My Favorite Trader Joe’s Items
I can clearly remember the first time I walked into a Trader Joe’s market. I grabbed a grocery cart, then walked around aimlessly as the realization hit that I had no idea what to buy. I grabbed a couple items that I had heard some friends talk about and tried to inconspicuously peek into other carts to see what other people were purchasing. I left that day with only a few items and mystified by the fact that friends could do the majority of their grocery shopping at just this one store. Fast forward to the present. I now do the majority of our grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. Here are the reasons I have become a huge Trader Joe’s fan:
- I can get in and out of Trader Joe’s in half the time it would take me to shop at larger grocery stores
- I love helping myself to a small cup of coffee, tasting the sample of the day and picking up new meal ideas
- Trader Joe’s products don’t include artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and no GMOs
- The staff is friendly, helpful and willing to let you sample almost everything.
- I am able to purchase the same amount of groceries for a lot less than I was paying at larger grocery stores (note: Trader Joe’s is able to keep their prices low by avoiding slotting fees, marketing fees, middlemen fees. There are a few items that tend to be more expensive. I have noted which items I avoid below)
- They make shopping with kids a little easier. Children of all ages love finding the store mascot and receiving a free lollipop. Yummy samples don’t hurt either.
- Checkout lines are short
- Nobody packs a grocery bag better than a TJ’s employee
I know that many of you are already experienced Trader Joe’s shoppers, but I continue to hear from friends and family that they feel similar to how I felt on that first visit to Trader Joe’s. I am writing this post for anyone that feels a little lost wondering the isles or is hesitant to try a new product. I consistently stock my fridge and panty with the items listed here and every single one has passed my family taste test. If it isn’t listed here we either don’t like it, haven’t tried it or don’t need it.
Click here for a printable version of my Trader Joe’s Grocery List or click directly on the image below. I have these items listed in the order that I generally make my way around my local store. I have this list in my iPhone Reminders app so that I can access it easily and share it with the other members of my household. Read more about how and why I use Reminders here .

Whether you are a TJ’s newbie or longtime faithful shopper, we can all use a little help figuring out how to use all of these groceries. I have included links to all my tried and true recipes below as well as tips on how I use specific items. Bookmark or pin this page so that the next time you are trying to figure out how to use the leftover mushrooms from last night’s dinner or you have a hankering for Brussels sprouts, you will have a resource to give you a fresh idea.
Produce
- Flowers- fresh flowers always make a room special
- Bananas- freeze any that get too ripe for smoothies
- Organic grape tomatoes- fresh veggie beef ragu
- Organic red bell pepper- chicken enchilada soup
- Organic zucchini- chicken noodle hold the soup
- Avocado- taco cornbread casserole
- Yellow onion- I always have at least one on hand
- Red onion- peach salad with chicken
- Russet potato- potato cheese soup
- Yukon gold potatoes- steak salad with bacon and crispy potatoes
- Bag of organic pears- roquefort pear salad
- Bag of organic apples- harvest grilled chicken salad
- Lemon- chicken with souvlaki marinade and rosemary lemon orzo
- Lime- grilled lime salmon
- Spinach- the first thing I add to all my smoothies
- Organic Romaine hearts- chop this up for a lunchtime salad
- Kale- summer farrow with grilled steak
- Spring Mix- arugula salad with apricots
- Organic Caesar Salad Kit- steak and caesar salad with naan
- Parsley- this or this
- Dill- potato cheese soup
- English cucumbers- smoothies, side salads, and slices for a snack
- Lentils- lentil dip
- Cremini Mushrooms- Johnny Marzetti
- Organic Baby Carrots- goes into my son’s school lunch
- Carrots- cheesy chicken and rice casserole
- Celery- topped with PB as a snack
- Cut butternut squash- herb rubbed pork with squash and grapes
- Washed & Trimmed Green Beans- roasted parmesan green beans
- Brussels Sprouts- pesto roasted Brussels sprouts
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts- angel hair with bacon, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms
- Organic Broccoli- whole wheat penne with broccoli
Note: You may have noticed that berries are missing from the list. We eat a lot of berries in our home. I typically buy organic strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries at Costco because they are better quality and less expensive. Seasonal fruits and veggies such as asparagus are also missing because they aren’t always available.
