Trader Joes

[katluvr]

So we just had a Trader Joes open up across the bridge. I am thinking of heading over there tomorrow. What are your recommendations for things I should look for or pick up? You know the things you absolutely love. Of course I want to stay "healthy" or semi-healthy.

Thanks!

K

[Catrin]

I start at Trader Joe's. They don't have everything, but their organic veggies are typically lower priced than other places, and I love their frozen meats and fish for the price. I no longer get beef from them as I now go to a grass-fed farmer, but they have really good prices for their frozen items. Much of what they sell is healthy, though it isn't a "health-food" store. Watch the ingredients on some of the canned items though. I took back a few cans of coconut cream as I didn't look at the ingredients as closely as I should have. I can honestly say that I've never bought anything from them I didn't like...

[Irulan]

They opened last year near mean, and I still don't get it. Sure there's a few staple type products, and I agree that the frozen fish is a great buy. However, what I see when I go there is aisles of "healthy" prepared and frozen foods, and "healthy" junk and snacks. Each time I go in there I come out pretty empty handed.

[indysteel]

Muirenn and I buy a lot of the same things at TJ's. I'll admit that I rarely get much that's perishable there, because it's a long drive from my house and the only time I'm in the area, I'm not usually going straight home.

I'll be honest that I think TJ's is overrated in a lot of ways. Yes, they have fresh bread, cheap booze, decent cheese, and an okay selection of organic veggies (but so does my regular supermarket), but a lot of them are packaged in such a way that you have to buy more than you might need. It seems to me that a lot of their food is just processed food or is labeled and packaged in such a way as to appear like a heathier option when it's really not. Plus, the don't have a lot of things--at least at our TJ's--like lentils or dry beans that I would expect a store like that to have. I end up buying more whole foods at my regular supermarket.

[Catrin]

I get some of their cheese, organic veggies (less expensive than my other sources and typically they are more fresh), coffee, and frozen fish/chicken. I have certain things I get from them, certain things from Whole Foods, and certain things from the regular supermarket. Back when I still used milk and cottage cheese I only bought it from them. It works for me since I am pretty close, but I doubt that I would drive across town on a regular basis.

One nice thing about TJ is if you don't like something, doesn't matter why, all you have to do is to tell them when you return and they will refund it or apply it to your purchase. No receipt required, and you don't have to return the item. I've done this a handful of times - they make it very easy to do. They will do this even if you simply didn't like how something tasted.

[Crankin]

I do go there, but for a limited # of things: nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, lox. I guess if you want/need some kind of prepared ethnic food, that looks good and is cheaper than in other places. The produce is pathetic looking and I can get meat at my regular market and fish at a real fish market. I live near an abundance of small family farms good for summer and fall, and 2 large gourmet farm markets, one of which has every imaginable item you might need for a recipe, awesome produce, bakery, meats. I pray sometimes for the fact that I no longer live only 5 miles from this store, as I used to buy all produce here.
Really, my grocery store has everything, just about that I need, and when that fails, I go to the farm market or the local natural foods store. My regular market has coconut oil and Ezekial bread, so what more do I need?

[Becky]

I buy my almond butter and coconut oil there, simply because they're cheaper than anywhere else.

[indysteel]

Most of their nuts are a really good deal, and that's largely what we stock up on when we go there. They also have individually sized bags of a trail mix with almonds, cranberries and cashews that we really like to carry when we bike and hike.

[emily_in_nc]

When we lived near a TJs, we tended to buy mostly their house-brand organic cereal (Golden Flax...yummy and inexpensive), light coconut milk (great price), organic tortilla chips, and (of course) WINE. :D

Oh -- they also had the lowest price on almond milk around.

I miss TJs! :(

[SadieKate]

They opened last year near mean, and I still don't get it. Sure there's a few staple type products, and I agree that the frozen fish is a great buy. However, what I see when I go there is aisles of "healthy" prepared and frozen foods, and "healthy" junk and snacks. Each time I go in there I come out pretty empty handed.

DITTO! I do pick up their small housebrand granola bars because it is so difficult to find good granola bars that aren't sized to feed King Kong. However, I far prefer Bunny Bars (especially the choco cherry).

[roo4]

I buy olive oil and maple syrup from trees and balsamic vinegar and honey and oh, who am I kidding? I go for the impulse items--dark chocolate covered dried cherries and anything else that looks good. We don't have one locally, so it isn't a problem to buy a couple of treats once or twice a year.

[Crankin]

Oh yeah, and dark chocolate bars, for my nightly 2 squares of chocolate. 3.99 a bar.

[Owlie]

I get some of their boxed Indian food. It's not bad for the price. They used to have amazing frozen naan. I also like the huge bags of nuts and things. Oh, and the junk food--the chocolate-covered espresso beans, the toffee, and some of the cookies. I haven't been to one in ages, though. Neither the one here nor the one in Cincinnati are in terribly convenient locations for me. (And the one in Cincy is nearly impossible to get out of.)

