what organic foods do you buy at Trader Joes? - Page 2

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by Eman'smom

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.

I've found plenty of partially hydrogenated oil in their ingredient lists which is part of why I don't like shopping at TJ's. My ds is impatient in stores and I don't want to have to check each label so I go to Whole Foods. The things that I do like from TJ's is their low sugar organic jams, nuts, and organic yogurt (though at my best, I make my own).

[Missy]

We deal with a very long list of severe food allergies, so label-reading is a given no matter where we shop--an ingredient list can change at any time and I can't take any chances. So I guess it doesn't bother me to read everything...and, while there are some things we can only find at whole foods, we just don't have the money to do the bulk of our shopping there.

[Mom2Wilmo]

I really love the produce at TJ's. We don't have a Whole Foods here. I find organic produce at TJ's that I can't find anywhere else. Plums, cantaloupes, grape tomatoes, etc. I also love their organic frozen veggies. It is so convienient and inexpensive to buy a pound of organic frozen spinach for $1.67 a bag. Much cheaper than fresh and just as healthy. We don't really eat snack foods besides cheese sticks, nut, yogurt, raisins. I have found that organic milk and eggs are cheaper at Costco. Organic apple juice is a bit cheaper at another local grocery. Oh! My son is also addicted to their organic granola bars. They don't have any hydrogenated oils I know. They are also pretty inexpensive.

[kwarwick]

TJ's is great for organic food! Especially dried goods....I shop there first, then head over the PCC (Seattle co-op which OP most likely knows about!) for everything I couldn't get at TJ's. Here are some of our favorites:

organic, no sugar, 100% fruit jams - strawberry, cherry, blueberry, raspberry
organic tomato-basil marinara sauce (best one they have IMO)
organic pasta - all their pastas are good, and I think their rice pasta is the best rice pasta we've tried. there's a green tea pasta that we make up with chopped veggies and italian dressing for a cold salad
oragnic green tea
organic coffee for DH
organic, raw walnuts - fabulous price, great product
organic dry roasted almonds
dried apples with no sulphur - not sure if these are organic or not
organic tomato sauce & paste is much less expensive there
organic 100% maple syrup
organic canned beans - all types
organic veggie & chx stock
organic, free range eggs (when we don't get fresh from our CSA farm), great price @ $2.99 (great price for org, free range at least)
organic butter (least expensive organic that I've found, other than Costco)
organic plain yogurt
organic avacados (we don't buy any other produce there, but the avacados are four for $4 vs. $2.50 ea at PCC)
organic frozen corn (yum, yum)
organic frozen green beans (only ones DD will eat)
organic cheddar cheese (pretty good, although I like the org, raw Org Valley cheese better, but this is a good price)
organic tortillas - many varieties
organic white corn tortilla chips
organic fruit leathers (DD loves these)
organic, unsweetened applesauce (this is fabulous!)
and, my favorite if you eat meat, is their organic, kosher chicken breasts. If you eat these, you'll never eat any other type of chicken breasts again. Pricey, but worth it, in my opinion, at least for me, as I eat meat very rarely.

We used to buy rice milk there, but you can get it at Costco now in a case, which is a better deal. Their organic cereals are good too (we like Orgnaic Morning Lite), although I try to balance them out with homemade.

I have made one mandate in our house to DH......if we ever leave the Seattle area, we MUST live near a TJ's! It is truly a staple items place for us.....I shop there with a regular, staples list, and then head over the PCC for the rest. When I've compared the prices at TJ's to PCC, Fred Meyer, and QFC, TJ's wins out all the time. (gotta love those grocery price books!)

You'll love it! Go without the kiddo(s) the first few times however, so you can read labels and take your time in the store to see what works for your family. There are a lot of hidden treasures at TJ's!

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by Mom2Wilmo

My son is also addicted to their organic granola bars. They don't have any hydrogenated oils I know. They are also pretty inexpensive.

If something is certified organic, it is very improbably that it has hydrogenated oil. No point in going through the effort of producing something organic only to have it snubbed by the likes of me .

I think when I first went to TJ's that I had a misconception that it had a greater focus on healthy food than it does. Whole Foods, by contrast, will not carry products with trans fats. This makes my life easier when shopping with my wild child who is chanting "pay and go home" loudly and constantly while making his own selections. I am happy to let him pick things out, so it's nice to have nothing to choose that I feel strongly about him not eating so I don't have to negotiate substitutions.

I can't afford to do all my shopping at Whole Foods, but it is a better place for me to shop with my helper: .

