Trader Joe's Fans Can Agree That These Are the Best Items At the Store

Kelsey Hurwitz
·11 min read
Photo credit: David Livingston
Photo credit: David Livingston

From Woman's Day

There are plenty of reasons why the grocery chain Trader Joe's has a die-hard following following. The food is tasty, the options vary, and the total bill is relatively cheap compared to other grocery stores. Not to mention the the packaging for Trader Joe's products and the fun hand-written aisle signs make you feel like you're in a small town market and not a $36.1 billion chain. There are Instagram accounts upon Instagram accounts dedicate to some of the best Trader Joe's foods available. But if you're not looking to follow 100 new accounts, this list of the best Trader Joe's products is here to help. Grab a pen, because you're going to want to add these to your shopping list.

Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit

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#TraderJoes Lemony Arugula Basil #SaladKit gives you all the tools necessary to create a superlative summer #salad: peppery #arugula, thinly sliced rainbow carrots, shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped roasted almonds, and a stunningly citric, wholly herbaceous, lemon-basil vinaigrette... 🍋🍃🥕 — • Seasonally Available • 9.75 oz. Bag • Serves 2-4 • • Cheese, Nuts & Dressing Packaged Separately •

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jul 8, 2020 at 6:10pm PDT

A salad kit is an easy way to make sure you're getting more veggies in your diet, and this one is a simple, light option for summer.

Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings

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#XiaoLongBao, or #SoupDumplings, are traditionally prepared in a xiaolong, a small bamboo steaming basket from which they get their name. Fittingly, these delicate dumplings are filled with hot soup and a flavorful, meat filling. We already carry Chicken Soup #Dumplings, but new #TraderJoes Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings adhere even more closely to Chinese culinary tradition, as xiaolong bao is typically filled with pork. — • 6 Dumplings per Box • Frozen • Contains 5% Ginger • Microwaves in 2 Minutes or Less • 🥟🥟🥟 •

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jul 6, 2020 at 1:45pm PDT

For nights when you want some comfort food to warm you up, these soup dumplings will do just the trick.

Orange Chicken Bowl

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A dish so nice, we’re posting it twice... — If there were a #TraderJoes Product Hall of Fame, our #MandarinOrangeChicken would be one of its first inductees. It consistently ranks in the top tier of our Customer Choice Awards, and it’s a huge hit with our Crew, especially in this new, single-serve Mandarin #OrangeChicken Bowl format! Tender pieces of battered chicken atop a hearty heap of veggie fried rice, plus a packet of signature orange-ginger sauce, ready to heat & eat in 5 minutes or less?! What’s not to love? 😍🍊🍗🥣 — | 28g of Protein | #TJsFreezerFind | #QuickMeal |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jun 26, 2020 at 9:25am PDT

Your favorite Trader Joe's orange chicken gets a fancy new format with this orange chicken bowl. Served over a bowl of veggie fried rice and ready in five minutes, this bowl will become one of your go-tos.

Roasted Seaweed

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It’s time for the #TraderJoes Monday Night Snack-Off! Which TJ’s Seaweed Snack Pack would we find in YOUR lunchbox? Tell us below! 🌊 — 🟥 In the red corner, it’s the original: TJ’s Organic #RoastedSeaweed with Sea Salt. These paper-thin, super-crisp, snack-sized sheets of gluten free, organic #seaweed have been a TJ’s snack aisle staple for over a decade. Since we now sell them in a super-convenient six-pack, you can stash them all over the place, so you’ll have something salty on hand whenever a snack attack strikes… . 🟦 In the blue corner, it’s the challenger: TJ’s Organic Roasted Teriyaki Seaweed. Coming to us from the same, top-notch Korean seaweed producers, this certified-organic, gluten free #SeaweedSnack is just like its competitor, only it’s seasoned with organic teriyaki powder (tamari soy sauce & salt) and organic cane sugar instead, giving it that sweet-n-salty, signature #teriyaki taste... — Which #SeaweedSnacks satisfy YOUR snappetite? (Snack + Appetite = Snappetite. #Math. 💯)

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jun 22, 2020 at 5:04pm PDT

If you need an easy snack on the go, this crunchy roasted seaweed will be a great addition to your snack cabinet.

