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Our Favorite Products
Just the mere mention of Trader Joe’s brings up countless favorites from bloggers to aficionados and everyday people like my daughters and me. My daughters turned me into a much bigger Trader Joe’s fan. I have my top 10 Trader Joe’s items that I purchase on every trip to their store. We so love going that my daughter would walk to Trader Joe’s almost daily to pick up lunch before heading back to her office. When she first moved to the city, her first big food shopping was at Trader Joe’s. Trust me, I helped her lug all of the groceries a good 20-minute walk back to her apartment.
Bring Trader Joe’s to …
Up until recently, it was about a 30-minute drive so going was a planned event. But then a Bring Trader Joe’s to Coral Springs Florida Facebook Group popped up. With over a thousand followers, I became excited about the prospect of having one nearby. I know my daughters, who were living with me during the pandemic, really missed having a location nearby. It debuted in October 2020 and we are now weekly shoppers.
Top 10 Recommendations
My daughters have introduced me to some great products. I definitely recommend trying them, if you can get them. A word of caution… certain items are not always available.
Cauliflower Thins – We use these in lieu of bread. You can make sandwiches, pizza, even use them as your burger bun. They are high in protein at 9 grams and only 3 grams of carbs.
Photo from Trader Joe’s IG
Sesame Crusted Hardwood Smoked Ahi Tuna – One try and I was hooked. You can add this to a poke bowl or top it on our next favorite item.
Jicama Wraps – These are native to Mexico and South America. It has a crunchy aspect to it but we use it for the smoked ahi tuna ( we add pickled onions or shallots, cucumber and wasabi mayo). It is also a healthier alternative to tortillas
Everything But the Bagel Salmon – This product is not always available but it is definitely a game-changer on a bagel.
Plantain Croutons -I am a big salad person. I have one with dinner almost every night. Besides all the veggies, I love croutons. For a change of pace that is healthier than regular croutons, if you can find these, I recommend trying it.
Photo by Trader Joe’s IG
Hearts of Palm Pasta – On a recent outing, the cashier had some boxes at her checkout counter and told her it was her new favorite item. Honestly, I have tried some of the canned products and was not a big fan. But we agreed to buy a box and served it with their Meatless Bolognese. It was great and a worthy alternative if you are trying to cut back on pasta.
Vegan Bolognese – Made with meatless plant-based crumbles (pea protein). This goes well over pasta (^), zucchini noodles, or even regular pasta. When you aren’t up to cooking a meal from scratch, all you need to do is heat and add to your favorite pasta.
Shrimp Burgers – Made of 70% farm-raised Pacific White Shrimp and wild-caught Pollock, these are juicy. We first made them in a frying pan but found that we preferred to prepare them in an air fryer. You can also bake or grill them. I have made shrimp burgers from scratch and mine tend to fall apart so having this alternative is definitely a time saver. We will eat it over lettuce or use butter lettuce as our bun.
Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip – I grew up on Lipton french onion dip which I definitely had no willpower when paired with potato chips. But this vegan alternative is great with healthier chips or crudites.
Vegan Tzaziki – I cook Greek food at least once a week. We are not Greek but have loved the cuisine and even visited Greece. I typically make my own tzatziki. So when Trader Joe’s came out with vegan tzatziki, I was in.
Frozen Dumplings & Gyoza – Trader Joes’s has an assortment of soup dumplings. My daughters love the pork & ginger soup dumplings and chicken dumplings. I like the shrimp gyoza. We will make Chinese dumpling soup, using my chicken soup recipe and adding in ginger, soy sauce, rice cooking wine, sesame oil, scallions, spinach, Asian chili paste.
Trader Joe’s Bloggers to Follow
Trader Joe’s definitely has a cult following. Although I try to go weekly if not every other week, I don’t always know about the new products. Thankfully there are influencers that share the newest items and their favorite items. I follow some of them on Instagram:
Trader Joe’s Smarty Points – This Instagrammer shares her favorite WW friendly finds
Final Grabs
I would be remiss if I did not mention getting flowers at Trader Joe’s. They are affordable, beautiful, and a great way to brighten up your home. And, make sure you stay updated on the fall season when they bring back their most popular pumpkin-spiced …. everything.
photo by Trader’s Joe’s IG
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