Happy Friday! To celebrate the end of another week on this planet, I thought I would share my recent Trader Joe’s haul with y’all! I picked up a few staples and tried out some newer products. Without further ado, here’s what I got from Trader Joe’s this week.
Refrigerated Items
Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer
I’ve seen this creamer all over social media and I finally remembered to pick a carton up. I used it twice so far, and the first time, I wasn’t so impressed. Maybe it didn’t pair well with the type of coffee I made. The second time, and since then, it’s been my new favorite! It’s subtly sweet and creamy, and most importantly for me, non-dairy!
Guava Passion Fruit Greek Yogurt
I picked up two of these bad boys this week, and I know, I know, I just expressed how non-dairy items are so important for me. Well, I seem to tolerate Greek yogurt just fine, which is awesome for me because it allows me to sneak some extra protein into my diet. This flavor is so tropical and fun. I like to add some dried fruit and chia seeds if I’m feeling fancy. These are also yummy frozen as a summer snack.
Vegan Buffalo Style Dip
I’m a big fan of TJ’s regular Buffalo Chicken Dip, but I wanted to give this non-dairy option a try. I like to eat this with celery sticks or spread on a wrap. I’m going to test it out tonight as a snack!
Cheeseburger Burritos
If I had to pick a favorite out of this entire haul (which would probably be unfair since I’ve yet to try everything, but I digress), it would have to be these. I love burgers. I love making burger salad and burger bowls for dinner as a healthier and less expensive alternative to grabbing a Big Mac or Baconator. These are wonderful to have on hand for lunch or even dinner on days where I don’t have the time or prep to make a full meal. They’re filling, delicious, and not terrible calorically. Definitely give these a try – they’re right in the front refrigerated section with the pastas and dips.
Organic Coconut Smoothie
If you love coconut, then this is for you! I drank it on its own to get some extra electrolytes, but you can cook with it or add it to a smoothie of your own like the packaging suggests. It’s thick, but not chunky and it has more of a nutty coconut flavor than regular coconut milk does. Almond Joy lovers, get this!
Frozen Food
Japchae
I had been keeping my eye out for this frozen meal at Trader Joe’s for a while. I play this Nintendo Switch game called Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 and japchae is one of the dishes available to cook. I’m excited to try!
Dill Pickle Mini Falafel
Seen first on @traderjoeslist’s Instagram, I sought these out and was delighted to come across them. I have high hopes! I’m curious if they would turn out well in the air fryer.
Kung Pao Chicken
We originally went to grab a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen orange chicken (sooooo good), but as we came about an hour before close, they were out. Sad face. We settled for the Kung Pao chicken, and it did not disappoint. It was a bit spicier than I expected, but not in a bad way. We also added a can of baby corn to the wok and stir-fried this up with some rice. Yummy and easy weeknight meal, achieved!
Pantry Items
Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette
These days, I don’t purchase too many salad dressings because I tend to just whip them up on my own at home. It’s super easy and I’d be happy to share some of my go-to salad dressing recipes. I saw this one and thought it sounded fun and summery. As a kid, I never really went for fruity salads, but I think my tastes have changed because I love to throw berries, apples, pears, grapes, and pomegranates on salad. I’m thinking this would be yummy on a Greek-style salad with feta and beets!
Cajun Style Alfredo Sauce
I have to say, this sauce let me down a little! I used it to make a quick Cajun seafood alfredo for dinner the other night with just some mixed frozen seafood and hearts of palm linguine (also from Trader Joe’s). I didn’t find much kick to the sauce, which I expected, and it didn’t really taste that flavorful to me. It was more salty than I would’ve liked.
Seasoning in a Pickle Seasoning Blend
I feel like I’ve been just waiting for TJ’s to roll out a pickle seasoning. I’m a bit of a seasoning collector (or hoarder), especially the fun ones like this from Trader Joe’s! I have only used this once so far on popcorn, and it was BOMB. I’m excited to try it on chicken or potatoes next.
Organic Toasted Sesame Oil
I bought this oil specifically to try out my cucumber salad recipe. I wondered if using sesame oil was necessary, or if olive oil would work. My advice is to absolutely use the sesame oil if a recipe calls for it – it does make a difference! The flavors were sealed in and complemented so well with the sesame oil.
100% Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil
There’s not too much to write home about, since it’s just EVOO. My Greek fiancé goes through the olive oils in the store muttering to himself “made in Italy? Nope.” until he finds one made in Greece, naturally. I’m interested to see how much the kalamata flavor exudes in this oil.
Snacks
Dried Baby Bananas
One thing I’ve always loved TJ’s for is their assortment of dried fruit. I had never tried these before, so we thought we would give them a try.
Dark Chocolate Watermelon Sticks
This item is returning from last summer, and while I didn’t end up trying it then, it caught the eye of my fiance and I this time around. They’re definitely a kind of odd combination, but it seems to work. I took the suggestion of those in the Trader Joe’s space on Instagram and popped them in the fridge. They are much better cold, in my opinion!
Organic Toasted Coconut Granola
I’m a huge fan of TJ’s Grainless Granola, but I needed some variety. This looked delicious! I’m going to be incorporating this into my yogurt and smoothie bowls, and probably just eating it with oat milk or out of the bag as a quick snack. I actually had this with coconut milk this morning, and it was divine! It was crunchy with just the right amount of sweetness.
Personal Care
Vitamins
I consistently purchase these two vitamin supplements from TJ’s. I take the omega-3 fatty acids for heart health and to support my menstrual cycle, and I take the calcium, magnesium and zinc blend to promote strong bones, digestion, and cognitive wellness. I think they’re pretty affordable and I take both daily.
Flowers
Peonies
One thing I always have to grab when I make a Trader Joe’s run is a bouquet. Their $4 small mixed bouquet is perfect for my tiny apartment, but you can mix and match to create a bigger arrangement. I went for this bundle of peonies because they’re just the quintessential spring/summer flower. They’re majestic and delicate once opened, and they smell so light and lovely. I’m going to try to keep mine going as long as I can!
Did something from this haul catch your eye? If you try anything, let me know how you liked it! I’m actually going to be near an even bigger Trader Joe’s after we move, so best believe I’ll keep sharing my hauls and keep you up to date on any new must-have’s.
See you next time, and make sure to keep up with me on Instagram and TikTok. Have a lovely and safe Memorial Day weekend!
