What to Shop & What to Drop at Trader Joe's
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What to Shop & What to Drop at Trader Joe's

Updated: Apr 21



 
Nuts & Dried Fruit - They make for super healthy snacks but your trail mix ingredients can rack up a grocery bill.  Luckily Trader Joe’s has you covered with a wide variety of nuts and unique flavors like Thai Lime & Chili Cashews and Sesame Honey Almonds.
Roasted & Lightly Salted Pistachios, 16oz bag
Trader Joes - $6.99
Local Grocery Store - $7.99
Whole Foods - $9.99
 
Eggs - Trader Joe’s has an impressive selection of eggs at competitive prices.  Whether you’re looking for cage free, pasture raised or organic, odds are you’ll find what you want at a lower price point than other grocery chains.
Organic Free Range Extra Large Brown Eggs, 1 Dozen
Trader Joe's - $4.49
Local Grocery Store - $5.49
Whole Foods - $5.49
 
Bananas - Trader Joe’s was just in the news for raising their flat rate for bananas for the first time in over 20 years, but 23 cents for every banana is still a great deal!  
Bananas
Trader Joe’s - 23¢ each
Local Grocery Store - 49¢ / lb (roughly 25¢ each)
Whole Foods - 69¢ / lb (roughly 30¢ each)
 
Organic Apples -  Since apples are one of the fruits called out in EWG’s 2024 Dirty Dozen List, you should buy them organic when you can.  The organic apples sold at Trader Joe’s are almost always more affordable than ones found at other grocery chains - You can find a 2lb bag of organic Granny Smith apples for just $2.99!  Just be sure to inspect your apples for quality before throwing them in your cart if you're buying them pre-bagged.
2lb Bag Organic Granny Smith Apples
Trader Joe’s - $2.99
Local Grocery Store - $5.99
Whole Foods - $5.99
 
Organic Peppers - Bell Peppers are another Dirty Dozen culprit that you should be aware of and try to buy organic.  Trader Joe’s has great prices for both green and tri-color organic bell peppers.


2-Pack Organic Red Bell Peppers
Trader Joe's - $3.99
Local Grocery Store - $3.49 each / roughly $7.00 for two
Whole Foods - $4.49/lb / roughly $4.00 for two
 
Organic Spinach - Always a great TJ’s buy, both fresh and frozen!  Spinach is a leafy green you’ll almost always find towards the top of the Dirty Dozen list every year, so it’s an important one to shop organic and pre-washed.  Whole Foods also has comparatively good deals on organic fresh and frozen spinach.
Fresh Organic Spinach
Trader Joe’s 6oz bag - $2.29
Local Grocery Store 5oz container  - $3.99
Whole Foods 5oz bag - $2.99
 
Seasonal Produce - Some of the best deals you can find at Trader Joe’s are for seasonal produce.  They may not run sales like your typical grocery chain, but you’ll notice that prices do go down at certain times of year when a fruit or vegetable is in season.  You'll also notice their produce is of superior quality when purchased in their harvest months, such as locally grown watermelon and corn in the summertime.
 
Hummus and Cheeses - TJ’s has you covered for all your party dips but their hummus game really stands out.  You can get a 16oz mediterranean style hummus for only $3.99 or a 8oz container of organic hummus for just $2.99.  The same goes for their cheese section - Whether you’re looking for a soft or hard cheese, plant based or organic, or a reduced fat shredded blend, chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for and at a steal price.
Lite Shredded 3 Cheese Blend
Trader Joes, 12oz bag - $3.99
Local Grocery Store, 7oz bag - $2.39
Whole Foods, 8oz bag - $3.99
 
Flowers & Plants - There is actually NO better place to shop for flowers than Trader Joe’s.  Their arrangements are always full and freshly trimmed and you will probably pay double or triple the cost for the same quality at any florist shop.  They even take special orders if you’re in need of a bulk quantity of flowers.  My mother-in-law ordered several hydrangeas for centerpieces at my dinner rehearsal and they lasted for weeks!  If you need a card to go with your flowers, they also have you covered with their 99¢ greeting cards.  
3 Stem Hydrangea Floral Arrangement
Trader Joe's - $5.99
Whole Foods - $9.99
 
Wines - Trader Joe’s sells some impressive quality wines at shockingly low prices.  You’ll find several big name labels on their shelves but they also have garnered lots of attention for their TJ’s exclusives.  Their Charles Shaw wines or “Two Buck Chucks” and La Ferme Julien collection are some of their most renowned and affordable labels, and they have so many other great picks!  Espiral Vinho Verde will be my go-to for casual sipping this summer - It’s received rave reviews from sites like Delish, Wine.com, and Reverse Wine Snob, and it sells for only $4.99 at my local store.


 
Pantry Staples  - This is a must-hit aisle for any TJ’s run.  Their organic condiments & dressings are worth the trip itself and the same goes for their selection of imported oils, broths and miscellaneous dry goods.  Here are some of my favorite pantry staples to stock up on from Trader Joe’s:


Compare to Annie’s Organic Ketchup $5.28


 
Meat & Fish - Trader Joe's has a relatively small selection of fresh meat and fish and it is all prepackaged. You can almost guarantee a cut of fish will be fresher when purchasing from an actual seafood counter than picking up a vacuum sealed/prepackaged cut. It’s also more difficult to know where your meat and/or fish are sourced from due to limited transparency. It may have your beloved Trader Joe’s label on it but in reality the meat is imported from various 3rd parties depending on where you are in the country, and longer supply chains imply compromised freshness.


Desserts & Baked Goods - Trader Joe's aisles and endcaps are loaded with tasty looking sweets and treats but it's best to leave them out of your cart. Try not to fall for their fun tiki themed packaging for products like their famous Joe Joe cookies. They may not contain high fructose corn syrup which is a win but each cookie actually contains slightly more saturated fat and sugar than an Oreo. That said, as long as these cookies and other desserts aren't making it into your cart every week then they are for sure worth enjoying every now and then!


Prepared Foods - If you're doing your food shop around lunch time it may be tempting to pick up one of Trader Joe's prepared salads or sandwiches, but you may want to think twice about it. They don't seem to be rotated as frequently as other grocery chains and you can't be certain that they're prepared freshly on site.


Frozen Meals & Appetizers - This one may be up for debate because many Trader Joe's enthusiasts swear by this aisle, but you really need to read labels on certain products. Just half of one tiny Chicken Pot Pie contains over 70% your daily value for saturated fat and over 30% for sodium. It may come as no surprise that their Parmesan Pastry Pups are also packed with ungodly amounts of sodium and fat as well as trans fat, but even the seemingly healthy Chicken Tiki Masala contains a surprising amount of fat and sodium at 22% and 24% respectively. Despite Trader Joe's having many unhealthy processed frozen foods, there are certainly exceptions to this rule. Chicken Gyoza Potstickers, Cauliflower Gnocchi, and their Spanakopita Bites are some great finds amongst others.

 

Disclaimer: All prices shown above were based on current prices found in store at my local Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Hannaford Supermarket as of the published date of this post. Any links to comparison products were also based off their current prices found online.

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