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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
What do you love there? I cant figure out what's so great about it. Nothing I have bought have I loved yet. What do I need to try? haha - I see I asked this 5 years ago too, probably the last time I went in there.
Feel free to answer if you didn't answer 5 years ago. 
Message edited 1/8/2018 6:12:42 PM.
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Posted 1/8/18 6:10 PM  |
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jlm2008
LIF Adult
Member since 1/10 5092 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I honestly don't find anything great about it either. Unless I'm missing something, 90% of it is prepackaged food which I tend to stay away from. I like a couple of things like the cookie butter, etc...but I get that knowing it's crap for you, lol!
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| Posted 1/8/18 6:22 PM |
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M514
Hi
Member since 8/10 6011 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I don’t love it either. There is nothing there that I NEED to buy. And they always seem to have so many recalls on their food.
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| Posted 1/8/18 6:28 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
We love the banana yogurt, and their cereal bars. The bacon cheddar ranch dip is good. I like their frozen fried rice also, and the mini ice cream cones. There is really nothing there I can't live without though.
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| Posted 1/8/18 6:40 PM |
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b2b777
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 4474 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I prefer Stew Leonards!!!
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| Posted 1/8/18 6:52 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I hate it.
Always packed and hard to get around.
And imo just a ton of prepackaged/frozen/processed food with a very limited produce selection.
The only thing worthwhile there is the Cookie Butter!
However...the prices ARE very good
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| Posted 1/8/18 7:07 PM |
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I like the selection of nuts but that's it for me. The organization makes me crazy. Why do I want to look through the random cookies and chocolate at the same time I shop for frozen fish and veggies? I dont get it but I'm not one to shop off my list so I'm probably not the norm.
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| Posted 1/8/18 7:37 PM |
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mommy2be716
LIF Adult
Member since 1/16 2921 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
LOOOOOVE TJ's... the fire roasted peppers and onions (frozen aisle), broccoli and cauliflower patties (frozen), the guilt-free mac and cheese, stuffed shells, and baked ziti I like for quick dinners/lunches at work, cauliflower crust pizza (frozen), cabernet pot roast, carne asada, any of their chicken sausages, the cheese puffs, almond butter, ciabatta rolls, peanut butter puffins cereal, chocolate covered bananas (frozen), and the asian sesame vinagrette dressing are some of my favorites. We also like the breakfast bars from there (called "an apple/strawberry/blueberry/etc. walks into a bar"). DD loves the whole milk yogurt from there. Dh loves their pineapple juice and really likes the beers from there. He thinks it's cool to be able to get a six-pack of beers and mix and match everything. He does that every once in awhile when he wants to try our a new beer, so that he isn't stuck with a 6-pack of something he doesn't like.
What I love most about it is that I can buy a lot of groceries and still end up paying so much less than I would at stop and shop. It took me a few shopping trips to really familiarize myself with everything, but now I am at the point where I can go and get everything I would normally get at a regular grocery store.
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| Posted 1/8/18 7:59 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7272 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Everything. Everything is great about Trader Joe's. Our favorite is the frozen roasted corn with cotija cheese. I use the tricolor frozen peppers for chili. I like the cauliflower pizza crust. The bags of riced cauliflower. They have the cheapest bananas and eggs. Hummus. Nuts. DD loves their cheese sticks, yogurt, peanut butter crackers, smoothies, cereal bars, pancakes, waffles. The rise and bake chocolate croissants are amazing. They have mini dark chocolate bars. Olive oil popcorn.
I go once a week. It's never that crowded and I go on the weekend. The parking lot is miserable though.
ETA: I hate the cookie butter. I am the only person in the world who hates it, but I do.
Message edited 1/8/2018 8:17:17 PM.
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| Posted 1/8/18 8:16 PM |
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MichLiz213
Life is Good!
Member since 7/07 7979 total posts
Name:
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
We love TJ's. Good prices on a lot of their products, easy meals for the week, and a lot of high quality/organic products for less than the conventional grocery stores. Not everything is a hit, but we go about once a month and stock up. DS loves their version of nutri-grain bars, mini pizzas, and pop tarts. Some of our favorite products from there, besides the ones mentioned above, are:
Ground turkey
Turkey Burgers
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Chicken Sausages
Cinnamon roll bread
ancient grains granola
Just the Clusters cereal
Spicy Beef and Broccoli
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Veggie Patties (LOVE their cauliflower broccoli ones)
Balsamic Glaze (I put this stuff on EVERYTHING)
General Tso's Sauce
Enchilada Sauce
Dark Chocolate Star Cookies
Oatmeal
Ginger Pear Tea
I also got my mother their Everything But the Bagel seasoning, which she loves. She's on WW and puts it on her low fat multi grain english muffins.
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| Posted 1/8/18 8:17 PM |
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Disneygirl17
LIF Toddler
Member since 11/16 496 total posts
Name:
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Absolutely nothing. It’s all crap. Organic crap.
