We all know and love Trader Joe’s — it’s a fan favorite. As college students in Boston, Trader Joe’s is one of the cheapest places to buy groceries. By the second or third year of college when you’re no longer on a meal plan, Trader Joe’s is a solid option for purchasing a variety of groceries and snacks.
Here are Trader Joe’s best products broken up by several categories: dairy, frozen foods, snacks, beverages, pantry staples and sweets.
If we look at Trader Joe’s vast variety of dairy products, a few stand out: the Chevre Goat Cheese (an absolute favorite), the Unexpected Cheddar (unique but delicious), the kefir (flavorful yogurt drink), the mango and peach creamy yogurts (can’t find them anywhere else) and the many other cheeses, milks and yogurts.
If you want to stock up on convenient, tasty meals, Trader Joe’s has a variety of frozen food options as well: the classic orange chicken (a fan favorite), the soup dumplings (perfect for a quick meal), the frozen pastas (the cacio e pepe, tomato gnocchi, or the cauliflower gnocchi), the frozen pizzas (specifically the delicious bambino one) and the diner mac and cheese (an inexpensive comfort food). You can’t forget Trader Joe’s row of desserts — their mochi is inexpensive and delicious, and they have many unique flavors of ice cream as well.
If you are looking for snacks, Trader Joe’s has it all. Their variety of popular snacks, including the milk chocolate pretzels (my personal favorite), the truffle potato chips (delicious and cheap, with the right amount of truffle), water crackers (which pair perfectly with the goat cheeses above), Ghost Pepper Potato Chips (spicy and delicious), pita chips and the White Cheddar Corn Puffs are sure to satisfy your cravings. Whenever you enter the store, you’ll find a new section of interesting, fun snacks. Trader Joe’s never disappoints.
Trader Joe’s offers an incredible selection of beverages that caters to everyone’s taste. For coffee fans, the cold brew concentrate, spiced chai and matcha latte mixes are popular for creating iced coffee at home. The orange juice, which is quite refreshing, is also perfect for juice lovers, and the orange pineapple juice offers the perfect twist on the classic orange juice, and is also very popular. These drinks are just a few of the dozens of drinks that Trader Joe’s offers.
Pantry staples are extremely cheap at Trader Joe’s, which includes pasta, sauces and more. All of these items are cheap and high quality — I’d highly recommend the pastas and sauces, as they are fresh and staple options when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. All the sauces and condiments are also delicious, and there is a wide variety of options.
When it comes to sweets, Trader Joe’s carries a line of unique candy. They have Scandinavian Swimmers (a fan favorite), peanut butter cups (cheap and delicious) and other unique seasonal candy. If you want to try new, less-processed candy, Trader Joe’s is the place to go!
We all know and love Trader Joe’s — and I hope these options make it easier for you on your next shopping trip. There are dozens of options for each meal, and you can try different things every week! These items can spice up your meals and bring more joy to cooking everyday.