I want to start this off by saying that I’m not a zealot for any grocery store. I don’t stan brands. I shop all over the place, all the time, to find the best deals on what I want to eat each week. I am loyal to no one, and you shouldn’t be either. Show me a good deal or get the hell out of my way. I might not be a super fan, but I have spent most of my adult life near a Trader Joe’s and go there often. I have never been able to do all of my shopping there because they simple don’t have enough variety or quality produce to get me through my week but there are staples in my kitchen that I have been buying there for years. So this week, thanks to a thoughtful suggestion by the lovely
in the comments last week, I thought I would share with you my favorite items from Trader Joe’s that I buy regularly because they’re a great deal, a great product, or, ideally, both.
Before we get to that, I thought I would tell you what I never buy at Trader Joe’s too because that feels fair. Like I said, I’m no fangirl, just a smart shopper. I never, ever buy any of their tomato-based salsas. They use vinegar in all of them instead of citric acid and it’s one of the reasons they taste like shit. It takes a lot for me to turn down salsa but if it’s from TJ’s, fuck that. I also don’t buy any of their frozen or premade meals because I don’t think they’re very good, have lots of wasteful packaging, and the decent amount of recalls. Plus I think the serving sizes for the price isn’t that good of deal, but you do you. I used to buy their gyoza all the time but I swear they’re making those dumpling skins so thin these days that 50% of the bag just falls apart when you cook them. It’s very messy and I didn’t buy frozen dumplings to make my life harder tyvm. Lastly, I don’t buy much produce there because of how much packaging is on all of it and how quickly it all spoils. I don’t know why, but I swear TJ’s produce spoils faster than almost any other store. It feels like it’s related to all the damn packaging, but I just don’t risk it anymore. Unless you are using it in the next two days, get most of your produce somewhere else.
Ok, now here’s the list of the stuff I buy with some regularity and why. Don’t see your favorites on the list? Let me know in the comments and share your favs with the rest of us please. We all need some hot tips as grocery prices keep climbing.
Pantry
21 Spice Salute $2.49- This is always in my spice drawer and has been for 20 years. It’s a great all-purpose seasoning blend to throw on any roasted veggies, anything you’re gonna throw on the grill, homemade burger patties, and anything you want to have a vaguely meaty flavor since it hits all those steak seasoning notes. The best part? It’s salt-free so you can bulk up on flavor without overdoing the salt and that low price seals the deal. Throw it on your next tofu scramble and tell me what you think. It’s a 10/10 for me.
Jarred Fire Roasted Red Peppers $2.99- Obviously roasting them yourself is best, but the consistency of this price point has kept a jar of these in my pantry at all times for years. I can’t get 4 fresh red peppers for that cheap anywhere. Jarred roasted red peppers are occasionally on sale for cheaper at other markets but I can’t count on that. When I know I need them at a decent price and I can’t hunt around, I always grab a jar from TJ’s. That’s a hard price to beat. I blend them into sauces, make my red pepper rice from Hungry As Hell, and ten thousand other things. Having one of these in the pantry can be the difference between an ok dinner and a great one.
Jarred Eggplant Garlic Spread $3.29- Hear me out, I have never once used this as a dip or spread. I keep a jar in my pantry for when I make homemade tomato sauce or use jarred tomato sauce and I want it to taste like it’s been simmering all day. Just stir it into a sauce or tomato-based soup and you’ll see what I mean. It’s great to keep on hand when the meal just isn’t coming together how you want, and you need more flavor ASAP. It’s one of my lazy dinner tricks.
Plain Almond Milk $1.99- It’s cheap, it’s unsweetened, and it lasts forever in the pantry. I use this when I bake and cook instead of breaking out the nice stuff that I use for my coffee or that my wife likes to drink. It’s also great to have on hand because when you think you’ve run out of milk and start to sweat because you’re halfway through cooking, you’ll remember you have one of these stuffed in the pantry and chill out. You saved yourself again. Aren’t you the best?
