Hi. I’m a 20-something living in a major metropolitan area so obviously I spend a good chunk of my time and money every month at Trader Joe’s.
I do the bulk of my grocery shopping at both Aldi and Mariano’s, but it’s impossible to resist the pull of everyone’s favorite tropical-themed grocery store.
There will come a day when I do not commute home past a Trader Joe’s and thinking of that day torments my heart.
And my stomach.
Anyway. There was a period earlier this year where I was so busy between yoga teacher training, freelancing, working and volunteering that I barely had time to eat, let alone cook.
Enter: Trader Joe’s.
I usually try to make most of my meals at home from scratch because 1. I like knowing everything that goes into my food and I’m a relatively healthy eater (aside from my ranch dressing problem) and 2. I’m a broke piece of shit.
But due to the sheer insanity and lack of time in my schedule over the past few months, I found myself making way more stops at Trader Joe’s than usual.
I figured I’d take a second to round up some of my favorite things from Trader Joe’s.
Quick note: I tried to refrain from adding things, like, 19-cent bananas since you can get bananas most places, and instead, focused on exclusive Trader Joe’s products for my list.
With that said…
Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. Honestly I think there was a point earlier this year where I ate avocado toast topped with a fried egg and this seasoning every. single. day. for like three weeks straight.
Speculoos Cookie Butter. Or as I like to call it, “Snickerdoodle drug butter.” Idk how other people eat this, but I eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon.
Coconut cashews. These are addictive as all hell, but are so good! They’re a decent alternative to the chocolate I usually reach for after I finish my lunch at work.
Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole. Not that there’s anything wrong with full-fledged guacamole in all its healthy fat-filled glory, but this is convenient and tastes good. I’d buy it even if it wasn’t reduced guilt, to be fair.
Channa masala. When I’m craving Indian food at home and am too lazy to get my ass up to Devon, I pull a tray of this out of my freezer, heat it up, throw it over brown rice and serve it with a side of Malabari Paratha. Each box of channa masala has two servings too so two lazy lunches for the time/ price of one? Thank u next.
Paneer tikka masala. If I’m too lazy for channa masala (yes, I know, pathetic)… paneer tikka masala it is! These packages are single serving and the rice is included so literally all you do is microwave it, win.
Organic Superfood Pilaf. I like to portion this out into Pyrex containers and add some pre-prepared tofu from Argyle Street (VN Tofu & Fast Food) for an easy and healthy lunch.
Melodious Blend. This is another easy, quick and healthy meal option. I’ll eat this on its own, or over pasta, or over greens. If I have feta and tomatoes on hand, I’ll add those, too.
Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms. My faaaavorite “lazy” fancy dinner is this served over top of linguini. It takes like 15 minutes to “make.” It’s not as healthy as some of the other options on this list, but it’s delicious, so who cares.
Smashing S’mores. I am a campfire fiend, and the one terrible thing about living in Chicago is the lack of bonfires here. These are a somewhat suitable replacement.
Maple Leaf Cookies. I love maple syrup. (Fun fact: At my last reporting job, I got to write a story about how maple syrup is made.) These cookies are maple-y and great.
Bamba Peanut Snacks. These are not single serve bags, but I like to pretend they are because I will eat the entire bag in one sitting. These are like Cheetos but are peanut buttery and delicious instead of being weird orange and plasticky.
Cowboy Caviar. I’m kind of picky about tomatoes sometimes. I’ll eat them, but I don’t absolutely love them. Therefore, I really like alternative salsas, and this one is pretty great!
・・・
To answer your lingering questions — yes, I did paint my nails specifically to shop at Trader Joe’s for this post, and yes, I did actually buy all the stuff I took photos of. I’m eating my non-single-serving bag of Bamba peanut snacks right now, actually.
What are your favorite Trader Joe’s products? LMK, because I will definitely eat them.
