takes about 15 minutes to make and is filling.
Japanese Fried Rice: Don’t make a mistake by getting the normal vegetable fried rice. This version has edamame, carrots, tofu, and seaweed. When I cook the rice myself I typically add a protein on top, chili oil, and additional low sodium soy sauce. I typically add additional tofu mixed in which I cook in the pan with spices before adding.
Elote Salad Kit: I am a bit of a skeptic of bagged salads. This salad is very flavorful with the perfect amount of crunch. The base mix is a vegetable mix with green onion crispy, dried, sweet corn kernels, cornbread crumbles, and crumbled cotija cheese.
Everything but the Bagel Dip and Seasoning: The portion is rather small for the dip at over $3 per container. On the Trader Joe’s website they actually have a recipe for you to make at home. The dip is made with Greek-style yogurt with sesame seeds, sea salt, poppy seeds, garlic, and onion. It is a great dip with crackers or vegetables with about 60 calories in 2 tbsps. I find the dip to be very addicting and it is very easy to eat the entire container in one sitting. It is a rather light flavor and not too overpowering.
Gluten Free Muffins: My husband is severely allergic to wheat products. I have tried the Triple Ginger Muffins as well as the Double Chocolate Muffins. I always find that gluten free bakery items taste horrific especially when almond flour is used. This muffins are extremely moist and taste like a Costco muffin when put in the microwave for a few seconds. They are absolutely not low calorie though, but I put them in the freezer and defrost them whenever I want a treat.
San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread: The loaf comes pre-sliced which I personally like as you don’t have to struggle to cut a whole loaf. The slices have about 100 calories per piece. The bread has a nice typical sour taste but is chewy and soft. I personally love using this bread to make paninis and avocado toast. From what I was reading, it doesn’t contain preservatives so I keep it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t go bad quickly.
Chocolate Croissants: These croissants come frozen so it recommended to let them rest or proof for 9 hours overnight before baking. I literally can’t ever remember to do that so I would highly recommended checking out this page for quick proofing and cooking ideas. I have personally directed baked them from frozen which made them more flat but still tasty. The croissants come out slightly browned on top, flaky, and buttery. There is a great portion of chocolate on the inside for the perfect chocolate ratio.
Snacks: I am obsessed with always have snacks around the house! I load up on unique snack items as I don’t personally like basic chips or pretzels. Trader Joe’s is always inventing new items so always be sure to check in for new items. I personally love the following items:
- Elote corn dippers
- Trail mix crackers
- Joe-Joe cookies (any flavor)
- Mini hold the cones
- Gone bananas (chocolate covered bananas)
- Multiseed crackers with tamari soy sauce
- Artichoke jalapeno dip
- Peanut butter filled pretzels
- Scones (any flavor)
- Roasted seaweed snack
Chili Onion Crunch: I put chili oil on my eggs, hummus, and vegetables. This version from Trader Joes is not too spicy and only has about 10 ingredients. It’s the perfect amount of spice and crunch to take your next dish up a notch.
