What to buy and what to skip at TJ's

[meeg124]

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/what-to-buy-and-what-to-skip-at-trader-joe-s-2450975/

[surmick]

You mean you are not just going to tell me?

[meeg124]

Sorry, you have to work for it :D

[surmick]

Thats what he said.

[Lorah]

I agree with most of that actually. But one thing to keep in mind is that TJ's for the most part gets products local to that region... So like the milk in the TJ's label up North is Clover milk. Or so it was when I worked there. But down here it is (or I knew at one point it was) Altedena. Things that like vary from region to region. Same with the meat suppliers....

Produce is a hit or miss in the off seasons for sure, I agree with that... BUT in CA during the fruits and veggies seasons each region gets their produce generally locally. So it's not a for sure pass it up thing I'd argue.


I totally agree about Staples, frozen stuff, booze, olive oils, CHEESES! for sure! By far the best prices and dare I say quality! Best bang for the buck by far!

Potted plants and herbs are normally a really good deal too!

Another thing I love about TJ's is that EVERYTHING (food product) under the TJ's label is free of artificial color and flavors! And many only contain natural preservatives. Some still have nitrites and nitrates, but there are MANY products without it too. I've yet to see anything there with MSG either... but I haven't looked at everything recently... In the past they did, but I haven't seen anything recently.


Im going shopping today... I LOVE TJ's!

[khanson]

I have never been happy with produce there, whether in season or not so I steer clear of that. But, I do love pretty much everything else :). The pizza dough is SO GOOD!

[Lorah]

I have never been happy with produce there, whether in season or not so I steer clear of that. But, I do love pretty much everything else :). The pizza dough is SO GOOD!

I LOVE the seedless watermelons there though in summer! Can't beat how huge they are for under $3 bucks, and they are soooo sweet too!

The pizza dough has been lacking down here. I actually took it back twice to get my money back....and now I wont buy it anymore because it's quality is far less than when we got it up north. I make my own now anyway.

[kholden]

I love Trader Joe's. I was just there this morning. The only produce I get there regularly is bananas. You have to be selective in the ones you grab, but they are so much cheaper than other stores and we go through a lot of them.

I also love cheese products, frozen foods (they have the best veggie egg rolls), and their alcohol. They have wonderful prices on these.

[CrystalD]

Agree with the article. I do buy organic bananas and organic fujian apples there weekly. It is way cheaper than WF or Olivers. I seriously need a banana and a freaking apple tree!

[ktjo17]

Agree with the article. I do buy organic bananas and organic fujian apples there weekly. It is way cheaper than WF or Olivers.I seriously need a banana and a freaking apple tree!

:yeah Henry really wants a banana tree! But I am pretty sure it wouldn't do well in our climate.

[CrystalD]

:yeah Henry really wants a banana tree! But I am pretty sure it wouldn't do well in our climate.

Oh I'm only dreaming. We eat at least 15 bananas a week and at least 10 apples :giggle

[ktjo17]

Oh I'm only dreaming. We eat at least 15 bananas a week and at least 10 apples :giggle

Oh we wouldn't either...we have an apple tree that we never do anything with so all the apples are really tiny...and a plum tree too that doesn't usually produce too much either.

[MamaLaura]

I haven't had the best luck with fruit there. Veggies seem to do a bit better, though. I love a lot of their frozen foods. I've never purchased their meat.

[Lorah]

I haven't had the best luck with fruit there. Veggies seem to do a bit better, though. I love a lot of their frozen foods. I've never purchased their meat.

The meat has been super hit or miss for us. I have have GREAT steaks from there, and then some I tossed they were so bad. Generally I get the natural ground beef or turkey there. Since it's ground, it's never been bad...kwim.


I agree on the veggies being a little better.


Oh and we ALWAYS buy our bananas there! The kids LOVE them. They'd eat a couple a day if I let them. I can't eat them, so I'm not sure how good they are time to time... they give me awful migraines. But the kids have never complained. We generally get the smooth green ones and they last a week...well unless they ripen and the kids eat them. LOL

[Lorah]

Okay... So one thing I've always been irritated about with TJ's is the fact that they do many "seasonal" items, that aren't really seasonal, they just call them that to explain why they don't carry it all the time.... like today... I needed more yeast. TJ's the only place that carries the yeast I like... and they ran out until October! GRRRRRR said they dont sell it very well... Hmmmm YES THEY DO.. I buy it, and according to the captain today she said about a dozen other people also complained it was gone. :rolleyes

I guess to the upside of that... the Hot Sweet mustard is back for the "season" It's only out from Nov-Dec, and then Feb/March-April... when Ham is around LOL

[Brookepanda]

Agree with the article. I do buy organic bananas and organic fujian apples there weekly. It is way cheaper than WF or Olivers. I seriously need a banana and a freaking apple tree!