Refrigerated
- Whipped cream cheese- not as heavy as regular cream cheese
- Brie- always goes well with wine and crackers
- Cracker cuts- easy appetizer or snack
- Sliced sharp cheddar cheese- my grilled cheese go-to
- Feta- greek pasta salad
- Blue Cheese- harvest grilled chicken salad
- Parmesan- pasta dishes, roasted veggies, you name it…
- American cheese- we like this on an egg-wich
- Shredded Mexican cheese- everything tastes better with this on top
- Shredded mozarella- chicken skillet noodles
- Fresh mozzarella log- baked gnocchi
- Organic cheese sticks- snack on the go
- Ham- tasty on an english muffin with egg in the morning
- Smoked Turkey Breast- sandwich staple
- Bruschetta sauce- easy and delicious lentil dip
- Hummus & pretzel snack pack- my son loves to pack this in his lunch
- Cheese tortellini- tortellini with pesto and tomatoes
- Just chicken- BBQ chicken quinoa salad
- Tamales with red sauce- an easy dinner, add this as a side
- Cubano- my hubby takes this to have at his desk in the office
- Egg & sausage burrito- great to grab when headed out the door for sports easy in the morning
Note: Buying pre-made sandwiches, salads and wraps will contribute to a much higher grocery bill. I try to limit the amount of items I buy in this section.
Dairy, Juice, Eggs, and Refrigerated Dough
- Whipped Cream- makes hot cocoa “extra”
- Half & Half- mint chocolate martini
- 1% organic low-fat milk
- Whole chocolate milk- my kids claim this brand is the BEST
- Organic low-fat cottage cheese- one of my go-to lunches topped with fruit
- non-fat plain greek yogurt- cheesy chicken casserole
- Fruit & cream yogurt cup- a creamy, decadent snack
- Squishers yogurt- freeze for a “frozen yogurt” snack
- Fresh squeezed orange juice- easier than squeezing oranges yourself
- Orange, peach, mango juice- my daughter’s juice of choice
- Cage-free organic eggs
- Butter
- Unsalted Butter
- Refrigerated biscuits- pizza monkey bread
- Refrigerated croissants- wrapped around a hot dog for a kid-friendly dinner
- Refrigerated cinnamon rolls- a special breakfast treat
Bakery
- Corn tortillas- carnitas tacos
- Flour tortillas- smothered beef burritos
- Sourdough bread- our go-to for toast
- Dinner rolls- I keep these in the freezer and defrost as needed
- Sour batard loaf- great with this soup
- Honey whole wheat hot dog buns- try substituting a banana topped with pb&j in place of a hot dog for breakfast one morning
Freezer
- Quinoa cowboy veggie burgers- the best veggie burger!
- Organic super sweet cut corn- this soup or this casserole
- Organic foursome vegetable medley- veggies in a pinch
- Organic peas- pesto orechette with chicken sausage
- Reduced guilt mac & cheese- my favorite mac and cheese
- Rice medley- pork tenderloin with apple cranberry gravy
- Organic brown rice- cheesy chicken and rice bake
- Naan- steak and Caesar salad with naan
- Mandarin orange chicken- super easy dinner when served over rice
- BBQ chicken teriyaki- easy chicken teriyaki rice bowl
- Frozen chicken breast tenderloins- chicken parmesan recipe shortcut
- Black bean and cheese taquitos- great after school snack or appetizer
- Mango chunks- mango and pineapple tropical smoothie
- Pineapple tidbits- mango and pineapple tropical smoothie
- Multi-grain toaster waffle- a breakfast staple
- Chocolate croissants- just like the more expensive WS version
- Steelcut oatmeal- one of my favorite weekday breakfasts
- Hashbrowns- reminds me of the McDonalds version- but healthier
- Organic Acai bowl- my daughters favorite school lunch– defrosts while she is sitting in class
Pantry
- Rolled oats- carmelitas
- Chia seeds- pumpkin spice chia seed pudding
- Cornbread mix- chicken pot pie with cornbread crust
- 100% pure maple syrup- maple roasted butternut squash risotto
- honey- peanut butter energy balls
- Strawberry jam
- Organic fruit crusher – great snack on the go
- Unsweetened apple sauce- pork tenderloin with apple cranberry gravy
- Lemon curd- great spread on these pancakes
- Sea salt with built in grinder
- Pepper with built in grinder
- Garlic salt with built in grinder
- Organic free range chicken broth
- Organic beef broth
- Organic Vegetable broth
- Organic black beans- cheesy chicken rice bake
- Refried beans- oven tacos
- Organic kidney beans- pasta e fagioli soup
- Cannellini beans- chicken with white beans and tomatoes
- Beef chili with beans- great over baked potatoes or corn chip dippers
- Sweet Corn- taco cornbread casserole
- Coconut milk- coconut rice
- Enchilada Sauce- chicken enchilada soup
- Taco shells- oven tacos
