Trader Joes--what should I buy?

goalsuccess · 03-30-2008, 04:47 PM

I've read so much about Trader Joe's on line that I thought I'd look to see if there's one in the Cities. Low and behold, there is! I'm headed there tomorrow and don't know what to expect. What are some great, healthy things you buy at Trader Joe's?

ladybugnessa · 03-30-2008, 04:55 PM

I love trader joes... be prepared to be there a while if it's your first time.

without knowing what food plan you follow I can suggest

cheeses
hummus
wheat products (whole wheat pizza dough is a fav of ours)
dried fruit
canned salmon
greek yogurt
eggs are cheaper than anywhere else
rooibos tea
nuts
quiona
whole wheat pasta and couscous
frozen samon patties
guacamole/salsa mix
we like their coffee
they have dried fruit leather
100 calorie dark cocolate bars

for treats
veggie flax chips
wasabi peas
sorbet

for the house
dog food

I can truly say that if i lived alone most (99%) of my shopping would be at trader joes...

Glory87 · 03-30-2008, 06:21 PM

Oh wow, I love Trader Joe's. Stuff I love at Trader Joe's:

* Trader Joe's crunchy natural peanut butter
* Dried granny smith apple rings
* Frozen roasted corn
* Frozen "just chicken"
* Little packages of pomegranate seeds in the produce section
* La Natura yogurt (ginger & cinnamon)
* Trader Joe's Fat Free Greek Yogurt with honey
* Super lean hamburger patties
* Trader Joe's fat free balsalmic vinaigrette
* La Tortilla Factory 50 calorie whole wheat tortillas
* Cliff Nectar bars - particularly the dark chocolate
* Pizza sauce
* Simmer sauces
* All kinds of wonderful nuts - they make this pack with pepitas that I love to put on salads

There are so many tasty, wonderful things I DON'T get - heh if I had discovered Trader Joe's before I changed my life, I would have bought SO MUCH STUFF there.

Be prepared to spend a lot more than you planned

Heffalump · 03-30-2008, 06:30 PM

Ooh, we just came back from TJ's 10 minutes ago!

Nessa and Glory gave some great suggestions already - in addition, some of my favorites are:

Pacific Low Fat Almond Milk, Original or Vanilla - cheaper than anywhere else and super yummy
dried fruit, especially Chile Spiced Mango and Candied Ginger
dark chocolate covered blueberries
harvest grain blend
unsalted nuts, especially peanuts, cashews
Luna bars (I haven't found a better price anywhere)
sweet potato spears (produce section)
pepper artichoke tapenade and red roasted pepper spread
crushed ginger
...and usually we also take some bottles of good old "Two Buck Chuck" aka Charles Shaw wine - infinitely more drinkable than its nickname suggests

Oh, and so much more. I'm still discovering new exciting stuff every time I go there...

nineteen · 03-31-2008, 01:32 PM

frozen brown rice! you microwave it for three minutes and it's actually really good.

nineteen · 03-31-2008, 01:33 PM

also their lentil and vegetable soup

and

their split pea soup

ladybugnessa · 03-31-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nineteen

frozen brown rice! you microwave it for three minutes and it's actually really good.

i get it in the bag.. not even frozen but aleady cooked nukes in one minute...

Marathon Mom · 03-31-2008, 02:00 PM

Trader Joes is great.. here is a run down of my "Go To" items:

Frozen Green Beans (fastest moving items at their store)
Cod Sticks (healthy low fat fish stick - my kids love them)
Tofu Pups (Veggie Chicken nuggets)
Dried Green beans
Dried Sugar Snap Peas (snack aisle - tastes like a healthy cheeto)
No Salt Almonds
Bettern N' Butter (low fat peanut butter spread)
Fish Fish Fish (low priced)
Soy Vay (great asian Marinade)
Ginger Tomato Soup (in a box)
Bruschetta (in a jar - great to add to brown rice or spinach)
Granola bars
Shrimp Gyoza Pot Stickers
Mini Crab Cakes
Orange Hand Soap

have fun!

ladybugnessa · 03-31-2008, 02:07 PM

also i get the Mayonaise there. it has no sugar added...

Glory87 · 03-31-2008, 03:35 PM

Ha, first I got the frozen brown rice in the green box. Then I switched to the cooked brown rice in the vaccuum sealed plastic bag that you microwave for 2 minutes. NOW I use the brown rice in the little container with the peel back top - microwaves in 2 minutes, perfect and delicious and no messy clean up!

I laughed when I read the frozen green beans were the best seller - do you mean the yummy ones with the spicy sauce? I'm constantly stealing the sauce packets for stir fries! Then, I just steam the green beans for other stuff, heh.

