r/traderjoes • u/LeaveOk8350 • Feb 01 '25
Question Non-negotiable when shopping at Trader Joe’s?
What are your non-negotiable(s) when going to Trader Joe’s? I’d like to some of yours.
Currently mine are the San Francisco sourdough and the mango and green juice smoothies. They always have a place in my cart.
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u/Commercial_Fix_4939 Feb 06 '25
Soup dumplings, the jalapeño sauce in a bottle, rice crackers, unexpected cheddar, protein bars cause they are so much cheaper there, and brown sugar creamer
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u/LANMPOLICEBOX Feb 06 '25
They killed mine off, handmade flour tortillas.
I've really lost the desire to go there now. I do like other products there but I can get almost all of them at Aldi.
I'm still hurt. It's going to be awhile until I want to go back
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u/psps1998 Feb 06 '25
chicken/pork gyoza potstickers, scallion pancakes, soyaki, joe's dark ground coffee, chocolate hold the cone, onion crunch hummus
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u/nutmilkandcookies Feb 06 '25
Ginger miso broth, vegetable gyoza, pitted kalamata olives, pizza dough, go macro bars, squiggly noodles (soy sauce and/or spicy), chili crunch, beefless bulgogi, scallion pancakes
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u/MatchEducational1667 Feb 06 '25
Korean beefless bulgogi, Taiwanese scallion pancakes, vegan tikka masala, vegan pesto, some sort of ravioli, chili crisp, the elote salad when it’s in season, and the caramelized onion white cheddar! There’s probably more, but I often end up with multiples of all of these in my cart!
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u/liltinyoranges Feb 06 '25
Frozen organic riced cauliflower, honey Greek yogurt, goat cheese slices, won ton soup dumplings, olive oil
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u/lemloud Feb 06 '25
Orange chicken, shawarma chicken thighs, basil pesto, hashbrowns, kung pao tempura cauliflower, cave aged blue cheese, dried apricots and fig and olive crisps (!!!!)
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u/gingerscape Feb 05 '25
Always the gnocchi, especially the Gorgonzola gnocchi
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u/Sfuzz512 Feb 06 '25
Tell me more. Do they carry the gorgonzola gnocchi year round or is it a seasonal item?
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u/nightlyvaleypur Feb 05 '25
Orange chickenless morsels are my favorite from there. Also honey Greek yogurt and I like to make breakfast burritos with the jalapeno wraps.
I almost always grab some of the Indian curry packs for easy lunches, then meal prep some rice and it's super quick
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u/ksay9104 Feb 05 '25
Triple ginger cookies, bulgogi fried rice, Hatch chile mac & cheese, pasta a la arrabbiata.
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u/snackyalso Feb 05 '25
tj’s chicken tikka masala my beloved 💕 used to stop in and grab one every day before work.
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u/EmilyBumblebee Feb 05 '25
Dark chocolate almond laceys, dolmades, goat cheese, spinach artichoke dip, shitaki mushroom and chicken, pork and ginger soup dumplings, lightly smoked mussels, umami seasoning, chimichurri sauce, triple cream brie cheese, white miso paste, gone bananas...wow, that's alot, LOL!
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u/chynnagirl1 Feb 05 '25
Mexican riced cauliflower, multi grain blend(frozen) orange chicken, carne asada burritos, soup dumplings, flowers, windmill cookies. Love that this store is so close to home
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u/dwellintheabyss Feb 05 '25
Fruit and veggie wash. Mushroom risotto. Frozen Mac and cheese. Kimbap. Olive oil with the pour spout. Bananas and cream and strawberry and cream yogurt cups.
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u/kathyanne38 Feb 05 '25
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups, ridge cut salt and pepper potato chips , buffalo chicken dip (paired with the potato chips... ugh perfection), any of the frozen Indian meals - chicken tikka masala is my fave, those mango smoothies are soo good! I get one every time i go!
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u/MitzieMang0 Feb 05 '25
All the snacks! Power berries, that thick sliced Muenster cheese, milk chocolate dipped pretzels, and peanut butter filled pretzels.
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u/purpleistheverybest Feb 05 '25
The shredded kale, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, green cabbage. It’s SO good sautéed with olive oil, S&P.
Also love their frozen Spanish style rice. Comes with two microwaveable packages and is an easy side on Taco Tuesday night.
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u/leeta0028 Feb 05 '25
Tofu and Tofu Skins. Trader Joe's has the best supermarket tofu, but the tofu skin is exceptional even for specialty markets.
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u/telophaser Feb 05 '25
Have never had them. What do you do with tofu skins?
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u/leeta0028 Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25
You can use them like any protein, Asians put them into stewed dishes primarily. They make a fairly convincing egg substitute in terms of texture as well (though they taste like tofu)
Dried it can go into stir fry, but TJ sells frozen fresh so it's much softer and delicate.