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| Posted 1/8/18 8:42 PM |
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Naturalmama
Love my boys!!
Member since 1/12 3548 total posts
Name:
Christine
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What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I find the cookie butter to be gross. Way too sweet. However, there are a lot of things from there that we love. I mostly get stuff for my kids there- yogurt tubes, pirate's booty, organic mini cheese crackers, greek yogurt, apple cinnamon sticks, freeze dried fruit, gluten free cinnamon raisin bread, honey wheat pretzels, organic applesauce, cereal bars, popcorn with olive oil, cheddar cheese sticks, pita crisps, hummus.
Our produce & meat we get from either Stew Leonard's or Fairway.
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| Posted 1/8/18 9:06 PM |
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
For me it’s about convenience 100000%. I go at off hours without crowds. I know exactly which foods my kids are willing to eat and where they are located and since it’s not a huge supermarket it does not take long to gather my stuff. My kids eat very little but have their favorite foods there so that alone is a winner. Also, as a busy mom some of the prepackaged “crap” is necessary for survival and probably a tad better than the prepackaged crap I would buy from the supermarket when I don’t have time to cook. I love love love the hard boiled eggs(yes I am even too lazy to boil eggs lol) and have my own favorite go to lazy meals. A am sure one could do better with meal planning and store circular rummaging but that can’t be in my life right now lol.
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| Posted 1/8/18 9:11 PM |
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I have never been to a trader joes in my life. Everyone seems to love it though
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| Posted 1/8/18 9:26 PM |
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summerBaby10
let's be nice
Member since 9/07 10208 total posts
Name:
Wifey
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
I like their produce & snacks like the mini chocolate chip cookies, frozen almond croissants, mini ice cream cones, nut selection and my favorite, garlic fries. I will have to look into that mix and match beer mentioned above even though i don't really drink beer. Their meats always look gross to me. I also find cookie butter gross.
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| Posted 1/8/18 9:27 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7272 total posts
Name:
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Posted by LastLightGlow
Also, as a busy mom some of the prepackaged “crap” is necessary for survival and probably a tad better than the prepackaged crap I would buy from the supermarket when I don’t have time to cook.
Yeah, I'm not sure why people think it's all prepackaged crap? I think most parents buy some sort of "prepackaged" stuff for their kids, unless you make your own crackers and grow your own bananas.
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| Posted 1/8/18 10:55 PM |
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Ladybug63
Ohh... baby
Member since 5/06 2527 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
My ds is super picky about brands and he likes certain things from there. Their knock off Nutri Grain bars are great, organic milk that’s not ultra-pasteurized, organic oj from the US, great cheese selection, carmilized onion dip is amaz, organic waffles & pancakes, frozen rice, organic bananas. They have good desserts to bring to someone’s house too like mini cupcakes, chocolate babka etc.
The prices on these items can not be beat (unless a sale & or coupon)
I’m not a huge fan of the meat except their ground turkey & the grilled balsamic chicken.
I get most of my fruits & veggies at Costco. I find those prices to be less expensive organic or not.
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| Posted 1/8/18 11:46 PM |
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MrsS2005
Mom of 3
Member since 11/05 13118 total posts
Name:
B
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
My kids love their yogurt, cereal, cereal bars and crushers. We’re constantly on the go at activities at night and on the weekends so it’s convenient to bring along snacks since we eat after the activities. Their microwaveable brown rice packages are convenient. I really like their hummus and sun butter. Their chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels are addictive as are their corn chips so I try not to buy either very often. I like the convenience of their riced cauliflower and butternut squash fries. We don’t live too close to one so when we go, we stock up on certain things.
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| Posted 1/9/18 1:41 AM |
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pumpkinmom
LIF Adult
Member since 5/12 2911 total posts
Name:
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
To me, it's a scaled down grocery store without the brand name items (with some exceptions). It's quick to shop there and the prices are good. We go there often because my DDs prefer TJ yogurt and cheese sticks.
We frequently buy:
Fruit
Vegetables
Cheese sticks
Yogurt
Orange juice
Apple juice
Other stuff we like there:
Premade salads for lunches
Frozen breakfast foods (hash browns, waffles)
Oatmeal
Fruit bars
Gorilla Munch cereal (name brand)
Frozen gnocchi with Alfredo sauce
Frozen Mac n cheese
Chicken nuggets
Vanilla Jo-Jos
Coconut oil
Tea tree shampoo and conditioner
Pineapple juice
Tortellini
Ketchup
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| Posted 1/9/18 5:46 AM |
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jellybelly79
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 3389 total posts
Name:
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Posted by pumpkinmom
To me, it's a scaled down grocery store without the brand name items (with some exceptions). It's quick to shop there and the prices are good. We go there often because my DDs prefer TJ yogurt and cheese sticks.
