what organic foods do you buy at Trader Joes?

[boongirl]

I keep hearing about how great this store is. I went twice when we lived in Seattle and I found a few organic produce items and some nice frozen foods but I was really not sure what else to buy. The dried fruit was sulphured, which I cannot have. We don't drink wine. We don't do a lot of frozen meals. We try to only eat organic foods. I saw some snacks but they were not organic. Someone recently told me their organic milk is cheap.

Now, my new home city is getting a TJs in a few months.
So, what do you buy that is organic at Trader Joes?

[tessamami]

I buy milk at Trader Joes

As for the frozen stuff, I am guilty of buying non-organic chicken. I tried what I thought was wild caught salmon, but it was absolutely disgusting. The salmon was formed into patties, and it was awful.

I don't go there for organics, I go there for cheap snacks. When I buy produce there, I buy almost exclusively organic. But the produce section there is pretty darned small. I go to Whole Foods or Farmers' markets when I want good produce or meats. To the fish store when I want fish.

[boongirl]

See, that was my impression also. Good for snacks but the organic produce section is small and the meats are so so. My friends who shop there don't buy a lot of organic. You like the Whole foods meats? After three trips and three bad meats (1 chicken, 1 salmon, and 1 halibut - all old and tough and fishy) I gave up on Whole Foods. I mostly do the coop grocery store or the mainstream store which has great locally caught fish.

[bu's mama]

I haven't had a ton of luck with fresh organics, but I buy a lot there...milk, eggs, yougurt, whole roasting chickens, pasta sauce & pasta, honey pretzel sticks (not organic but ), organic juices.

They have a great return policy so if you want to try something & you don't like it you can get your money back without any hassle.

Also, if you find something that you like, but your TJ's doesn't stock it, you can talk to the manager & they'll usually get it.

[LEAW]

Ours carries local free range (though not certified organic) amish chickens in the fresh meat, I get frozen organic veggies, some fresh organic produce, their juices are pretty good, we stock up on rice milk and almond milk too, since it's about 1/2 the cost as the HFS in town. We also get some canned veggies and organic beans, and I keep a carton of the organic chicken broth on hand just in case.

I used to get dh the yogurt, but we're completely dairy free now. Some of their breads are nice, some are not as great as local bakeries, the pita is never fresh but the whole wheat always is.

Dd loves the fruit leathers, and we like a lot of their "junk" food - the tortilla chips are organic, the fresh salsa is FAB, veggie chips, pretzels, etc.

[EmsMom]

I typically only go to Trader Joe's once a month, specifically for the good deal on some organics. I buy: organic whole milk yogurt, organic butter, the frozen organic vegetables (peas, spinach, green beans, broccoli, asparagus and corn), tofu, chicken, frozen wild salmon (they have different kinds -- some is good, some is horrible), organic chips when I am really splurging!, natural cat food, low sugar organic jam, organic baked beans for an occasional "emergency" dinner or lunch, bread (their organic bread is quite good and a much better price than other stores if you can't/don't make your own), organic whole wheat pasta, organic peanut butter, organic tampons, some cereal. They do sell some organic rice and canned beans but it is a better deal to buy those things in bulk from my co-op. I don't really use the frozen vegetables during the summer when I eat local fresh stuff. But they are a great boon in the winter. I also occasionally buy things like cleaners there, although I typically make my own. It is a short shopping list, but I mostly go for the cat food -- they have a "natural" one that is not organic but is only .50 a can and has saved me big on vet bills since I got my cats off supermarket brands. I call ahead and order three cases a month and one case of their tofu. I am not sure it would be worth it if I did not live fairly close by.

[Eman'smom]

I thought Trader Joes only sold snack food

Ok I'm only being half serious, I am guilty of buying almost all our snacks there, but I buy very few groceries, they make great flax seed chips, and their junk food contains ingredients like oil and sugar, not hydroginated vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup. I figure if we are going to eat junk and least it's going to be "real" junk.

Oh they do make some great yogurts.

[babyj]

Organic things I buy @ TJs

eggs
milk (not homoginized so cream top = less processed)
canned beans
applesauce

Earth's Balance Spread
Bagged lettuce mixes
Bread

bj

[mamarhu]

I object to all the produce being wrapped in plastic, so I avoid that section, but sometimes it does look good! They have a couple rich, decadent cheeses and a pate that I love for sandwiches, so I go there when I want to pamper myself. They have a brand of frozen potstickers that can't be beat, and is my favorite midnight snack. Come to think of it, that is exactly all I buy there. Certainly nothing I couldn't live without, and hardly the stuff of frugality!