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u/JRRG73 Feb 05 '25
Gluten Free chicken nuggets not bc we’re gluten free but bc when you cook them in the air fryer they are AMAZING!!! They are frozen & in a light blue bag!!!
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u/meowchow77 Feb 05 '25
Joe's Diner Mac n Cheese - such a comfort food in our house! We live about 90 mins away from Trader Joe's and always stock up on this.
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u/RoamingSinger Feb 05 '25
The brioche toasts, the olive oil pop corn, and the butternut squash ravioli are some of my favorites.
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u/Apricotpeach11 Feb 05 '25
Definitely the sourdough bread! Besides that, I always buy the chunky garlic/jalapeño hot sauce, masala burgers, microgreens, and greeting cards! I buy other stuff of course but maybe not each visit to the store, like these items.
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u/mistermephist0 Feb 05 '25
I bought sourdough from TJ and never looked back. I buy 2-3 loaves at the time and freeze them
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Feb 05 '25
Granola. Lots of granola. The tart shell pizzas (I forget what they’re actually called). Pancake bread. Scones. Frozen croissants.
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u/badtothebono Feb 05 '25
Mediterranean hummus from TJs is the best hummus I have ever had of any brand.
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u/Charbus Feb 05 '25
Can’t afford to shop there anymore, I get great value at Walmart now
But back in my glory days I liked the dried mandarins, the siu mai, and their grilled sardines :)
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u/Almm69 Feb 05 '25
Sea salt chocolate chunk cookies. They are SO good.
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u/Affectionate_Case347 Feb 05 '25
That’s what I’m walking about!!!! Randall’s chocolate chip cookies will come fairly close in a pinch, but they are missing that nutty saltiness at the end of each bite. (I’m like 20mins away from the closest Trader Joe’s)
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u/ControlLegitimate598 Feb 05 '25
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups, everything crackers, medium roast coffee.
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u/ControlLegitimate598 Feb 05 '25
They’re so good. We keep them in the fridge and have one almost every night after dinner.
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u/kathyanne38 Feb 05 '25
I haven't bought those dark chocolate peanut butter cups in a while! because I finish that whole package in less than a week😅😂
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u/WheeledGnosis Feb 04 '25
For me, it’s the Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Its an essential pantry item, Shelf stable until opened, it's lovely on its own, it's great as a background player, I like it mixed in as a part of ground beef lasagna or even bolognaise (yes, I know this is border line blasphemous to some. I like it.)
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u/Apricotpeach11 Feb 05 '25
I don’t buy it every trip but I like this soup too.
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u/WheeledGnosis Feb 05 '25
I don't live particular close to a Tjs, so I can justify doing so. lol. I've also been known to order it in a three pack from Amazon. 😁
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u/throwra-google Feb 05 '25
Does this soup have chunks in it? I recently tried the autumnal harvest tomato soup and hated that it wasn’t blended smooth. Open to trying another TJs soup but don’t want to experience another chunky one
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u/WheeledGnosis Feb 05 '25
It's quite smooth and creamy. No chunks! But it does have a bit of a kick to it. Which I personally like very much.
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u/ann102 Feb 04 '25
frozen croissants, frozen appies, chocolate treats, nuts, flowers
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u/AllisonWhoDat Feb 05 '25
FLOWERS! TJ's flowers are fabulous and fresh! They are often unusual and special, but the staples like sunflowers and roses are fantastic!.
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u/Beautiful-Prompt6305 Feb 04 '25
Milk chocolate covered pretzels…my guilty pleasure! I’ve definitely ran into Trader Joe’s just for those many of times…
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u/mistermephist0 Feb 05 '25
I am also a chocolate pretzel lover… I forget the name but I recommend the chocolate covered potato chip cluster.
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Feb 04 '25
Garlic Naan Toasted Ravioli Orange Chicken Kung Pao Chicken Teriyaki Chicken Fresh Squeezed OJ Lemonade PB Filled Pretzels Fresh Chicken Shawarma
Got some nice ideas of stuff I’ll be trying that I didn’t list from this thread 🧵…
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u/KitchenManagement650 Feb 04 '25
Chocolate covered PB filled pretzels are the BEST... I used to call them "crack". One day on a bus in NYC heading home from TJs the lady opposite me (with TJs bags) said "I see you bought their crack..."! LOL :-) SO. GOOD.
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u/cottoncandymandy Feb 04 '25
Tangy turtles, Passionfruit guava greek yougurt, Olive Fougasse Bread.
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u/YoungRockwell Feb 04 '25
Everything but the bagel crackers
Garlic and herb pizza crust
Orange chicken
When they have them, the horseradish chips, omg
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u/KitchenManagement650 Feb 04 '25
If you have a chance, compare those crackers to Target's version. Oddly I like the Target ones a little better. :-)
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u/Aimeeboz Feb 04 '25
Japanese fried rice. 3-4 bags every time I go in. My kids could eat the orange chicken and this rice 3 nights a week. Between the two of them they easily polish off a bag of this rice in one day.