Sheila53 · 03-31-2008, 08:23 PM

I have to confess that I love some of their frozen dinner items when I don't feel like cooking--shrimp fried rice, mandarin orange chicken, mushroom risotto, asian chicken breast (or something like that), grilled chicken strips.

I also love their Greek yogurt and their chicken breakfast sausage. We don't have a TJ's near us, but when we go to "the big city," we always take a cooler along and stock up.

My DH is addicted to TJ's tapenade, some sort of cheese roll thing, and Ritter Sport chocolate bars. I eat TJ's high fiber cereal almost every day. Also, great frozen berries, garlic naan, crumpets. . .just so much stuff that I like there.

BlueToBlue · 03-31-2008, 08:49 PM

I like a lot of the stuff people have suggested so far. Here are a few things I get from Trader Joe's that aren't on the above lists and are very diet friendly:

Egg-white salad. If you like egg salad, this stuff is awesome--you'd never know it is just egg whites. The serving size is generous (one serving makes a large sandwich) and it is a mere 50 calories per serving with 7 grams of protein. It comes in two flavors: spicy ranchero and chive. In a 50-calorie whole wheat wrap, this makes a great, high protein snack! They have a new flavor that is salmon and dill, but that is 100 calories per serving.
Chicken Chili Lime Burgers: All natural ingredients--just chicken and veggies and spices and only 110 calories per patty. They make a great quick dinner.
Salmon Patties: Just salmon and salt in a patty form and only 80 calories per patty. Served as a sandwich, in a wrap, or over brown rice with a sauce, these also make a great quick dinner.
Chicken Chile Verde. In the freezer section, one package is two servings, each serving is 140 calories. Served over brown rice (see suggestions above), this makes another great, quick meal.
Frozen Battered Halibut. Lightly battered and frozen halibut. Heats up quickly in the oven. Serve with mustard and a veggie side and you've got another great, quick meal. Like fish and chips but without the greasy chips. Only 200 calories per serving.
Multi-Grain Hot Cereal: It's like oatmeal but slightly better. 1 gram more of fiber and 20 calories less than an equal sized serving of oatmeal. Same amount of protein. All natural ingredients--just oats, barley, rye, and wheat. Tastes exactly like oatmeal (the rolled variety) and cooks up in five min on the stovetop.
Whole Wheat Pitas: Only 130 calories per pita, which is 20 calories less than the whole wheat pita varieties sold at my local Safeway.
French Light Feta: Tastes just like regular feta but only 40 calories per ounce! Much better than other reduced fat cheeses.
Alvarado Street Bakery Flaxseed Wheat Bread: Only 50 calories per slice and 4 grams of protein per slice. It is a little soft, though, and if you don't like seeds in your bread, then this bread isn't for you.
Fat-Free, Free Range Chicken Broth: Only 5 calories per cup! You absolutely will not find a lower calorie chicken broth anywhere (most are 15 calories per cup). It's like water with flavor. I go through a lot of chicken broth.

BlueToBlue · 03-31-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glory87

Ha, first I got the frozen brown rice in the green box. Then I switched to the cooked brown rice in the vaccuum sealed plastic bag that you microwave for 2 minutes. NOW I use the brown rice in the little container with the peel back top - microwaves in 2 minutes, perfect and delicious and no messy clean up!

I've seen the brown rice in the vacuum sealed packages and in the container with the peel-back top. In both, the calories for one serving are quite a bit higher than one serving of the frozen brown rice (I think over 200 calories compared to 160 on the brown rice). Is that just because the serving size is bigger than for the frozen brown rice? I've been reluctant to buy it because of the calories, but if it is just that the serving size is extra large, I could just eat a smaller serving.

nineteen · 04-01-2008, 02:17 PM

Ohhh their frozen battered halibut is SO good!

Glory87 · 04-01-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueToBlue

I've seen the brown rice in the vacuum sealed packages and in the container with the peel-back top. In both, the calories for one serving are quite a bit higher than one serving of the frozen brown rice (I think over 200 calories compared to 160 on the brown rice). Is that just because the serving size is bigger than for the frozen brown rice? I've been reluctant to buy it because of the calories, but if it is just that the serving size is extra large, I could just eat a smaller serving.

I split one between 2 people and I don't think the serving sizes are that big. For me, it's a taste/texture difference, the frozen stuff is um, too single grainy - it doesn't have that nice, moist, sticky brown rice texture that you get in a restaurant. The microwave stuff does! I can happily spend an extra 40 calories for a brown rice I love vs a brown rice that I am very "meh" about.