Corn Cookie Mix

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Corn comes in many forms at TJ’s, from fresh corn on the cob to the #corn in our iconic yellow can… And speaking of that iconic yellow can, for a limited time, we’re offering another corn-y creation in that iconic yellow can: #TraderJoes #CornCookie Baking Mix! 🌽 . Ok, so technically this one comes in a canister, but that’s beside the point—this mix makes insanely good #cookies. Flavor-wise, they’re a cross between cornbread and a sugar cookie, with some nice notes of vanilla to round it all out. Call us cornballs, but these are the cookies you never knew you needed. The missing maize link in your life... — | Limited | Makes 24 Cookies | Ready in 15 Min. | | Requires 1 Large Egg + 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jun 18, 2020 at 6:54pm PDT

A cross between cornbread and a sugar cookie might not be the summer treat you'd imagined, but it's the summer treat you'll fall in love with.

Mixed Nut Butter

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📷: “Grilled Nut Butter & Banana Sandwich,” featuring #TraderJoes Mixed Nut Butter • Get the #TJsRecipe Via Link in Bio — Our Mixed Nut Butter features a one-of-a-kind mix of almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts & pecans, with just a bit of sea salt to round out the flavor. We’ve tasted other multi-nut butters, but none with this particular blend. Some even included added sugars or honey, but we think ours is sweet enough as it is. The nuts are dry roasted, then ground together into a simple, creamy bliss. So, whaddaya say—Grilled Nut Butter & Banana #Sandwich, anyone? 😍🥜🍌🍞

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on May 28, 2020 at 6:14pm PDT

Trader Joe's has tons of great nut butters, and if you can't decide between all the offerings, try this mixed nut butter.

Organic Salsa

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Between our grocery shelves & refrigerators, we sell a wide variety of #salsas. But we haven’t had a fresh, refrigerated *organic* offering... UNTIL NOW! • A true “restaurant-style” #salsa, new #TraderJoes Organic Medium Salsa is made entirely from organic ingredients, including diced Roma tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice, plus a mix of Anaheim chilis & jalapeño peppers to give it that marvelous, medium heat. #ChipChipHooray — Happy #CincoDeMayo and a terrific #TacoTuesday to you! | 12 oz. Tub | Vegan | USDA Organic | 🍅🧅 |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on May 5, 2020 at 3:57pm PDT

Chips and salsa will always be a superior snack, and this salsa will make you feel like you're at your favorite Mexican restaurant.

Everything But the Elote Seasoning

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📷: “Elote-Jalapeño Cornbread #Pancakes,” feat. #TraderJoes Everything But the Elote #Seasoning • Link to #TJsRecipe is in our bio! 🌽🧂🥞 #WeLikeItElote • Throughout Mexico & across the U.S., street vendors sell mouthwatering, well-seasoned corn on the cob known as #elote. While the fixins may vary from vendor to vendor, anyone who grew up visiting the neighborhood #elotero or making elote at home can attest to its crave-ability. • In the spirit of our #EverythingButTheBagel that came before it, TJ’s #EverythingButTheElote is "Everything" you might find on elote—chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, dried cilantro, salt, etc.—minus the corn itself. We add a bit of corn flour & cane sugar* in its absence, though, so there’s no mistaking what this stuff meant to mimic. ..................................................................... *FUN FACT FOR FOOD NERDS: 🔍 Ingredients must always be listed on product labels in descending order by weight. However, according to federal food labeling guidelines, values listed in the nutrition facts panel must be rounded to zero if the amount is considered “insignificant.” For example, if a product contains less than .5g of sugar per serving, which this one does, then the value must be rounded down to 0g of sugar per serving, even though sugar is listed as an ingredient.

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Feb 17, 2020 at 5:32pm PST

Everybody knows (and loves!!) Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning, and the new Everything But the Elote seasoning is like summer in a jar. You'll want to put it on everything.

