Trader Joes Help, going for first time this week, any must try, stock up on???

[Emily in IL]

we've never been are making a trip to one so I'm looking for suggestions on what not to miss :) thanks for your help

[JFS in IL]

several pizza crusts for the freezer, frozen tamales, chewy ginger cookies, random jars of interesting-sounding sauces...and of course, wine.:001_smile:

[j.griff]

oooh, the ginger cookies with 'australian ginger' are SO yummy. my dh and dc like the molasses ones though, so i get a whole bag for myself, mwahahahaha. :D

[Jennifer in MI]

Quite honestly, I don't buy many of their prepared foods. I shop there for my weekly shopping (one just opened a mile from my house!!). I buy staples - fruit, veggies, etc. But, a few things that I find especially good are:

Peanut butter
Organic jelly
Ketchup (no HFCS!)
Wheat wraps
Fresh fruits and veggies
Frozen fruit and veggies - one in particular - they have a frozen pepper medly (green, yellow, and red) that is AWESOME!!!
Corn Chips (in 32 ounce size!)
Whole Wheat pastas
Glee Gum
Soap (there's a tea tree oil one that is really nice!)
Wine!!!
Nuts (There's a Thai Cashew that is to die for! I also love their wasabi pecans and their peppered cashews. Yummy!)
Salsas - be sure to check out the garlic one

I know there's more, but I'm too tired to go look now. I find their cheeses and meat WAY too expensive. (Although there is a package of frozen chicken that's a decent deal.)

Have fun!!! Plan to spend time just looking! When I go, I always leave in such a great mood. People are so nice there.

[Shannon]

We used to live about 5 minutes from TJs and loved it.:) Now we're about an hour away from one and only go once a month or so.:sad:

Some of the things we always get: frozen fish, nuts, dried fruit, guacamole (It comes with 2 separate sealed packages and freezes really well.)....hmmm I know we get a lot more than that, but I'm drawing a blank.

They usually have a wide variety of cheeses at prices that are much cheaper than other stores.

One of my favorite things about TJs is that they always have new products, so there are interesting things to try!

Have fun!
Shannon

[nmoira]

Cashew Macadamia nut butter
Organic jams, preserves
Organic Marinara sauce (we use it as a starter for other sauces)
32 oz Grade B Maple syrup
Organic sugar
pork potstickers

There are lots of others, but these are the bang for the buck items for us.

[Mrs Mungo]

The Corn Salsa-YUM!!!

[Crissy]

Triple Ginger Snaps.

[nmoira]

Oh, I forgot the big bottles of green tomatilla sauce. We use these for enchiladas. Also the Thai green curry simmer sauce... cook shrimp until done and serve over rice. mmmmmm.

[Doran]

Ours is more than an hour away, so I really do stock up rather than having to drive that distance very often. Depending on how you like to shop, you can just look for goodies that might be hard to find elsewhere:

molassas cookies (and others)
olive tapanade
interesting salsas
cocoa dusted almonds

Or, like me, you can shop for everything your family loves (many of these items we can no longer enjoy due to dietary changes, and I miss them!)

organic pastas and sauces
organic nut butters and jams
no salt added tuna
organic maple syrup (pricey now!)
hard and soft cheeses (I found a nice raw milk organic New Zealand cheddar which I bought in quantity and froze)
organic sugar
dried fruits and nuts
chips and other snack items
tortillas
pizza dough (raw, not formed and pre-cooked)
oils, vinegars, mayos and mustards (plus all other condiments, many avail. organic)
coffee, tea, and other beverages


Have fun, and take a credit card! :D

Doran

[Jenny in Atl]

Everything posted above and don't forget all the great goodies and chocolate treats! :iagree:

[Melissa in NC]

hummus and tortilla chips
cinnamon roasted almonds
peanut butter filled pretzels
earth balance buttery spread
everything pita chips
coffee
everything bagel chips
eggs (cheap)
soy milk
shampoo
ginger

[Gailmegan]

Everything that everyone else said plus...

spelt (makes a delcious risotto type dish - recipe on box)
froz broc - cheap and good quality
froz soy ginger carrots w/almonds
peanut butter cups
luna bars (only 99 cents)
hummus
organic nitrite free hot dogs and sausage
froz wild orange roughy
granola cereal (mango and pecan are our faves)
baked beans
coffee
soy crisps
flax seed tortilla chips


ok i'm really hungry now and envious of those in states where grocery stores are allowed to sell wine. I've always heard TJs was soooo good for the price. *sigh* :001_smile:

[nukeswife]

I'm so glad this popped up. I was planning a trip up this Friday to check out the one in Newport News. I live in Chesapeake VA so it's about 25 minutes to get there, but I never knew it was there until I drove to pick up my parents at the airport up there.

I can't wait to go.

:auto:

[Tap, tap, tap]

Refrigerated:
Salsas
Cheese sticks
block cheese
grated Mexican and Italian cheese blends
bagged Spinach
bagged blended baby greens
bagged lettuce
Various fresh veggies/fruit
spicy spinach pizza
Greek yogurt
Kiefer
Vanilla/banana yogurt (kids fave)


Panda Puffs (peanut butter Kix)
Random cereals
Irish oatmeal
Mint hot chocolate
I'm not crazy about their breads but they have a few good ones.

Frozen
mango
pinapple
cherries
peaches
(I freeze my own other fruits)
Tiramisu Gelato
Iced fruit bars
misc frozen veggies
mixed veggies
garlic, cilantro, basil frozen cubes
roasted red potatoes
roasted mixed veggies
pot stickers (kids favorite)
frozen fish is OK...but frozen can only be so good.
My son loves the seafood blend in the fish section
Waffles
Pancakes (mini size for quick baby breakfasts)
Chicken fried rice


Dry goods
Mini chocolate chip cookies (they have a smidgen of coconut in them)
Spaghetti sauces for a quick dinner fix for dad
Flavored pastas
Enchilada sauce
Canned salsa (in jars)
Beans
Tomatoes
Rice-mixed rice bags are nice to toss a handful into soups
Honey
Maple syrup
Peanut/cashew butters
Jams
Devine trail mix
Sooo many good trail mixes (the Travelers blends are unique and yummy)
I am munching on candied ginger as I type (sore throat)
Dried cherries
raisins
We have liked all the dried fruit we have tried there
shelled pistachios (so you can eat them by the handful)

[Lizzie in Ma]

frozen foods section,
soy and ginger carrots
tons of frozen fruits and veggies
honey roasted peanuts and Thai Chili Lime ones
Trader Joe's O's
toilet paper
soy corn dogs
meatballs
rice crackers
that is my standard list

[Alice]

Love Trader Joe's! Some of my favorites:

Pizza dough (it's so cheap...at ours its $1.39 and makes great "homemade" pizza)
Frozen mango
Chicken Verde Enchiladas (frozen section)
Indian curry sauces
Cashews (way cheaper than other grocery stores)
Any dried fruits

I've also found that at ours milk, eggs and yogurt are cheaper than at other grocery stores.

[6packofun]

We're making our first trip to a Trader Joe's next month and I can't WAIT. It helps to have a list though, so thank you. :)