Trader Joe's Shopping List

I go to Trader Joe's pretty regularly to get groceries and lunches - I think J would prefer going to a "normal" grocery store, but TJ's items are a little smaller, usually a lot cheaper, and as someone who eats mostly vegetarian/pescatarian, they are sooo many options that appeal to me compared to a regular grocery store.

Someone on Facebook the other day suggested I post what I buy at Trader Joe's, and I'm happy to oblige. 😊 I do want to point out that this is not a "normal" list for me - we usually have at least 1/3 of the items at home already, so my list is usually a lot shorter depending on how many "basics" (like olive oil) I need to restock.

Flowers:

• Eucalyptus Leaves

When I first walk in, there are flowers and leaves to my left. I'm not really a flower person, but I realized I looove getting leaves for the vase in our living room! The leaves are about $2.99 for a huge bunch, so it's definitely worth it - at least for me. 😉

Packaged Foods:

• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Salad Dressing
• Coconut Milk
• Vegetable Broth
• Herbs and Spices
• Spaghetti Sauce (Garlic)

Near the produce, there's a whole aisle of packaged goods. I love how affordable their coconut oil is, since I use it a lot (for moisturizer, for cooking, for chocolate...), but their olive oil is also pretty reasonably priced. I've also found their salad dressing (depending on the dressing) a good investment. Further down, the aisle, I also really like their herbs and spices. The only downside is that they don't have a lot of variety - for example, I love getting whole peppercorns and chunks of salt for grinding (which they have), and they offer garlic and ginger powder at very reasonable prices. However, they don't have rosemary, which seems insane to me. Who doesn't carry rosemary? I use a lot of it, so, unfortunately, I have to get that elsewhere. Also, their garlic spaghetti sauce is Whole 30 compliant and totally delicious!

Fresh Produce:

• Whole Chicken
• Fresh Farm-Raised Salmon
• Ravioli
• Ready-Made Salads
• Kale
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Apples
• Bananas
• Grape Tomatoes
• Jalapenos

Cheese:

• Brie
• Truffle Cheese
• Goat Cheese (for salads)
• Shredded Cheese (for pasta)

Bread:

• Baguette
• Sourdough Loaf/Sandwich Bread

Phew, so many pictures and lists! This is the majority of what I buy at TJ's - particularly the vegetables and greens. The prepared kale is a great deal, as are the whole chickens and the ready-made salads. I looove their salads to take to work for lunch, and their brie is so affordable! I've been getting a baguette there lately, which they get in fresh from around the area, but they will go stale pretty quickly, so have a plan for it first. I buy the tomatoes and jalapenos when they're in season.

Treats:

• Cookies
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
• Marshmallows
• Cookie Butter (with Pretzel Crisps on the side!)

Cookie butter though. Plus, I use the chocolate chunks in place of chocolate chips, which are somehow way more delicious than anything.

Frozen:

• Broccoli
• Riced Cauliflower
• Edamame
• Frozen Shrimp
• Frozen Salmon
• Frozen Portobello Fries

“Dairy:”

• Almond Milk (Original, Unsweetened) – Boxed
• Eggs
• Coconut-Flavored Yogurt
• Butter (Salted & Unsalted)
• Kombucha (Gingerade right now!)

Carbs:

• Movie Theatre Popcorn
• Herb-Seasoned Popcorn
• Veggie Sticks
• Popcorn Kernels
• Seaweed Snacks
• Sriracha Chips

TJ's has a TON of frozen veggies, which is one of the things I love most about them. I eat a lot of veggies, and I can't always cook them before they go bad - so keeping them on hand, but frozen, is vital for us. I'm obsessed with their portobello mushroom fries, and the riced cauliflower is perfect for stir-fries or adding extra veggies where you don't notice them. Also, I'm totally into drinking kombucha out of wine glasses. TJ's also has a lot of "chip" options, particularly if you're not into traditional chips. I'm completely obsessed with their "Movie Theatre" style popcorn, and I love that I can get kernels to make my own popcorn from scratch.

We don't get all our groceries from Trader Joe's - for example, trying to get affordable canned tomatoes there is a nightmare - but I do get the majority of our food there, and I'm always happy with the quality of their products and food!

Here's the whole list, in case you want it!

Flowers:

• Eucalyptus Leaves

Fresh Produce:

• Whole Chicken
• Fresh Farm-Raised Salmon
• Ravioli
• Ready-Made Salads
• Kale
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Apples
• Bananas
• Grape Tomatoes
• Jalapenos

Cheese:

• Brie
• Truffle Cheese
• Goat Cheese (for salads)
• Shredded Cheese (for pasta)

Bread:

• Baguette
• Sourdough Loaf/Sandwich Bread

Treats:

• Cookies
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
• Marshmallows
• Cookie Butter (with Pretzel Crisps on the side!)

Frozen:

• Broccoli
• Riced Cauliflower
• Edamame
• Frozen Shrimp
• Frozen Salmon
• Frozen Portobello Fries

“Dairy:”

• Almond Milk (Original, Unsweetened) – Boxed
• Eggs
• Coconut-Flavored Yogurt
• Butter (Salted & Unsalted)
• Kombucha (Gingerade right now!)

Carbs:

• Movie Theatre Popcorn
• Herb-Seasoned Popcorn
• Veggie Sticks
• Popcorn Kernels
• Seaweed Snacks
• Sriracha Chips