Trader Joe’s is the only reason I have been able to survive apartment life. My cooking skills are extremely limited. And when I say extremely limited, I mean I basically just assemble ingredients and pray that it comes out edible. But Trader Joe’s Grocery Store sells so many little meals and kits that make living away from my mother’s kitchen actually bearable. Here are my top five recommendations for anyone that has never had the joy of encountering the love of my life, Joe.
1. Penne Arrabbiata
Pasta isn’t that hard to cook, but they stuff this bag with so much deliciousness that I question the need to even attempt to cook pasta. It’s the right amount of sauce with the perfect amount of spicy. Just add some cheese and you’ll never want to eat pasta at a restaurant again. One bag can last two meals and it’s ready in under ten minutes.
2. Mediterranean Hummus Snack Pack
I’m a huge hummus lover, and this snack pack makes it really easy to indulge my hummus cravings. I like to tell myself that hummus and pita chips are healthy, so eating one pack a day isn’t that bad, right?
3. All Salads
I’m not even a fan of salads. I generally don’t like the idea of eating leaves. But Trader Joe’s has the best salads in the cutest little containers that I always end up picking up at least four when I go grocery shopping. The only drawback is that there are so many yummy options that it’s almost impossible to not get one of each.
4. Powerberries
Warning: these are extremely addictive. My roommate introduced these to me my second year of college and my life has never been the same. It’s the ultimate study snack, emotional snack, and movie snack. Actually it’s just the best snack for any situation. They are “berries” covered in dark chocolate, so I think a few handfuls a day are totally justified.
5. Speculoos Cookie Butter
It tastes just as good as it sounds. I personally love Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter the most, but the new Speculoos Cookie & Cocoa Swirl is a top competitor. It’s like peanut butter meets cookie dough, with swirls of nutella. I eat this stuff with everything from apple slices to cupcakes to waffles to just a spoon. It might be the best thing to ever happen to my tastebuds.
Just writing about Trader Joe’s made me hungry.