Take the wild ride into shopping, saving and exploring fantastic Trader Joe’s Must Have Products you can only find at your local Trader Joe’s.
To align with the posts from the best things to buy at Aldi and 30 Best Things to Buy at Lidl, we took a visit to our local store to find the best Trader Joe’s foods.
Unfortunately, as much as we love Trader Joe’s, now, we know that this post is limited as many people don’t have a Trader Joe’s near them but you can see if one is nearby on their website. I wish they opened up more! The demand is there and my visit Sunday was wild – there were SO many people, but still worth it
Trader Joe’s Must Have’s
If you have ever been to the store, you are probably familiar with the setup! There is always something featured outside and it is usually a great deal! This week it was asparagus for $1.99/lb. I was so excited! My local Wegmans is selling it this week for $2.99 and I was visiting my mom in Washington state two weeks ago where it was selling for $3.99. Trader Joe’s for the win!
These 23 products are what we find to be the best things to buy at Trader Joe’s but there is so much more.
1. Chocolate Chips
If you plan to be baking anytime soon, stop by Trader Joe’s for chocolate chips! I usually pay north of $2 for a bag and if I look at Ghirardelli, it is a lot more than that. Think of your overnight oats, chocolate chip oat muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins and stock up for the holidays come this fall.
2. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
The boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $6.99/40 oz went into my cart. Granted, I can probably get boneless, skinless chicken for similar prices elsewhere, but Trader Joe’s chicken is all natural, no artificial ingredients and was minimally processed.
3. Organic Eggs
$1.69 for Large Organic Eggs is a huge steal. They aren’t cage-free but at that price, you are crazy to not snag it! The cheapest I can usually get any dozen eggs is $1.99 at my local stores.
4. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt for 99 cents was also a good deal. I get a store brand for $1 if I am lucky, when it is on sale, but I was thrilled with the variety of flavors Trader Joe’s offered at 99 cents. Their quality was also a too good to pass up.
5. Beer Bread Mix
Beer bread mix was only $2.79! Have you ever been to those food parties where you buy the box of beer bread for $6.99?I have, and I bought it back in the day. Then I fell in love with it and had to find a way to make it on my own. I’ll share that recipe soon as it is delish! But for a quick “dump-and-go” this is fabulous! I also think this would be a really cool Christmas gift for neighbors or office mates at work. For just a couple of bucks, I can give a gift that I know they will use and appreciate. Plus who else is going to be giving beer bread away? Place the box with the bottle or can of beer in a cellophane bag with a bow and you have yourself a cool gift!
6. Raw Nuts
Raw nuts were $4.99 per pound. Since we tend to eat a lot of nuts in our house for snacks, overnight oats and even for the pumpkin spiced pecans, this makes it much more affordable for me.
7. Honey Crisp Apples
Honey crisp apples were only $1.29/lb!! My Wegmans sells these for $2.99-3.99 depending upon the time of year. It was like I hit the lottery right here. If you haven’t ever tried honey crisp because they are too expensive at your grocery store, this is the time to give them a try! They are so good.
8. Roma Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes are 29 cents each! We make a lot of greek salads in our house so this was a huge financial win for us!
9. Sweet Onions
Sweet onions for 79 cents each. I know it is hard to gauge is the term “each” vs your normal grocery store’s measurement by the pound. Think about how much one onion weighs. This is a great deal and they were extremely fresh!
10. Ribeye Steak
Ribeye steak is only $9.99/lb. The only way in my area I can get ribeye steak for that cheap is to sometimes catch it at Costco, but I have to commit to $45-55 worth of steaks. My local Wegmans will come down to $10.99 if I buy 4 of them at the butcher’s counter.
11. Joe Coffee
Joe Coffee for $3.99. I had to do some quick math at the store for this one as it was for the 14 oz and I usually buy the 40 oz Dunkin Donuts for $14.99. This one came in at 28.5 cents/ounce, so for 40 ounces it would be $11.40!! That is a pretty sizable savings and the coffee at Trader Joe’s is so good. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing at all.
12. Fresh Basil
I think this was one of the best deal of the day! This was a 1.3-quart pot of fresh basil. Have you ever tried to just buy the basil plant instead of the precut five spindly leave for $1.99 at the grocery store? This gives you so much more and will last. There is also no waste! $3.99 is a steal!!!
13. Shredded Mozzarella
One pound of non-shredded mozzarella is $4.99. Are you making homemade pizza or a yummy pasta dish? This would be perfect!!!
14. Hummus
Hummus was $1.99 instead of the $2.99-3.99 I pay at my local Wegmans. I love this healthy snack and it is a perfect appetizer!
15. Spices
Spices were so cheap! Go there to stock up! $1.99 for 2.6 ounces. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but look in your spice cabinet and see how large your spices are now. These cost a lot less!
16. Veggie Stick Snacks
Veggie Stick snacks for $1.99! There were several veggie snacks in bags like this one for under $2.
17. Two Buck Chuck
Remember hearing about the “Two Buck Chuck?” Well, at least in my area, Two Buck Chuck is $3.29 but nonetheless, it is still great! Stock up! Buy a few bottles and invite friends over for a casual wine tasting on a frugal weekend!
18. Organic Popcorn
Organic popcorn is only $2.99 for 1.75 pounds. I usually spend $1.99 for 12 oz of generic popcorn and it is not organic.
19. Specialty Cheeses
Go to Trader Joe’s for your specialty cheeses! Stock up when you go! Fontina is only $5.99/lb.
Gouda was only $7.99/lb and great for cheesy potato dishes you might serve during the holidays.
Gruyere was $9.99/lb which sounds like a lot but in comparison to my Wegmans at $12-14/lb, I love the savings here!
Parmesan was $10.99/lb. This is the real thing, not the American version that we buy at our stores! The cheese at Trader Joe’s is all imported from Italy and has a much higher quality! I can’t wait to start shredding it!
There you have it! 23 things you need to buy at Trader Joe’s right now! I’m sold, how about you?
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Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
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