Us too!!!! I would say as a family (my BIl is staying with us right now, has been for several weeks) (so him included in this total) we go through about 8 banana a day. :yikes
I buy three bunches at a time....and I still have to get a bunch every other day.....

We buy the organic frozen chicken breasts from Costco....but all our other meat we get from the butcher at whole foods and we always buy that organic.
It looks grey and icky at trader joes IMO

I do *love* their organic whole wheat spaghetti noodles though :thumb

[Lorah]

I do *love* their organic whole wheat spaghetti noodles though :thumb

ME TOO!!!! So yummy!!!!!

[My3sonsplus1]

Okay... So one thing I've always been irritated about with TJ's is the fact that they do many "seasonal" items, that aren't really seasonal, they just call them that to explain why they don't carry it all the time....


They STOPPED CARRYING THE MINT CHOCO COCOA MIX! I lost some love to be perfectly honest. They did sell some gourmet mint choco hot cocoa but that was a "just add water" vs the other was add yor choice of "milk" so I could have almond milk mint cocoa not I can't have squat because the gourmet crap already has milk powder in it. I thought it was seasonal but it was just plan discontinued apparently and replaced with something less versatile, and more $.

[TaivensMama]

I do the majority of our shopping at TJ's…I do buy produce there because we eat a lot of broccoli and salads and those are pretty hard to mess up on where ever you go…I did just buy an eggplant there and it went bad in a day…but for the most part I am pleased with their produce….I must say, we do buy most of the fruit we get from TJ's in a frozen form since we use fruit mostly for our daily green smoothies for the family…however we do get bananas, berries and whatever else looks good if we are so inclined...

I buy the bulk of our food there and really like to go there because it is a one stop shop for us since I can get rice milk and sushi for Taiven without spending a small fortune…I do wish they carried more household items, like wax paper or baggies…if they do, I have not seen them….

We love their snacks, frozen food, sauces, hummus, cheese, cereals etc...

[Lorah]

I agree... would like wax paper and baggies... and nope they dont have them. :( But I asked to have it added to their customer request list.

Everyone... if there was an item that was discontinued, or one you'd like to see them get, you can ask them to help you make an official request! I think you can even do it online, but I've never done that.

That's how the hot sweet mustard came back after a couple years! So many people complained it was gone they got it back!

[TaivensMama]

they used to carry rice milk with the refrigerated food and it comes and goes, the cashier told me it is sometimes due to a supplier issue, either they are charging too much or have discontinued the item etc…I got so frustrated when i had finally found a calzone Neil really liked and it solved the "what do you have for me to eat" with his crazy work hours and they discontinued it shortly after :(

[Lorah]

Yep...it is really difficult and frustrating for sure!

[Christyn95]

I always buy milk there b/c it's way cheaper than Raley's or Safeway, and I buy a ton of it. (DH and MJ go thorugh it so fast with their bowls of oatmeal and PB&J's).

With regards to fruit or veggies, I tend to only really buy bananas, blueberries and blackberries b/c they are usually cheaper, but sometimes they go bad really fast. I'm not a fan of their veggies, or the way they package their fruits/veggies (like you can only by 4 apples, or 4 avacados, etc).

The staples that I buy are the:
Frozen packaged microwavable brown rice
Frozen marinated chicken
Gnocchi
Pine Nuts (and other nuts)
Sausage
Cheese (shredded cheeses, container of parmagiano/reggiano cheese)
Shrimp
Squeezable Apple Sauce
OJ
Eggs
etc...

Oh, and 1 thing I found recently that was very yummy, was their frozen butternut squash gnocchi w/basil and brown sugar, etc. Mmmm Mmmm Mmm! Made it last night V-Day dinner.

[lovesthebaby]

I love TJ's as well and this thread makes me want to pay them a visit! I don't shop there often because it's out of the way for me, but I love their frozen foods, cheese selection and snacks. I don't think their produce is great either, but if I'm there I'll usually buy some of it anyway.