I love Trader Joe’s as much as the next person, but I especially like the vegan and vegetarian food they have! It never seems to get old, and they always have interesting options that I love. While living off-campus at college, it’s hard to find time to cook a lot and make new things, but I like to try different things from Trader Joes’s every once in a while. Here are my favorite plant-based options from Trader Joe’s.
Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels (Vegan)
I used to love the regular mandarin orange chicken when I was younger, and the vegan version is a perfect substitute! The sauce is great — I always make it with rice and broccoli and it’s the perfect dinner!
Roasted Potatoes (Vegan)
I did not expect to like these so much, but after cooking them for about 10-15 minutes, they are super crispy and perfect for any meal. I love to make these with a few scrambled eggs for breakfast or make them on their own as a snack.
Vegetable Fried Rice (Vegan)
This rice is one of my staples from Trader Joe’s. I make it at least once a week and love finding new ways to eat it.
Thai Vegetable Gyoza (Vegan)
These are so easy to make, are good with any sauce, and are the perfect snack or appetizer.
Roasted Tomato and Feta Soup (Vegetarian)
I first discovered this tomato soup a few weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped buying it. The feta makes it even better than the tomato soup I normally get, and it’s perfect to have with grilled cheese!
Hatch Chile Mac n Cheese (Vegetarian)
I used to buy the regular Trader Joe’s mac and cheese, but when my roommate mentioned this version, I picked it up and realized it was way better than the original!
Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina (Vegetarian)
This is probably my favorite item from Trader Joe’s. I love gnocchi, and it’s such an easy thing to make when I am busy or am not in the mood to cook too much. I definitely recommend that everyone tries this out!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi (Vegetarian)
This is another one of my favorite items to buy, and if I could recommend that everyone try one item from Trader Joe’s, it would have to be this one. I had no idea this would be so good, and it’s such an easy dinner idea.
Organic Pesto Pizza (Vegetarian)
All the pizzas from Trader Joe’s are great, but I love anything with pesto on it, so this one is definitely my favorite!
Those are all the items I normally pick up for quick and easy meals to make. Besides looking for meal ideas, some other favorite snacks and random items I love are:
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- Mild Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Mozzarella Sticks
- Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn
- Sour Cream and Onion Corn Puffs
- Veggie Crisps
- Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks
- Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels
- Scandinavian Swimmers
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
There are still so many items from Trader Joe’s that I haven’t tried, and I can’t wait to keep trying them to find new favorite items.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!