Turkey Meatballs

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📷: “Sweet Balls of Fire,” featuring #TraderJoes Fully Cooked Turkey #Meatballs • To get the #TJsRecipe, tap the link in our profile! — “Goodness gracious, sweet balls of fire!” 🔥☄️ That’s what you’ll exclaim after finishing your first batch of these babies. Not just because this sweet n’ spicy, 3-ingredient recipe is such a *tasty* take on TJ’s #TurkeyMeatballs, but because it’s such an easy one, too, especially if you have a #SlowCooker. We heard there’s a Big Game this weekend; show up to the watch-party with #appetizers for all! — | 1-lb. Bag | Flame Broiled | Fully Cooked | Sold Frozen |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jan 30, 2020 at 6:13pm PST

For the nights when you only have the energy to make some pasta, you can make it feel like more of a full meal by heating up some frozen turkey meatballs.

Salsa Verde

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📷: “#SlowCooker Chicken #ChileVerde,” feat. #TraderJoes Salsa Verde • #TJsRecipe Link in Bio — Who wouldn’t want to come home to a nice, hot meal? This #SalsaVerde-style salute to the Slow Cooker yields you just that! Simply toss two jars of TJ’s Salsa Verde, two pounds of TJ’s Chicken Thighs, twelve cloves of minced garlic, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, and a large diced onion into your cooker, and you’ve got yourself an easy-peasy, hands-off, mess-free meal in just a few hours. 🍗🌿 — | Serves 6-8 | Ready in 2-4 or 6-8 Hours; See Recipe |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jan 23, 2020 at 3:19pm PST

This salsa is perfect for spicing up tacos, tamales, or your morning eggs. You'll find yourself coming back to get it again and again.

Lightly Salted Edamame

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Hand-picked in Southeast Asia, #TraderJoes Lightly Salted Edamame is blanched & flash-frozen, which keeps its snappy, semi-firm texture perfectly intact. Once thawed or microwaved, it’s totally ready to serve on its own, but there’s also plenty you can do to enhance it. Heat things up with a dash of TJ’s Chile & Lime Seasoning poured directly over the pods. Shell the beans and add them to stir-fries, succotash, or pasta. Or better yet... How do YOU #Edamame? 🥢 — | Product of 🇹🇭, 🇮🇩 & 🇻🇳 | 100 Cals. & 9g Protein* | *Per 1/2-Cup Serving; Link in Bio for Full Nutrition Info

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jan 16, 2020 at 5:23pm PST

Edamame is a great, healthy snack, and this frozen version only takes a few minutes to warm up in the microwave.

White Cheddar Corn Puffs

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What’s puffy, crunchy, corny, #cheesy, available only at #TraderJoes, and—in 258,500-pound quantities—can fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool? TJ’s World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs, that’s what! Packed with real Cheddar cheese flavor & plenty of airy crunch, these Puffs practically defy gravity... #MoreSlideWhistle #PuffTheMagicCheesePuff 🐉🧀✨ — | #GlutenFree | 130 Calories per 2½-Cup Serving |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jan 14, 2020 at 5:21pm PST

Everyone who knows Trader Joe's knows about these corn puffs. Good luck not eating the whole bag in one sitting.

Peanut and Crispy Noodle Salad Kit

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📷: “Tempeh Crispy Noodle Salad,” featuring #TraderJoes Peanut & Crispy Noodle Salad Kit • Link to #TJsRecipe in Bio — One of our favorite aspects of Thai cuisine is its meticulous, dare-we-say *symphonic* balance of flavors. It’s precisely this elegant interplay that inspired our latest D.I.Y. #salad kit, which features shredded cabbage, romaine & carrots; some celery, cilantro & green onions; plus a packet of crispy rice noodles, a packet of peanut pieces & a packet of peanut-lime dressing. (Above, we dressed it up above with marinated TJ’s #Tempeh, too...) — | Serves 3 – 4 | #Vegan | #MeatlessMonday 🥬 |

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Jan 8, 2020 at 5:37pm PST

This salad kit is a little bit crunchy and a lotta bit fresh and flavorful.

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