Favorite Items to buy at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods?

For those of you who have either a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods, what are some of the items that you like to purchase at these stores that you cannot readily find at other grocery stores? (TJ and WF brand items, as well as other brands, too!)  I spend a lot of time in these stores, but it's impossible to know some of the "best" products without some personal recommendations!

Thanks!

=^..^=  MOLLY

Trader Joe's

Frozen Greens with Envy (edamame, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and haricot vert mixed together)

The chocolate Traveller bittersweet chocolate wedges

I really shop there because it's a little cheaper than the neighborhood stores and the organic is more readily available

At Whole Foods I get nutritional yeast from the bins; tempeh bacon strips; Amy's frozen entrees; plain soy yogurt; vegan cheese; seitan; Mojo bars.

At TJ's I get tofurkey slices; flavored and regular hummus; tofutti better than cream cheese; Earth Balance margarine; Van's whole grain waffles; Tofutti Cuties; Soy Dream frozen desserts; TJ's brand vegan breakfast patties; Tofurkey Italian sausages; flavored soy yogurt; Zen Bakery muffins; flourless whole grain breads.

I like so much from TJ's, but the pre-cooked brown rice in a bag is a staple for me now. Also Panko breadcumbs,their peanutbutter,ff cottage cheese,peeled garlic etc,etc.

And the great thing is, if you try something and just don't like it, they'll take it back /refund your money.

Have fun shopping, Gina

From TJ's a few of my favorites are the beer-battered halibut fillets, apricot greek yogurt, organic string cheese, and all the chocolate!

Fage 0% greek yogurt

Valrhonna dark chocolate

Trader Joe's brands:  pasta pepperonata, pasta italiano, eggplant lasagna, veggie quesadillas, greek pizza, chicken empanadas, pumpkin butter, goat cheese crumbles, red pepper hummus, vanilla almond fiber clusters.

And there's so much stuff that's on my "I gotta try this next time" list, but I can't remember it at the moment....

I shop at Whole Foods Market, and here is my bargain shopping list.  All these things cost less than the versions you see in supermarkets.  Their store brand, 365, is always a good buy and great quality too.

365 brand Tongol Tuna, no salt added, when it's on sale for .99 a can
365 brand fruit spread for $1.49 a jar as opposed to Polaners at $2.65.
Buzz Free Decaf coffee beans
365 brand peanut butter
365 brand flaxseed frozen waffles for $1.99 as opposed to 3.99 for other brands
365 brand no salt added canned beans, for .89 a can
365 brand extra virgin olive oil and canola oil
365 brand red wine vinegar
Muir Glen no salt added canned tomatoes
Bulk:  brown basmati rice, red rice, quinoa, rolled oats, whole oats, whole wheat berries, red flame raisins, unsulfured apricots, raw almonds, walnut halves, golden flaxseed meal, and many other grains and nuts, all cost less than packaged.
In the dairy department, I get Earth Balance vegan spread, Fage Total 0% yogurt, and silken tofu. 
In the cereal aisle I look for whatever is on sale.

Most of their produce is overpriced and I have a couple of places I can get organic veggies and fruits, and eggs, for less, so I don't usually buy produce there.  Since I don't eat much meat, I don't insist on organic, but I do buy Laura's Lean Beef at $4.99 a pound.  Once in a great while I get organic, uncured hotdogs or bacon, but that's rare.

I do splurge on a piece of expensive cheese once in a while, and maybe a loaf of their whole grain bread.

I also shop at Whole Foods, a lot of clairelaine's list ends up on mine, esp. beans, vinegar and olive oil.  I also like to get organic lentils and beans from their bulk bins and I use their grinding machine for almond butter.  I also do shop there for produce, even though it's more expensive, because I want organic but I also want as local as possible.  They're not perfect that way, but at least are making an effort to offer produce that was grown closer to home (easier here in California of course).  They also offer a product in their deli department called Field Roast, which is a veggie cutlet that I adore!

Original Post by coach_k:

Trader Joe's

Frozen Greens with Envy (edamame, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and haricot vert mixed together)

Oh, that sounds YUMMY!!!! I will definitely have to check that out!

MOLLY

The only groceries I eat are from TJs or WF, and it's primarily TJ.  Here are the packaged items I eat on a fairly regular basis:  (I think all but the So Delicious soy dessert are TJ brand items)

Frozen foods - black bean & corn enchilada, eggplant parmesean, penne arriabbiata (probably my very favorite), roasted vegetable lasagna, sesame soba noodles w/asian vegetables, shrimp thai red curry rice bowl, spinach lasagna, shrimp primavera, shrimp stir fry, calabacita & cheese quesadilla, mushroom risotto, sweet & sour shrimp with rice, flounder with crab meat stuffing, teriyaki pineapple salmon fillets

Desserts - lime fruit floes, So Delicious Chocolate Velvet soy ice cream, orange sorbet, chocolate chip chewy granola bars, tapioca pudding

Snacks - BBQ flavor soy crisps, multi-grain pretzel nuggets, strawberry cereal bar, sesame melba rounds

Other - whole grain flax & fiber bread, whole wheat british muffins, fully cooked brown rice packets. organic lentil soup, tomato bisque with fresh basil (in the fresh food section), heart healthy whole grain blueberry oatmeal, lowfat granola with almonds, vanilla almond clusters cereal, banana nut clusters cereal, rice milk, very green juice blend

Well, we went to Trader Joe's this evening and, thanks in part to all of you, we spent $65 there!!!!

