Image courtesy of James Harris on Unsplash
There are so many reasons why I absolutely love shopping at Trader Joe’s; the good prices, quality ingredients, and creative products make it my happy place. I find myself gravitating toward the same items week after week without really thinking about it, and here are a few of my favorites.
1. 7-Grain Sprouted Bread
This bread is a really good balance of healthy and tasty. It is made entirely of sprouted grains, salt, honey, molasses and yeast, but still has a lot of flavor and isn’t tough and dry. The texture is also really good. When toasted it remains both chewy and crunchy at the same time, never too much of one or the other. I probably have thought about why I love this bread more than is normal, but it is worthy of the praise!
2. Goat Milk Brie
I should preface this by saying that their entire cheese selection is delicious – they have such a great variety and their prices are so good! But this is the one that holds a special place in my heart. It’s a tiny little wheel of brie, perfect for one person to eat a quarter at a time without it going bad. Since its made from goat milk, it is slightly tangier than regular brie, but not alarmingly so. It’s delicious served all melty on top of the aforementioned toast.
3. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Need I say more? These things are like Reese’s but on steroids. They are slightly taller than normal so the peanut butter to chocolate ratio is a little higher (always a good thing), and the peanut butter is ultra creamy and delicious.
4. Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter with Chia and Flax Seeds
I’m sensing a theme here. What can I say, I love peanut butter. But this stuff is amazing! Their regular crunchy peanut butter is delicious as well, but the added seeds in this variety give it extra crunch and extra nutrients.
5. Teeny Tiny Avocados
These are a feat of genetic engineering genius. I love eating avocados, but when I’m cooking for just myself, it’s a pain to save the uneaten half because it usually ends up turning weird and brown in the fridge. But these are the perfect size to eat an entire one. So convenient!
6. Brown Rice Pasta
Most of the non-traditional flour pastas I’ve tried in the past have a weird, gummy texture and taste a little off. Not this one though! I like that the only ingredients are brown rice and water, I feel like I can enjoy a huge bowl of pasta and still get some nutritional benefits.
7. Lentil Vegetable Soup
I love having this on hand for when I need a super quick meal. It’s filling and delicious while delivering a large amount of vegetables. I also like that it comes packaged in a box instead of a can to avoid any unwanted BPA exposure.
8. Pecan Praline Granola
There’s really nothing I can say about this that the name doesn’t already imply, but I’ll just say anyway that it’s delicious. Sweet and salty and crunchy and oh so satisfying.
I could go on probably forever about my favorite grocer, but you’ll just have to check it out for yourself!