[carlotta]

In addition to the occasional junk food, I buy this stuff fairly often:

Olive oil (the Spanish extra virgin is good/cheap).
The generic balsamic is good enough for daily use.
Almond/flax seed butter.
Almond meal, great addition to breads/muffins.
Greek yogurt, the plain 16oz 2% variety is a good deal.
Nuts, although our local co-op has expanded their bulk section recently and I need to re-price per lb.
Either the dark chocolate lovers' bars (72%?) or the little three-pack of dark chocolate bars live in my desk at work for the occasional chocolate fix.
Lara bars and Kind bars (work snacks/emergency lunch) are cheaper there than elsewhere. I sometimes buy the trail mixes for airplane or other travel food too.
The smoked trout/sardines make good salad additions and are cheaper than grocery canned fish.
The veggie potstickers (Gyoza? clear bag with blue/black label) are fairly healthy and fill my 'I need dumplings' fix occasionally.
They have a chicken chili that's pretty tasty and good for occasional 'I don't feel like cooking' dinners.

And you can get a pretty bouquet for $4 :)

I REALLY miss the reasonable/cheap wine and am tempted to make a drive to the NJ store that has wine one of these days....2 buck chuck isn't great, but there is a ton of decent ~$5-6 wine that is way better than what the state wine stores in PA sell for similar prices.

[azfiddle]

I shop a lot at Trader Joe's. Honey, quick-cooking steel cut oats, cheeses, frozen teriyaki chicken, Thai green curry sauce, chicken sausages, cats cookies, frozen fruit especially mangos, nuts & dried fruit are some of the main things. And chocolate.... I don't care for some of the pre-seasoned prepared foods- chicken marinated in a curry sauce and pollo asado are both very salty to me, and some of the frozen mixed vegetables have a seasoning I don't care for.

[Sylvia]

I'm a regular at Trader Joe's. However, as others have said, they don't have everything, so I also shop elsewhere.
Some of the items I purchase include nuts, chocolate, soy milk, organic tortilla chips, fruits and veggies, dog treats (I've found they have dog treats made in the USA, many places have them made in China and I don't trust that).

[PamNY]

Trader Joe's has good price/quality on nut butters, cheeses, kefir, vinegar, olive oil, jam and yogurt. Prices on Cliff and Pure bars are better than elsewhere. I love their Cuban-style canned black beans. Hummus, beet salad and pre-cooked lentils are good.

I don't like their breads, and their cottage cheese is too salty.

If your TJ has a wine store, they have good wines in the $6-8 range.

The employees are generally cheerful and helpful, which is a pleasant change from a lot of stores.

[Crankin]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

[PamNY]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

The checkout people are consistently good at our TJs -- much better than Whole Foods, where the whole concept of exchanging money for groceries seems to be new to a lot of the folks.

I'm always amazed at how well TJs handles the long lines. They do tend to be chatty, but I'm from the south so I'm used to that.

[indysteel]

There's a TJs near where most of my doctors' offices are. One day a year, I schedule all my annual exams. Typically, I have a bit of time to kill between appointments in the morning, so I go to TJs. Well, that's prime time for the stay-at-home moms in the area, with their small children in tow--small, precocious children who are given their own child-size grocery carts to wheel around with playful abandon. The mothers are invariably on their cell phones and are playing little attention to their offspring. It's like a roller derby in there; I'm lucky to get out alive.

[PamNY]

:eek: Child size grocery carts? Oy.

[Eden]

:eek:Child size grocery carts? Oy.

The co-op I shop at has a couple of them too..... toddler sized, they are just the right height for slamming into knee caps or shins.... (which nearly happened to me last night)

[indysteel]

Apparently, TJs calls them "customer in training" carts. Oy is right.

[Norse]

We were lucky enough to have a TJs open just about 1 mile from our home. We buy most of our stuff from the farmer's market (rarely go to Whole Foods - it is too pricey), supplemented by TJs and rare trips to the regular locally-owned grocery store and one co-op. Among the many regular purchases and faves:
- peanut butter
- hummus
- bagged greens
- nuts of all sorts
- mini-carrots for our dog (her favorite snack) and dried chicken breast strips, also for the dog; for the cats, "holistic" kitty treats
- olive oil
- dijon mustard
- boxed soups and stocks
- some dried pasta and gnocchi
- tuscan bread
- greek yogurt and cottage cheese
- various frozen desserts (the lava cakes and apple blossoms are a special treat)
- ham and gruyere tart
- jojoba oil, face lotion, hand lotion, Tom's toothpaste...

... and of course, cheap wine :D Honestly, they have the lowest prices for many everyday items.

[Norse]

Oh yes, also canned white and black beans and artichoke hearts, breakfast/snack fruit bars, and quick-cooking steel-cut oats. DP and I literally jumped up and down for joy when we first learned that we were getting a TJs in our neighborhood.