They had some nifty Indian-style sauces that looked so scrumptious .... and I also bought a bag of fresh mixed greens (turnip, collard, mustard greens plus spinach) ... and hummus and a freezer-full of frozen foods!!! And I picked up some Alvarado Street organic, sprouted, flax seed bread, too.

And ground cumin and calcium chews and fat free cottage cheese, too ..... and spicy vegetarian chili.

Yum Yum Yum ......

 

=^..^= MOLLY

I HEART TRADER JOES

frozen pineapple (MM)
Poblano Peppers (vegan, gluten free and WONDERFULLY spicy!)
fruit leathers! (can't get enough)
Mini soymilk boxes
Soynut Butter
shredded and sliced soy cheese
Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves...

lol; I thought of more things but then I realized that it's my entire shopping list teehee!

Flavor-wise, how does soynut butter compare to peanut butter and almond butter?

Frozen Edamames (120 cals per 2/3c) and Apple Chicken Sausage (120 cals per link)

Soynut butter is good, but lacks the peanut butter consistency (referring to natural peanutbutter), but taste wise, I find it comparable.  

Their Better than Peanutbutter is also really good.

I do all but my produce shopping at TJ's...LOVE it there. :) 

Semi - random! - There is a Trader Joe's like 3 minutes from my campus, which I leave for in two weeks...and we don't have one around here....so yay! I'm pumped :)

I must be the only one who hates shopping at both Trader Joes and Whole Foods.

I find that the produce in Trader Joes is poor, both in selection and quality - Almost all of it is imported. That's bad when all the conventional supermarkets around here are carrying locally grown apples and Trader Joes is importing apples from Chile and Australia.

Most of Trader Joe's fish (yes I realize this is the vegetarian forum) is farm raised and imported, and never fresh- another big negative in my book.

Even most of the grains and other pre-packaged items are needlessly imported. I'm also not a fan of TV dinners anymore, as I prefer to make stuff at home because it's cheap and I know exactly what's in it.

Whole foods is great, but I can't afford to shop there exclusively, and definitely don't have time to shuttle between stores as I am without a car. 

 

Oh how I miss both of these stores more than anything! I can't wait till next summer when I move back home to San Francisco....first thing I will do is stock the new house with yummy foods!!!

My Dad sends me care packages here from TJ's, my favorite comfort food is Annie's Mac & Cheese. And I love the Olive Oil cooking spray. Oh and I buy my EmergenC there, so he sends me a box of those as well.

I miss TJ's hummus something awful! I make my own here, any of the store bought hummus here is horrible!

Best topic ever!

I work at Trader Joe's (recently transferred from a Long Island store to one in Boston!) and I love it to death. It helps that they treat their employees so well and they have a strict hiring process that ensures every single crew member is the sweetest, chillest person on earth, but I was a hardcore TJs freak years before I became their slave. I've been on and off veggie/borderline vegan/depressed limited meat eater filled with self-disgust for about 7 years (the only reason it's changed so  much is because I have Crohn's Disease, which at one point made me really anemic, makes it almost impossible for me to get the proper nutrients, and creates a long-ass list of foods that I simply cannot digest). 

When I was veggie and I cared more about stuffing myself with tasty food than looking fit, I was all about the vegetable egg rolls w/ sweet and sour sauce, veggie buffalo wings, tortilla chips and salsa authentica to the point of obsession, the amazing Trader Joe's garlic tomato sauce, the Kung Pow microwave noodles, the always delicious Ginger Brew, veggie gyoza, I could go on forever. But then I decided that healthy food=happy, skinnier Lauren, and I have some new favorites.

 Tzatziki dip- made by the same company that makes that Greek yogurt, delicious and refreshing and perfect for snacktime with a plate-full of raw veggies. 

 instant egg whites- also awesome, and a current staple in my diet. Who doesn't want to pour some of this on a pan, toss in your favorite veggies, and have a slammin' healthy omlette in less than 2 minutes?

frozen spinach- pop some in the microwave and mix it with my meal, and it's an easy way to fend off the impending anemia and get my iron! yeah popeye!

still Salsa Authentica (the yellow cap one)- in my opinion the best salsa in the world, awesome with eggs and to dip celery and stuff in

some more: hard-boiled eggs in a bag (excellent for the lazy college student), Hot & Sweet Mustard (awesome with hard-boiled eggs and as a low-cal alternative to salad dressing), Meatless Meatballs, Snap Pea Crisps (careful, addicting!), Horseradish Hummus... there are tons more but either they are not in my fridge right now or they have temporarily slipped my mind.

If anyone is curious about the store or has questions about what we sell or recipe ideas or other healthy stuff or pretty much anything, just shoot me a message or something... since I spend about 30 hours out of every week staring at their products on the clock, I am a veritable fountain of TJs knowledge. :)

Original Post by mollymouser:

Flavor-wise, how does soynut butter compare to peanut butter and almond butter?

Some think that it lacks the consistency of peanut butter but I find that peanut butter is now too oily for me.  I like the slight 'grit' to SNB and it's lower in cals and fat. 

I will have to try some soy nut butter ... thanks, skinnyogi!

energyturtle3 .... I love TJ's!!! They really do have the niftiest products, don't they?

=^..^= MOLLY

I buy almost all of my food at Trader Joe's. Some of my favorites are their Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, their spicy hummus and their tofurkey. Their organic fruits and veggies are really good too.