We frequently buy:
Fruit
Vegetables
Cheese sticks
Yogurt
Orange juice
Apple juice
Other stuff we like there:
Premade salads for lunches
Frozen breakfast foods (hash browns, waffles)
Oatmeal
Fruit bars
Gorilla Munch cereal (name brand)
Frozen gnocchi with Alfredo sauce
Frozen Mac n cheese
Chicken nuggets
Vanilla Jo-Jos
Coconut oil
Tea tree shampoo and conditioner
Pineapple juice
Tortellini
Ketchup
I could have written this exact same grocery list! We LOVE Traders
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| Posted 1/9/18 7:50 AM |
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SusiBee
. . . . .
Member since 3/09 8268 total posts
Name:
S
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Haven't been in a long time, but when I go, it is usually to buy certain frozen fruits and veggies, some of the desserts. Sometimes the frozen salmon burgers.
Cat Cookies
Gerolsteiner mineral water
Cabot butter
Dried fruits
That's about it.
Can't stand the one in Westbury, it is so crowded and so is the parking lot.
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| Posted 1/9/18 8:12 AM |
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twizzlers
LIF Adolescent
Member since 11/14 874 total posts
Name:
x
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
The frozen almond croissants
Gorgonzola cheese crackers
acai (frozen to make bowls)
21 Seasoning Salute
Everything bagel seasoning
Cheese
Hummus
Chicken sausages
Spaghetti sauce
Raviloi
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| Posted 1/9/18 8:39 AM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by LastLightGlow
Also, as a busy mom some of the prepackaged “crap” is necessary for survival and probably a tad better than the prepackaged crap I would buy from the supermarket when I don’t have time to cook.
Yeah, I'm not sure why people think it's all prepackaged crap? I think most parents buy some sort of "prepackaged" stuff for their kids, unless you make your own crackers and grow your own bananas.
I buy a ton of prepackaged foods. I was just saying that people talk about Trader Joe's like it's some organic paradise like Whole Foods.
And it's not.
I can get all that prepackaged, generic brand stuff at my supermarket and not travel a long way out of my way to TJ's (I don't have one super close to my home) So I would not go there special or anything.
But when I do go, the prices are definitely definitely much better.
Message edited 1/9/2018 8:48:14 AM.
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| Posted 1/9/18 8:47 AM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7272 total posts
Name:
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Posted by NervousNell
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by LastLightGlow
Also, as a busy mom some of the prepackaged “crap” is necessary for survival and probably a tad better than the prepackaged crap I would buy from the supermarket when I don’t have time to cook.
Yeah, I'm not sure why people think it's all prepackaged crap? I think most parents buy some sort of "prepackaged" stuff for their kids, unless you make your own crackers and grow your own bananas.
I buy a ton of prepackaged foods. I was just saying that people talk about Trader Joe's like it's some organic paradise like Whole Foods.
And it's not.
I can get all that prepackaged, generic brand stuff at my supermarket and not travel a long way out of my way to TJ's (I don't have one super close to my home) So I would not go there special or anything.
But when I do go, the prices are definitely definitely much better.
I don’t think you called it crap. If people think its crap I don’t care I just thought maybe I was an unhealthier eater than I’d realized. I will still gladly give my kid those little peanut butter crackers and plop her in front of Peppa while I cook our (rarely but occasionally) prepackaged dinner.
It’s also close by, not usually too crowded and DD likes to look for Marcy the Meerkat which is the filthiest stuffed animal I’ve ever seen.
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| Posted 1/9/18 9:10 AM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: What's so great about Trader Joe's?
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by NervousNell
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by LastLightGlow
Also, as a busy mom some of the prepackaged “crap” is necessary for survival and probably a tad better than the prepackaged crap I would buy from the supermarket when I don’t have time to cook.
Yeah, I'm not sure why people think it's all prepackaged crap? I think most parents buy some sort of "prepackaged" stuff for their kids, unless you make your own crackers and grow your own bananas.
I buy a ton of prepackaged foods. I was just saying that people talk about Trader Joe's like it's some organic paradise like Whole Foods.
And it's not.
I can get all that prepackaged, generic brand stuff at my supermarket and not travel a long way out of my way to TJ's (I don't have one super close to my home) So I would not go there special or anything.
But when I do go, the prices are definitely definitely much better.
I don’t think you called it crap. If people think its crap I don’t care I just thought maybe I was an unhealthier eater than I’d realized. I will still gladly give my kid those little peanut butter crackers and plop her in front of Peppa while I cook our (rarely but occasionally) prepackaged dinner.
It’s also close by, not usually too crowded and DD likes to look for Marcy the Meerkat which is the filthiest stuffed animal I’ve ever seen.
I have never seen Marcy the Meerkat! Maybe the TJ's I go to is lacking??
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| Posted 1/9/18 9:13 AM |
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