Favorite Trader Joe's or Whole Foods stuff

LaughingWater

LaughingWater

Cathlete
I normally don't shop at either of these, but I've been gradually cleaning up my diet over the past 9 months, and I think I'm finally ready to step away from my local Dominick's for some special items it doesn't carry. The question is, what will those special items be:

I've heard Ezekiel bread is great. I've also heard almond butter is awesome.

Any favorites to suggest?
 
I like almond butter and Ezekiel Bread, but I don't get them at either of those places. I get them at a local natural foods market in town or the natural food section of my grocery store.

I'm a sucker for organic produce and spices. Again, I get them at my local natural food place. I actually prefer it to Whole Foods.
 
It's so not "clean", but the Vegan General Tso's Seitan from the Whole Foods deli is amazing! I so miss Whole Foods and Trader Joe's! We don't have them anywhere near us. For healthy stuff, the Whole Foods 365 brand is not too expensive and very nice. And shopping in the bulk section is great for healthy and less expensive food. The Whole Foods salad and hot bars are also great!

Amy
 
The Ezekiel bread at Trader Joe's is a staple in my fridge.

I always get their organic arugula salad as well as Mache salad. YUMMY! I mostly get (organic) produce, organic olive oil, raw nuts and seeds and not so much of their prepackaged food.

I don't eat any mayo anymore but their wasabi mayonaise is really good.

Whole Foods I get anything that I can't get through my organic buyer's club or local farmer's markets. Really no specialty that I can think of right now. I like their brown rice sushi.
 
Trader Joe's frozen meals are GREAT! Also, (not clean) their double chocolate chip cookies are the best!!!! They have great produce and it is much less expensive than Whole Foods. They are so friendly and helpful - my kids love going there because they have mini carts to shop with and they leave with balloons, stickers...
 
We don't have either store in my state, but we have several very good natural food co-ops. I also get my Ezekiel bread and almond butter there ;), but my main must haves are the locally raised/produced meats, fruits, veggies, and dairy.
 
I love Trader Joe's! Faves are - fish oil capsules, bags 'o' nuts (they have every conceivable kind), dried cherries, sun dried tomatoes (cheap!), and, when the need is great - chocolate covered almonds with sea salt. :p

I have a Whole Foods in my area as well and I like to go there to window shop for supplements, and the veggies are so pretty, and they have a really interesting variety of foods, and the bulk bins are fun, and they have an impressively complete array of chocolate products. :eek:

I do love me some chocolate!
 
You can buy Ezekiel bread from both Trader's and Whole Foods. Of course, it will be cheaper at Trader's than WF. I do know WF sells almond butter; not sure of TJ's; however, I'm sure they carry is as well. Be sure to pick up the almond butter without salt!
 
Trader Joe's Organic Frozen Brown Rice is THE best! The closest TJ's to me is 2 1/2 hours away and I am willing to make a trip to get this one item-that is how good it is! It's so easy to prepare: take the frozen package out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave for 3 1/2 min., and viola! YUMMY!

I love their sauces-not sure how clean they are but they are sure good! And they have a big selection of whole wheat pasta.

Their Organic Frozen Sweet Corn is delicious! As is the frozen meal BBQ Teriyaki Chicken (definitely not clean but oh so good and low fat).

Hmmm...I need to make a trip to TJ's soon!! :)

It's fun to go there and look at the packages and the fruit and veggies (some are already cut up for you). Prices are very, very reasonable, and like others said, the staff at TJ's is helpful and pleasant.

HTH!!

Lisa
 
I'm lucky to have a Trader Joes and Whole Foods right next to each other. I shop at both but I do 80% of my shopping at Whole Foods. The fruits and veggies are just better quality. The meat counter and bakery has some really fresh and good quality stuff too. They sell a lot of local products gotta help out the local farmer. It isn't cheap by any stretch. The only cheaper affordable item they sell is their organic pasta and sauce. Most of everything at Whole Foods is made with less preservatives and has a temporary shelf life. That doesn't necessarily mean clean eating though. They still have a stellar bakery that sells some really good cakes and chocolates! I guess if your going to eat cake it might as well be made with whole ingredients. :)
 
I just got home from TJ's!
I stocked up on my favorite steel cut oats (the frozen variety), their brand of balsamic vinegar, fage yogurt, frozen pineapple chunks, Asian style chicken breast, and a bag of bulk raw almonds:D
 
I love the frozen garlic naan from Trader Joe's. I just stocked up on it this weekend. I also got a great cheese spread, Blue Cheese and roasted pecan. Not super clean, but not too bad, either. 110 calories for 2 tablespoons. They also have multigrain flaxseed water table crackers. Very yummy. I could spend hours in Trader Joe's....

anne
 
Another vote for the Whole Foods whole wheat pasta. It is the one thing they carry that is actually cheaper than you can find elsewhere, and it is very good.

At trader Joes, I love the nuts and dried fruit. They have great varieties of trail mix. The freeze dried fruit is excellent (especially the mango)...crunchy and low calorie. For a treat, I like the dark chocolate covered edamame. I also love their greek style yogurt (cheaper than Fage). Another favorite item is their canned artichoke hearts (not marinated). They are the best I've tried, and I love having them handy to put in salads or pasta dishes. (I have even been known to eat a can of them for a snack.) Hubby likes the snapea crisps for snacks and the simmer sauces.

Guess you can tell that I'm a bigger fan of TJs than WF!
 
I love TJ's too. Love all their organic sauces and canned goods. Also love their frozen brown rice. That one is a staple in my house. And the 2 buck chuck is actually pretty darn good!!
 
fit44 said:
I just got home from TJ's!
I stocked up on my favorite steel cut oats (the frozen variety), their brand of balsamic vinegar, fage yogurt, frozen pineapple chunks, Asian style chicken breast, and a bag of bulk raw almonds:D
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I am going to Trader Joe's for the first time EVER this weekend (assuming it doesn't snow here in MN!) Please tell me more about the frozen steel cut oats. Are they individual servings that need to be microwaved? Do tell! Thanks!
 
jillybean said:
I am going to Trader Joe's for the first time EVER this weekend (assuming it doesn't snow here in MN!) Please tell me more about the frozen steel cut oats. Are they individual servings that need to be microwaved? Do tell! Thanks!
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They are packaged 2 servings to a box for $1.59.
I like them because the texture is perfect and it only takes 2 minutes in my microwave:)
Here is what they look like and a review:
http://www.godairyfree.org/Product-...-Frozen-Steel-Cut-Oatmeal-Vegan-Soy-Free.html
 
jillybean said:
I am going to Trader Joe's for the first time EVER this weekend (assuming it doesn't snow here in MN!) Please tell me more about the frozen steel cut oats. Are they individual servings that need to be microwaved? Do tell! Thanks!
Click to expand...

I love the frozen steel cut oats too. They are sold as 2 individually sealed packs. You take one, take it out of the package and nuke it and add whatever else you like to it and enjoy. I love to put milk, flax seed, sliced almonds, and fruit. They are uber super convienent and fast. Although it is cheaper to cook your own and just store them in 1 cup portions in freezer bags. Trader Joes is still the cheapest you'll find. Whole Foods sells a version that costs double the amount and does not taste as good.
 
The kids and I are going to visit Trader Joe's tomorrow, so we really appreciate the suggestions.

We've been there before (love the giant wall of cheese), but I've only bought a handful of items, and it's not a regular hang out of ours.

Hopefully that will change now. I have two lists for this weekend: One for Dominick's, and one for TJ's. I'm looking forward to trying some new stuff!
 
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