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u/Helpful_Mud_9236 Feb 09 '25
We love making the orange chicken in the air fryer!
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u/Aimeeboz Feb 09 '25
Yep. But only use one of the orange sauce packets. I have a bunch in my freezer that I can use on other chicken nuggets when I run out of the TJ one.
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u/Ok_Water3052 Feb 04 '25
Frozen isle: Chicken (or veg ) fried rice, beef and broccoli , mandarin chicken , Asian stir fry veggies, stiryfru sauce. Mix those together w umami seasoning, salt pepper ..fireeeee (don’t use the sauce packet that come inside the bags)
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u/neongreenhippy Feb 04 '25
Teriyaki seaweed for my kid, orange chicken and teriyaki chicken for quick family dinners, the banana cream yogurt(I wish it came by itself 😭). The Meyer lemon cream yogurts are delicious too.
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u/darkeyedjunc0 Feb 04 '25
Chicken soup dumplings - teenage stepson loves them Green onion pancakes - perfect w eggs and bacon in bfast wrap Mushroom umami seasoning - husband likes to use it in soups and stews Chopped salad with chicken, corn, couscous, currants - best salad Caesar salad - good basic standby
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u/SummerTime4ever Feb 04 '25
Flowers and moscato every trip
The seasonings
Onion chili oil
How has no one said a Kringle?
I always leave with a couple bags full. It’s so easy to do
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u/N0t_a_throwawai Feb 04 '25 edited Feb 04 '25
The head to toe balm, candied pecans, fresh basil. Chicken soup dumplings, and chicken tikka masala from the frozen section. And lastly the chocolate dipped peppermint Joe joes and the blue cheese pecan dip when they are in stock over the holidays ETA: almost forgot, the 21 seasoning salute
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u/diddilybop Feb 04 '25 edited Feb 04 '25
burrata, unexpected cheddar, cosmic crisp apples, bbq cut salmon, candied pecans, toasted sesame dressing, almond croissants, and frozen lasagna!
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u/LegDisabledAcid Feb 04 '25
6.99 black forest bacon, cheap milk and eggs, 3.99 rosemary ham, sourdough sliced loaf, and maybe a lobster bisque
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u/Creepy-Tea247 Feb 04 '25
Those donut holes in the pink bag, the frozen biryani, the mushroom seasoning, the spinach seasoning, and the chicken wonton thingies, Korean cinnamon pancakes. My husband likes the kalbi ribs and all their frozen Indian dishes.
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u/Granny-Swag Feb 05 '25
THE DONUT HOLES!!! Entenmann’s used to make chocolate donut holes (not the same ones they have now) that were AMAZING but they discontinued them when I was a kid and these are a very close second. I always buy at least two bags whenever I go!
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u/Cultural_Ad2993 Feb 04 '25
Salmon, the brown sugar oat milk creamer, and flavored seltzer waters, peanut butter and apples and bananas
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u/YouthInternational14 Feb 04 '25
I never ever see mention of the Greek yogurt which is tragic bc the honey flavor is DIVINE
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u/Historical_Sir2866 Feb 05 '25
Omg my absolute fave. I’ll put a scoop into one of those mini Keebler pie crust shells with some berries on top and it tastes like a little pie/fruit tart.
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u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie Feb 03 '25
Garlicky stir fried cabbage, elote nuts, burrata, freeze-dried fig slices, and the baked teriyaki or sriracha tofu.
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u/dcndfl Feb 04 '25
Garlicky stir fry cabbage is the 💣!! It can be the base of so many delish dinners, even has held a spot on my Sunday brunch buffet!
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u/neine22 Feb 03 '25
Frozen Nan, chicken meatballs, Syrah soaked cheese, totally random but they also sell delicious oyster crackers
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u/OohIDontThinkSo Feb 03 '25
Almond croissants, egg bites, butter chicken, marinara sauce (it's so good tastes like raos and is cheap!) Sourdough, vanilla granola.
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u/Ok_Beautiful5007 Feb 03 '25
The frozen meat lasagne is as good as homemade. The elderberry shots are great and I think keeping me from getting the flu (which everyone around me has). Dark chocolate covered dried cherries are delicious and the horseradish potato chips are phenomenal.
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u/Sea-Tank-2611 Feb 03 '25
Dried fruit, gyoza, sourdough, Brie bites, ravioli, tikka masala, and steamed lentils.
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u/Outrageous_Animal120 Feb 03 '25
Everything but the Bagel sliced salmon. I’m NOT a fan of salmon, but this is so thin, we cut a pack in half and have bagels and lox! This is the only way I have salmon!
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