- Farro- one pan faro with tomatoes
- Tri-color Quinoa- easy summer quinoa
- Gnocchi- baked gnocchi
- Macaroni- Johnny Marzetti
- Pappardelle- I substitute this pasta for linguine
- Whole wheat spaghetti- accompanies the homemade spaghetti sauce I always have in my freezer for an easy dinner
- Vegetable radiatore- rotini with ham
- Organic tomatoes diced in tomato juice
- Italian tomato paste
- Organic marinara sauce- one pan pasta and meatballs
- Alfredo pasta sauce –rotini with ham
- Fat Free pizza sauce- pizza monkey bread
- Minced garlic- so much easier than peeling and chopping garlic
- Sun-dried tomatoes- sun dried tomato pasta w/ chicken & mozzarella
- Olive oil
- Olive oil spray- give your pan a quick spray before cooking eggs, etc…
- Balsamic vinegar
- Balsamic glaze- summer raviolis
- Organic Ketchup
- BBQ sauce- BBQ chicken quinoa salad
- Dijon mustard- I use it in salad dressing regularly
- Yellow mustardRolled oats- carmelitas
- Chia seeds- pumpkin spice chia seed pudding
- Cornbread mix- chicken pot pie with cornbread crust
- 100% pure maple syrup- maple roasted butternut squash risotto
- Honey- peanut butter energy balls
- Strawberry jam
- Organic fruit crusher – great snack on the go
- Unsweetened apple sauce- pork tenderloin
- Lemon curd- yummy to spread these crepes or muffins
- Sea salt with built in grinder
- Pepper with built in grinder
- Garlic salt with built in grinder
- Organic free range chicken broth
- Organic beef broth
- Organic Vegetable broth
- Organic black beans- BBQ chicken quinoa salad
- Refried beans- oven tacos
- Organic kidney beans- pasta e fagioli soup
- Cannellini beans- chicken with white beans and tomatoes
- Beef chili with beans- great over baked potatoes or corn chip dippers
- Sweet Corn- taco cornbread casserole
- Coconut milk- coconut rice
- Enchilada Sauce- chicken enchilada soup
- Taco shells- oven tacos
Meat
- Bacon- steak salad
- Applegate organic beef hot dogs- a tasty BBQ staple
- Boneless skinless thin sliced chicken- peach salad with basil chicken
- Bone-in chicken thighs- chicken with white beans and tomatoes
Note: There isn’t a lot of meat or fish on my Trader Joe’s list. We purchase the majority of our organic boneless chicken breasts, organic ground beef and pork tenderloin at Costco to save money. I only listed the meats that I go out of my way to purchase at Trader Joe’s because I prefer their cut or taste. (ex: I hate handling chicken and don’t mind spending a little extra on their thin sliced chicken breasts if a recipe calls for it instead of a full sized breast). If a recipe includes meat that I haven’t bought in bulk or I don’t buy often, I will add it that week’s grocery list.
Beverages
- Unsweetened vanilla almond milk- tropical smoothie
- Coconut water- coconut rice
Bath & Body
- Shaving cream- the best shaving cream I have used
Snacks, Dried Fruit & Nuts
- Chunky salsa- cheesy chicken rice bake
- Organic white corn tortilla chips- my pick to have with guac
- Soy and flaxseed tortilla chips- I like to serve with this dip
- White cheddar corn puffs- solves my “crunch” craving in the afternoon
- Kettle Corn- my kids request this for their snack
- Organic corn chip dippers- great with chili and shredded cheese
- Giant Peruvian inca corn- similar to Corn Nuts
- Bown rice organic rice cakes- add peanut butter for an easy lunch
- Banana chips- my favorite trail mix
- Dried cranberries- pork tenderloin with apple-cranberry gravy
- Dried apricots- apricot almond rice pilaf
- Organic unsweetened flake coconut- peanut butter energy balls
- Sea salt & Turbinado sugar dark chocolate almonds (located above the frozen veggies) these are great when you need a little fix of chocolate
- Dry toasted sliced almonds- pasta with zucchini and toasted almonds
- Unsalted dry toasted pecan pieces- a great oatmeal topping
- Candied walnuts- instantly adds kid appeal to salads
- Dry toasted pignolias- linguine with asparagus and pine nuts
Note: I left cakes, cookies, ice cream and candy off my lists because these items are never a “need” more of a “want”. I tend to choose the seasonal items when I am in need of a treat because I know they won’t be around for long. Peppermint Jo-Jo ice cream is a staple in our freezer around the holidays
I hope you have found this list useful. Putting it together has been a true labor of love on my part because I honestly can’t imagine life before Trader Joe’s anymore. I would love to get your feedback. You can check out my favorite fall and winter seasonal Trader Joe’s items here and here.


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