My Favorite Trader Joe's Products

Trader Joe's has something of a cult following... and I am unashamedly a part of that cult. There is just something about Trader Joe's. Is it the ambiance? The cute packaging? The fun signage? Probably a combination of all of those things. Plus, they have some one-of-a-kind food. I mean, Inner Peas? Besides being one of my favorite snacks of all time, it is also a brilliantly punny name for a product.

Maybe I am letting myself become too obsessed with a grocery store, but Trader Joe's seems like more than just a grocery store. It has so much character, its more like a cute coffee shop than a Safeway. Now that I think about it, it seems wrong that it should even be in the same category as Safeway, that cold warehouse of blindingly-bright lights and freezing refrigerator aisles and cranky cashiers and gossip magazines at the checkout. Getting groceries at Trader Joe's is actually enjoyable.

For this post I decided to round up a handful of my favorite Trader Joe's products and share them on the blog! I do have to say, however, that there is so much of Trader Joe's that I haven't had the chance to check out yet simply because I eat all my meals at the dining commons and don't have to regularly cook for myself. So my favorites mostly consist of snacks and desserts and tea, but those are some of the best things in life anyway, right? Besides, next year I'll be moving into my first apartment and, for the first time in my life, will have to learn how to feed myself, which I'm actually kind of looking forward to. So I'll provide an updated version of this post after I start making meals for myself on a daily basis in order to share all of my new findings.


For now, here are my current favorite Trader Joe's products.

Inner Peas // I figured I'd might as well start with these since I mentioned them in the intro to this post. As I have already said, these are so good! Plus, the ingredients are pretty wholesome as far as store-bought snack foods go! They are simply baked and salted whole green peas, pods included. Also, I think I should mention that the full name is "Trader Joe's Contemplates Inner Peas", which I think is so clever. (See also, "Embrace Your Inner Bean", another version of this yummy snack.)

Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea // I love this tea so much, I've actually already written about it on the blog in my Top Five Favorite Teas post. Though it took me a little while to like it, I now drink this tea almost every day. This tea is extra great because ginger and turmeric are so healthy for you and it is decaffeinated, so you can drink it at any time of day.

Goat Milk Creamy Cheese // If you haven't tried this spreadable goat cheese, you absolutely must! It is way better than regular cream cheese. I love having it on Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds with a little Trader Joe's Fig Butter.

Salted Caramel Coconut Cookies // I love coconut desserts, so naturally, I loved these cookies. Chewy, coconut-y, and caramel-y. Yum.

Plain Low-Fat Kefir // This was one of the greatest discoveries. It makes such a difference in my morning oatmeal. It makes it creamy and tangy and even more delicious. I posted an oatmeal recipe using kefir a few months ago on the blog that you can check out here (highly recommended!).

Rolled Oats // These oats are delicious whether you're making oatmeal for breakfast or chocolate oatmeal cookies for dessert!

Sharp Cheddar Pub Cheese // This spreadable cheese is crazy addictive. It makes such a good snack when spread on top of Trader Joe's Golden Rounds Crackers.

Marinated Artichokes // Fire Roasted Red Peppers // Whole Wheat Pitas // I decided to lump these three things together because they make the best pizza. My family and I eat them all the time (and actually had them for dinner just last night!). Use the whole wheat pitas as the crust, spread on some pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and add the chopped up artichokes and red peppers on top. I also love adding a little feta cheese.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks // I use these for baking all the time. They make awesome chocolate chip cookies. And I also like eating them on their own!

Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches // Ice cream cookie sandwiches rolled in chocolate chips?!? Amazing. When my sister came to stay with me overnight in the college dorms, we walked 2 miles just to get these for dessert.

Flowers // These last two items aren't food items, but I wanted to include them anyway. The first one is flowers. Trader Joe's has the most beautiful flowers for only four dollars!

Greeting Cards // Trader Joe's sells the prettiest greeting cards around, and for only 99¢! They work with freelance artists, some of whom I actually follow on Instagram, so of course I love their cards!

Those are just a few of my favorite items at Trader Joe's. I hope you found something new you'd like to try on your next trip! Like I said in the intro, I'm sure I'll discover a lot more products next year when I'm cooking for myself and I'll be sure to share them here.

Have a wonderful Sunday! See you next week for another post.