[Ravin]

I don't usually buy produce there, it tends to be overpackaged and overpriced. Things I do buy:

Cereal
Sunflower seed butter and fruit spread
Trail mix stuff (I'm sure not all their dried fruits and nuts are sulphured!)
Goat's milk (only place I can get Sunnyhill Farm instead of Myenberg, it's not organic but is hormone AND antibiotic free; the company's website says they aren't organic because they can't afford organic feed, and it's in a recyclable plastic jug instead of a paper carton).
Sometimes cheese if I'm not having to watch my budget too closely. Most of their cheese is rBGH free though not organic.
We also get bread there, probably the biggest thing to me. They have some breads that are organic, many that don't contain unneccesary crap like HFCS or hydrogenated oils.
snack items like crackers, again not necessarily organic.
Every now and then a marinade sauce
Frozen fruits and veggies
yogurt (organic if I can afford it that day)

I can't even remotely afford to shop all organic. TJ's provides at least some natural stuff for better prices than you can find anywhere else.

[Missy]

Cereal, bread, jellies, rice, pasta, sauces, Sunbutter (not sure if it's organic, just a necessity here...), some produce, rice milk, applesauce...maybe it's because our local choices are so awful, but I would go bonkers without trader joe's. They do, I think, have a pretty large selection of organic snack food: rice cakes, corn chips, salsa.

[boongirl]

Thanks for all the info! When ours opens, I will definitely be giving it a chance.

[mamamilkers]

I buy organic milk, frozen fruits and vegetables, avocados, canned beans, canned tomatoes, bottled juice, eggs, yogurt, sour cream, butter, chicken, baby carrots, sometimes I find apples or peaches or strawberries, applesauce . . . hmmm, I'm sure there is more!

I am trying to narrow down the number of grocery stores I have to stop at to get everything I like and have found that I rarely have to go to PCC anymore because I can get so much organic stuff at TJ's! I love it. It's so much cheaper, as well.

[Hazel]

Boongirl-where in B'ham are they opening a Trader Joes?
We usually drive down to Everett but it would be much closer for us to drive up there!

[EricaLeigh]

Trader Joe's is about a 45 minute drive from me so I only vist every month or 2. I stock up on: Organic EV Olive Oil
Organic Maple syrup
Organic frozen veggies
Organic frozen berries (in season) use for smoothies
Wild sockeye salmon fillets
Organic baby carrots
Organic bananas
Organic cereal
Organic tortillas
Organic pasta
Sometimes juice

[frogguruami]

OK It is not nice to tease people that don't have a TJ ANYWHERE near them. :

[TiredX2]

Our biggest TJs purchase is their organic fruit leathers. They used to be .29/each (I don't remember what they moved up to) and we buy 100 at a time :

[mamajessica]

No one mentioned their organic basil?!!! That's the best, especially in the winter. Enough to make a whole batch of pesto for about $3.

[swimswamswum]

We buy a lot of "junk" snacky type non-organic stuff at TJ's. I also love their laundry detergent and shampoo. DH eats their granola bars (not organic). We buy their wine and their frozen nan like it's going out of style (again, not organic). I also love their veggie corn dogs (I know it's gross, but they're a total comfort food for me).

As for the organics, we buy the following:
raisens
coffee (also FT)
tea (also FT)
spices
sugar
goat cheese

We have a local co-op where we get organic produce and other bulk goods, but TJ's can't be beat for certain things.

[Missy]

Last night for dinner, I ate a bowl of tj's organic whole wheat pasta, with tj's organic spaghetti sauce, which I mixed with a few of their bruschettas and tapenades (not organic, I don't think, but ).

We stocked up for the month yesterday. Organics: granolas, maple syrup, frozen veggies, orange juice, tortillas, rice cakes, applesauce, baked beans, corn chips, ketchup, pasta, rice, jellies, and (mostly organic) apple-walked-into-a-bar. Oh, carrots, avocados...probably more.

Non-organic, but--to me--worth it: Applegate Farms turkey dogs, uncured turkey bacon, pita, bagels, English muffins, olive tapenade, grilled veggie bruschetta, red pepper and artichoke bruschetta, Joe's O's, sunflower seeds, crackers, flat bread, Sunbutter, sweet potatoes, balsemic vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, EV olive oil...soap--honey and oatmeal bar soap and peppermint castile, lavendar dryer bags...

We bake most of our own bread, but they do have a good selection and sometimes we'll get a loaf.

All total, I spent over $300 and anyone who's shopped at Trader Joe's knows how much you can get for $300. We filled two carts. It will bring us, a family of five, into next month. I still have to stock up on flours and oats, and a little more fresh produce as we go through the month, but we would spend so much more at Giant or Safeway and at TJ's I can identify--and pronounce--all the ingredients.