There’s still very much a pandemic happening, so grocery store runs have become a way to turn an errand into more of an outing to feel like your doing something a little more exciting. Maybe grabbing a coffee or a treat to take home even though you just stocked up on both treats and coffee.

Trader Joe’s was always a regular spot for me to grab particular items, but now I focus much more on actual groceries than just fun snacks, and I try to load up on enough for two weeks.

I’m still not dining in at restaurants, and I probably won’t for a long time, so while I always incorporate takeout to support local spots, I am cooking more, and for me, that isn’t exactly what I love to do. Eat yes, but cook? I’m slowly getting more into it. Having a solid list of easy things to “make” from Trader Joe’s has been so helpful for the nights I don’t feel like figuring out how to make something from scratch.

However, lots of what you try is hit or miss, and there have been lots of misses (at least for my taste buds). I’m sharing some of my favorite “hits” below.

While I’m able to stock up on a lot here, there are things I rarely buy from TJ’s that includes certain produce (a lot of it has been rotten in the actual store), packaged lunch meats, and some of their assorted bagged dinners with shrimp.

Here are some of my favorites, with prices listed on items I could verify before I chucked my receipt.

MY FAVORITE SNACK ITEMS AT TRADER JOE’S

• Trader Joe’s Super Burrito - Ok, not technically a snack, depending on how hungry you are, but a couple of Super Burritos are always in my cart. These are loaded with quinoa, sweet potato, kale, and an added sauce that gives it a little kick. At home, I add diced avocado and some Trader Joe’s mild salsa.  $3.49

• Whole Grain Crispbread – My mom turned me on to these, and I now make a meal out of smothering them with goat’s milk cream cheese, and the Everything but the Bagel smoked salmon. It makes a healthy-ish great snack.

• Spud Crunchies – Highly addicting french fry chips. Not a healthy snack, but it satisfies a salt craving like no other. If you eat the whole bag in a few minutes, join my club.  $1.99

• Mini Cheese Sandwich Crackers – Another salty snack that’s easily addicting. Heavy childhood after school snack vibes.

• Organic Elote Corn Chips – Imagine Fritos but with a delicious kick from the elote seasonings. These are another dangerous snack you can devour in one sitting, great with their salsa. Wanna be really wild? Make nachos out of them. You’re welcome.  $2.29

•  Almond Beverages - They have a few different flavors, including matcha, blueberry lavender, and cocoa almond cashew. I find the matcha to be awful (um, its gray) but the other flavors worth buying.  $2.29

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - You know you picked the right item when the cashier and bagger commiserate over how good it is. That usually happens when these peanut butter cups are in my cart.  

• Sweet Plantain Chips - Sweet and salty, another perfect snack to bloat you up good.

• Greek Yogurt, Almond Butter Coconut - This yogurt is thick and creamy, which I love, (just say no to watery yogurt) and it has a mild flavor, so it’s perfect to mix with fresh fruit and granola.

• Peanut Butter Protein Granola - A bag of hearty oat clusters bound together with peanut butter. Love this with the above-mentioned yogurt. $3.49

• La Colombe Draft Lattes - You’ll find these on the cold shelf in the back all the way to the left. These are my saving grace to keep strong, cold coffee at home.

MY FAVORITE FROZEN ITEMS AT TRADER JOE’S

• Breaded Chicken – The large bag of breaded chicken strips is a perfect freezer staple. I love putting these in the air fryer to get them super crispy and juicy. Also good by itself or on a salad. 

• Japanese style fried rice – A great mix of fried rice when you are too lazy to make it yourself. Quick cook time on the stovetop, and I usually pair this with the potstickers found in the same area.

• Pork Potstickers - Another quick cook time, and I highly recommend putting them in the air fryer if you have one. They come out nice and crispy. For added flavor, I use Trader Joe’s Yuzu hot sauce. It adds the perfect citrusy kick. They also have a veggie option if you don’t want meat. The flavor in those is a little weird to me, though. 

• Frozen Indian entree dinners – Obviously, these aren’t quite up to par with sitting down at an authentic Indian restaurant, but honestly, they are much better than I expected. Their chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, butter chicken, and lamb vindaloo stay in heavy rotation in my house, made only better with a side of the naan bread. $3.49 each

• Frozen naan – Speaking of naan, I gravitate to their garlic naan. It’s quickly heated in the oven and an excellent carb addition to lots of different meals.  $2.29

• Gone Bananas –When you have a nagging sweet tooth, these small bites of dark chocolate covered banana pieces satisfy without you going overboard.  $1.99

• Frozen Pizza – There are lots of frozen pizzas, and I’ve had some that I didn’t like. My favorites right now are the Organic Roasted Veggie pizza and the Uncured Pepperoni Pizza.  $3 - $6

• Bibimbap Bowl - This is a great quick lunch you can pop in the microwave. I usually add my own sauce rather than use the pouch it comes with, and if I have time, I add more egg to the mix. $3.49

• Shepherds Pie -  The box says this serves two, but honestly, that’s a lie. This is an easy dinner that takes a while in the microwave but feels very homemade with lots of comfort in each bite.  $4.99

• Beef + Broccoli Entree Bag - This makes for an effortless dinner for two. I put jasmine rice in the rice cooker, and that gives me enough time to put this bag in a skillet for about 10 minutes. I get the mildly sweet and spicy version.  $6.99

• Mac & Cheese Bites - Absolutely unnecessary, but so good. Easy to cook in an air fryer, add a little marinara sauce on the side, and pretend this is your fancy appetizer.  

• Cookie Butter Ice Cream - I try to steer clear of getting a cart full of treats when I go to Trader Joe’s, but after I bought the Speculoo’s Cookie Butter ice cream I was hooked. Getting a massive chunk of cookie butter swirl in my spoon is the best feeling.

Hopefully this is helpful to anyone that doesn’t frequent TJ’s, and if you are a an avid shopper there, feel free to hit me with some goodies you love.

This is not a sponsored post, ya’ll should know that by now.