Maple Syrup $15.99– Costco and a handful of other retailers occasionally have real maple syrup for cheaper but they don’t always stock it year-round. TJ’s always has this big bottle and at that price, it isn’t a huge investment. I like it for pancakes, I use it in baking, and when I make homemade granola. I don’t love the plastic bottle but that price is hard to argue with, at least on the west coast.
Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles $4.99- These are a new favorite but I hate how much damn packaging comes with them. I love that the noodles are air dried, not fried, and the sauces they come with are pretty decent. There are two flavors but ignore that they say one is spicy, it’s nonsense. Both flavors are great for a quick meal that doesn’t feel like you phoned it in. I usually add edamame or tofu, rice vinegar, and some fresh herbs to the noodles and then serve them alongside some cucumber matchsticks or a salad. I personally think you only need one set of the sauce packets provided for every 2 things of noodles but that’s just me. If you’re lucky enough to live near an H Mart or similar Asian grocer, you can find similar large packs of the knife cut air dried noodles and use them to stretch those extra sauce packets. If you’ve been spending a fortune on those Momofuko noodle packs, stop and just buy these. I love them in my Tomato Tamari Noodles too.
Fridge/Freezer
Extra Firm Tofu $2.79- This tofu is a great price and it’s so firm that I don’t even bother pressing it. If you’ve cooked any of my tofu recipes over the last 8 years or so, I tested them all on this tofu. I always have at least two bricks in my fridge and the best-by date is always far enough out that I don’t need to sweat it if they stay in my fridge an extra week or two. If you see me at a Trader Joe’s, you’ll see this in my cart every damn time.
Soyaki $3.99- I’m not joking when I say I have had a bottle of this in the door of my fridge every day for 20 years. Any of my old roommates will tell you it’s true. It’s cheap, versatile, and lasts a long time so it’s always there when you need it. One of my laziest (and favorite?) breakfasts is some rice, edamame, and a drizzle of soyaki and sriracha. I’ll throw some of this sauce in my tofu marinades, when I make a random stir fry or noodle dishes, dipping sauces for dumplings, you name it. Do they need to redesign the bottle so that it doesn’t get everywhere after you use it? Yes, but that’s never stopped me from buying it.
Produce
Bags of Lemons and Limes $1.99/$2.99- I don’t like much produce at TJ’s but their bags of citrus are a decent deal. I always have fresh lemons and limes in my kitchen, so I buy a bag of them every week at TJ’s even if I don’t have a plan on what I’m going to do with them. They always get used. If I know I’m going to need more than these small bags, I’ll buy in bigger quantities from Costco or my local Hispanic grocer but if I’m winging it, I grab them here.
Romaine Hearts $2.99- We know I love a salad, and I always have some romaine hearts in my fridge. I never know when a Caesar craving is going to hit. While most of their bagged salad mixes spoil quickly, I’ve found the bagged romaine hearts last a long time and they’re a good price whether you’re buying organic or conventional. Just grab some and you’ll eat more salad. That’s how that works.
Do you have similar favs and similar gripes about Trader Joe’s? Let me know in the comments.
Tomorrow, paid subscribers are getting a collection of a bunch of my favorite soups to help them get extra cozy this fall. Not on the list? You know what to do.
Xoxo,
Michelle
Love this! Thank you, Michelle! This is so great! Can I add my fave TJ hack? Get a can of their Greek chickpeas and dump it in when you’re cooking rice (I just dump it straight into my rice cooker after I add the water to the raw rice), and voila. Makes THE BEST pilaf situation. Everyone loves it.
Our TJ's lists are surprisingly similar. I add their bag of 6 undersized avocados for $4. They are almost single serving size so i dont end up with 1/2 a brown avocado in the fridge. I throw their soy chorizo in a pot of beans frequently. Their produce isn't great, except for the ones you named and their Persian cukes. Good price and will keep for a week in the fridge.