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by kwarwick

You'll love it! Go without the kiddo(s) the first few times however, so you can read labels and take your time in the store to see what works for your family. There are a lot of hidden treasures at TJ's!

Good advice

[nicolelynn]

I, too cannot affoard to buy everything organic though I ofcourse try to as much as possible. We have a Clarks Nutrition here (a healthfood store the size of a supermarket- they carry Organic Pastures and excellent organic produce!) so I have it down to a science what is cheaper and better quality and I shop exclusively at these places (we have an organic farmers market here, which I bemoan that I cannot patronize because they meet at the ridiculous time of thursdays 7-11am when I'm at work!):

at Trader Joe's

Organic:
Organic spring lettuce mix
Organic peanut butter
Organic raw walnuts and almonds
Unpasterized Organic Orange Juice (for saturday AM only)
Organic Fair Trade coffee
Organic Tomatoes (if they look good and are from the US, not Mexico)
Treats like organic Acai sorbet and organic dark chocolate
Organic olive oil
Sweet,Savory and Tart trail mix bars (not NT but organic, hubby loves these)
Organic Marinara Sauce
Organic fruit preserves
Other seasonal organic produce that looks good

Other:
Ezekiel 4:9 bread and tortillas
Greek-style whole milk yogurt
Unsulfered dried apricots
Refrigerated salsas
Occasionally frozen lunches for my hubby for work
Pellegrino
Grade B Maple Syrup
Various cheeses (besides the raw cheddar I get at Clark's)

Now they just started carrying whole free range organic chickens at a decent price...not sure about their feed but I might try them next week. PS I have had better luck with their frozen fish over the fresh section. I imagine it is flash frozen when caught so actually is fresher.

[BookGoddess]

Originally Posted by amseiler

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

Amen, sister! I don't have a TJ within 5,000 miles of me!!

[Britishmum]

organics I buy at TJ include:

jams - great price, great product
beans - ditto
cereal
cereal bars
eggs
yoghurt (tends to be runny, but their organic vanilla yoghurt is awesome!)
smoothies
cheese
cream cheese
pasta
rice pasta
a ton of other stuff, which I can't recall for now.

I love TJ, especially because we deal with some serious allergies here, and their labelling is clear. They often have alternative foods, like wheat-free waffles, that I never see elsewhere. Their prices are much more reasonable than Wholefoods - like, their rice bread is more than a dollar cheaper per loaf for exactly the same brand at Wholefoods.

[grisandole]

Sadly, I don't live by TJ's right now, but I do stock up when I visit CA.....like Britishmum, I love that they have a good amount of gluten free products that are waaaay cheaper than HFS prices. I buy lots of GF bread, rice pasta, organic chicken, free range beef, organic pasta sauce, organic beans, organic frozen veggies, etc.

[luvmy2boys]

Let's see, here's what I get that is organic:

eggs
cheese (not always organic; they have a very limited organic selection and my kids don't like the selections they do have, but at least it is hormone-free)
all dairy (except raw milk, which I get at my local co-op)
peanut butter
fruit spread
canned foods (beans, mainly, for when I don't have time to cook them from dried)
frozen fruits/veggies
juice (some organic, some not)
corn tortilla chips
fruit leather (although they were out last time; said they are changing their supplier. I hope they still get organic!)
chicken (not frozen; in the fresh section)

You're right, their organic produce section is limited, but what they do have tends to be good and a good deal. I usually go to TJs first and then whatever I can't get there I get at the co-op. Lately I've been buying their heirloom tomatoes, which are absolutely *fabulous*, and very reasonably priced (compared to other organic tomatoes; not compared to regular grocery store pink rocks that they call tomatoes). I do like their salads/greens; I always choose organic. Also like their avocados.

I do get some non-organic things, too:
dishwasher and laundry detergent (cheap, and supposedly environmentally friendly)
sprouted grain bread (that might be organic too; not sure)
tortillas (their corn tortillas are the *best*!!)
chips/cookies (not all organic, but a lot of no hydrogenated oils/trans fats choices)
nuts
whole wheat pasta
yummy desserts (occasionally; they have a chocolate torte that I love)
sausage (nitrate free; not all of it is, so watch it)
"quick cooking" sirloin (basically thinly sliced sirloin; I use it for cheesesteak sandwiches)
Dr. Bronner's bar soap (wait, I think that's organic!)



Most of the non-organic stuff there I either haven't found an organic version of elsewhere, or the version(s) I have found were distasteful enough that no one would eat them. I'm still transitioning, though; it's only been about a year since I really started getting serious about buying organic produce.

[luvmy2boys]

Originally Posted by 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.

Oh, you're right! That stuff is awesome!