Last week, I made a trip to Trader Joe’s for the first time in a while. I love shopping at TJs because they have good prices, fun products and some really great items made from real ingredients.
You can also see a bunch of my favorite Trader Joe’s freezer items in a post HERE— the items I always keep stocked in my freezer, plus how I use them to make super quick meals.
I thought it would be fun to share my favorite Trader Joe’s staple items, the goodies I grab almost every time I make a trip to TJs.
Favorite Trader Joe’s staple items:
Brown Jasmine Rice
I really like the flavor of jasmine rice. We eat it in burrito bowls, with curry, with scrambled eggs. My favorite way to cook it: rinse 2 cups rice, then add it to the Instant Pot with 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release manually for about 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.
Organic Coconut Milk
I always stock up on this! I use it a lot in curry dishes. And I love that it doesn’t have guar gum as one of the ingredients.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Have you tried these?! They are so so good, and I always pick them up (or the small pack) to keep on hand when I want a treat. They are SO SO good!
Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
This has become one of our favorite pastas, and it’s gluten-free! It keeps its texture when you cook it, and I love how the fusilli shape catches all of the sauce.
Wine
Trader Joe’s has such a good selection of reasonably priced wine. Alex and I love the pick out new wines to try together for a little at-home date night.
Greek Yogurt
I love this plain version because you can add honey to sweeten it if you like. Or we love using it in place of sour cream to top tacos, enchiladas, salads, etc. It’s thick and creamy and delicious.
Traditional Marinara Sauce
I recognize all of the ingredients in this sauce, plus it doesn’t have added sugar, plus it tastes great. We use it as pasta sauce, but also as pizza sauce.
Avocado’s Number Guacamole
The great thing about this guacamole is it doesn’t have a lot of unnecessary ingredients. It tastes great too. We use it a lot on tacos, fajitas, burrito bowls, etc. You can also freeze it and thaw it when you need it.
Vegan Kale Cashew & Basil Pesto
I love all pesto, but this has become a favorite. We use it with pasta or cauliflower gnocchi or as a pizza sauce. It’s really a delicious pesto.
Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
I keep these in the freezer for quick protein in dinners. The girls love them too.
Pineapple Juice
Almost every morning, I mix about 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg) with a little pineapple juice and drink it before breakfast. Apple cider vinegar can help boost metabolism and improve digestion.
Organic Riced Cauliflower
I usually buy a few bags at a time to keep on hand for quick meals. They’re great instead of or mixed into rice or quinoa as a side dish (try it with cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper). Use 2 bags for my favorite Cauliflower Fried Rice (get the recipe HERE!).
Organic Tahini
Tahini is such a great staple to have on hand because you can use it to create a sauce for veggies or salad dressings, or even make brownies.
72% Cacao Dark Chocolate
You can find this at the front of the store near the registers and I always grab a pack. When I want something sweet, I’ll break off pieces of this and it usually satisfies my craving. And it’s not super bitter like some dark chocolates can be; it’s a good mix.
Shelled Edamame
This frozen edamame cooks in 4 minutes and is great to make for a snack (add a little salt), or to add into my favorite Cauliflower Fried Rice! (get the recipe HERE!)
Cauliflower Gnocchi
I always grab 2 bags of this for quick dinners. My girls love these too. Defrost them for 1-2 minutes, then bake these and the Kale Gnocchi 12 minutes at 425 degrees, then top with pesto. Or bake, then top with marinara and mozzarella and broil until cheese is melted.
Organic Roasted Veggie Pizza
This is my go-to frozen pizza, a “healthier” version. 🙂 I feel better about it because it’s topped with lots of veggies, and my girls like it too. Not the healthiest, but it’s all about balance. Serve it with a big delicious salad, or roasted broccoli.
Bananas
Trader Joe’s price for bananas is the cheapest I’ve seen at 19 cents each. We eat a lot of bananas too, so I stock up when I make a trip to TJs. 🙂
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
This is such a good alternative to traditional pizza crust, and it’s good. The texture is different from dough, but it’s tasty and a really good way to get in more servings of veggies.
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