[spokewench]

We do not have TJs in our town so I miss them. When I go to visit my sister, I always buy a case of wine (Charles Shaw, of course) they call it two buck chuck (that's what it sells for in California TJs. Here in AZ it is 3 buck chuck. Also, they carry some very good wines in the range of $3.99 to $8.99. I also buy my proseco there it is half price of what I can buy it here in my town.
I like the cherry jam, montmorency cherries, all packaged nuts are good.
I don't usually buy fresh goods there or frozen since I have a 4 hour trip to get home.

[bluebug32]

I don't live near a TJ's, but whenever I do go I have to buy their ginger snaps. Three kinds of ginger, a soft center and perfectly crunchy outer...oh yeah. Nothing else quite like them.

[GLC1968]

This is a timely thread for me. We rarely ever shopped at TJ's (the one time I did, I was disappointed that I couldn't buy what I considered basics like certain types of flour) and often walked out empty handed since I didn't eat prepared foods and avoided nuts.

Now there is one on my route home (and a Whole Foods and a Peet's!!), so I'm looking forward to exploring what they have to offer. I will definitely look for nuts and olive oils since we use a lot of both...but you all have given me some other good ideas. Thanks!

[Dogmama]

Love their organic veggies.

And dog treats - as somebody mentioned - made in the US from real food. Even organic dog treats (like he notices...not!)

I do like their organic peanut butter. I pour off the extra oil.

[sookiesue]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

There are two Trader Joes in my area that I go to, and the checkout people are outstanding. I am happy to wait an extra minute or two in line to be treated kindly and have someone answer my questions if I have any. I am also happy to wait a bit for the people ahead of me to be treated with similar decency. It's refreshing to see.

A couple of years ago I was there and I had my 2 year old in the seat in the shopping cart and had was carrying my 3 month old in a sling across my front. The checkout guy not only offered to help me out to my car to unload the bags, but he pushed the cart for me and delighted my 2 year old with funny faces and other silliness. When he got to the car he loaded my bags into the trunk for me while I buckled the kids into their car seats. I wrote a letter to the company when I got home commending this employee for his great attitude and kindness that went beyond the store doors.

A little humanity like that goes a long way these days, I think.

As far as what I buy - the ones here have decent organic selections: milk, peanut butter (best price I've seen anywhere), veggies and fruits - these aren't always available but are priced well when they have them, nuts, pasta, wine, juice.

[Catrin]

It's been interesting reading the different perspectives of this store. The one I go to has very quick and helpful service. A few years back when I was much heavier and had major problems with hypoglycemia, one of their employees gave me some orange juice when I suddenly had a problem with it - and wouldn't allow me to pay for it.

[OakLeaf]

I'm really glad they finally signed the Fair Food Agreement. They're the only grocery chain in my area that's signed it. Unfortunately I'm using the phrase "in my area" loosely, since the nearest store is about 45 miles away.

I like their cheese selection. They've got a private label Ossau-Iraty that's not too bad.

[Crankin]

I fully admit I have no tolerance in the store, for lines, chatting, or anything. I have my food unloaded quickly for the cashier and my method of payment is ready to go.
I am only like this in grocery stores. It's different in smaller, local businesses. I plan my shopping at times when it's generally not busy, so it doesn't stress me out. I like cooking and eating, so hence, I want my shopping experience to be pleasant. I know this might sound b*t chy, but I do notice, that compared to my regular store or even the natural foods store that is smaller, I sometimes think the employees at TJs are all stoned.

[Pedal Wench]

I've become a complete addict for TJ's Goddess Dressing. It's a salad dressing unlike anything I've had - a kinda sesame-tahini-garlicy yummy-ness that makes me want to like the salad bowl clean. Yeah, that good. I don't have a TJ's anywhere near me, so I buy 10 bottles at a time.

Like others have said, their junk food is amazing - SLIGHTLY healthier than regular junk food (brown rice crisps, sesame crackers, etc.) and their candies are wonderful - pistachio toffee, dark-chocolate covered cherries, espresso beans, it's all good. Might be time for a road trip once my dressing stash gets a bit lower.

[AppleTree]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

I am with you there. Not that I want to be rude... or mind making some small talk about weather...whatever. But I really, really, really hate when they ask me what my plans are for the weekend. Like they care... sheesh. Like I am going to tell them anyway...:rolleyes:

But our TJs isn't like that... mostly.

Love their oatmeal, nuts, cheese, whole wheat pastas, olive oil. Those big giant dark chocolate bars with almonds....wow, are those good. My husband loves their vanilla ice cream. Oh, and the Prosecco...really good, and a great price. Sometimes our local TJs has Brunello wine from Italy...at a great price. Normally about $50 in a regular wine shop they usually have it (when they have it) for about $20.

[Crankin]

The TJs brand olive oil is really made by the Nunez de Prado family, in Baena, Spain. I went on a "field trip" there, on my bike tour in 2010. It's not their top level press, but very impressive. There's a reason why it tastes good!
Despite my crankiness at the employees, I go to TJs every other week for 72% chocolate bars, cheese, and nuts.