Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Top Ten Trader Joe's Items - Spring 2017

Hi friends!  I hope you are doing well!  We are pretty good just still dealing with these seasonal allergies.  Today, I'm sharing my currently top ten favorite staples from Trader Joe's.  (This is NOT sponsored, but if anyone wants to get me a sponsorship with Trader Joe's, that would be amazing.  LOL!)  These are just the items I reach for every time I go to Trader Joe's for myself and the family.

These items are a little less conventional, I guess.  I didn't add gallons of milk or bananas and the kinds of things that most people grab all year long.  I hope this is helpful to someone.

1. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa - refrigerated.  This stuff is SO good!  A while ago, my hubby and I kinda got burned out on chips and salsa but when we tried some green salsa at a friend's house, we were hooked again. I love this salsa from the refrigerated section!  It's so bright and fresh!  It has a little heat but not too much.  We mostly eat this with chips but you can also add it to tacos or anything.

2. Organic Jasmine Rice - frozen.  This is sheer convenience.  I usually make a big pot of fresh rice but every now and then one of the kids will need to eat real quick before leaving for an activity and this rice is just perfect.  I can pop it in the microwave and give them rice with leftover meat or stir fry.  This is also great when you have a little bit of leftover takeout and don't want to cook up a whole pot of rice.

3. Orange Chicken - frozen.  This is a family favorite.  The kids LOVE orange chicken and will gobble this up.  It's so much cheaper than takeout and it's really simple.  It's probably not super healthy but it's a sometimes food.  Also, if you kid just wants "popcorn chicken" you can take some out before adding the sauce and you don't have to cook chicken twice.

4. Frozen Blueberries.  My kids love this as a snack!  Usually they prefer the frozen to the fresh and I think it is because they are like tiny popsicles.  These are also great in smoothies or acai bowls.

5. Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese blend.  My daughter calls this "regular cheese" and will eat it on it's own.  It's a little pungent and has a lot of umami.  My hubby and I like this cheese on our pasta dishes.

6. Caramelized Onion Cheddar.  This is one of my favorite cheeses.  We usually use this cheese to snack on.  We serve it with crackers and/or cured meats.  I love the crumbly texture and the flavor of the onions in the cheese!  Also, I think they have improved the recipe.  This cheese seemed to mold a lot faster before but now I don't have that issue.

7. Reduced Guilt Pita Chips.  My kids LOVE these pita chips!  They will just eat them plain.  I feel a bit better about them eating these than regular chips.  My hubby and I use these pita chips to eat with hummus.  They are really good and they don't taste like low-fat.

8. Orangina.  I'm trying to cut way back on sodas and alcohol.  I drink this when I'm craving a soda.  It's not super healthy but at least it has juice in it instead of just artificial flavorings.  I also drink this at brunch instead of mimosas since it is sparkling with citrusy.

9. Persian Cucumbers.  These little cucumbers are so yummy and are the perfect size for the kids to have a snack.  I wash them and cut off the ends and the kids will just eat them.  Sometimes I cut them into spears and we eat them with dip.  Sometimes if I'm making a single serving of salad, I will add this instead of cutting up a full sized cucumber.

10. Cilantro and Jalapeno Hummus.  We love spicy food and we like the brightness of cilantro!  This hummus is so good!  We will eat it with the pita chips or cucumbers shown above or with carrots and other cut up veggies.  This is also a great spread to use on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise.  It adds a lot of flavor without adding as much fat.

If anyone is interested in posts like these, I can do one each season.  There are some yummy winter and fall items we love from Trader Joe's.  What do you like from Trader Joe's?  I would love if you left a comment with your suggestions!  I love trying new things!

Connect with me on social media:
Snapchat - @ashleynewell.me


  1. I love their BBQ sauce and their organic spaghetti sauce. Also, I get their low sugar lemonade for my kids and husband.

  2. Frozen orange chicken? Yes, please! I didn't know they had that but now I want some! Thanks!

  3. We like this orange chicken too! So yummy!

  4. I WISH there was a Trader Joe's near me--I would try any (or all!) of your favorites!

  5. Those little cucumbers are awesome! I actually buy them at Costco and my kids LOVE them.

  6. I love orange chicken so much, how can you go wrong? And that caramelized onion cheddar sounds way too delicious!! I love Trader Joes but we don't have one super close. I think I have to go to Folsom or down Sunrise... or something like that. I've only been a few times since we moved here, le sigh.

  7. I love TJs!! The fresh salads for lunch are yummy. The orange chicken is a staple for us too, so are the tamales and fried rice. I just bought the new Honey walnut Shrimp... can't wait to try it! I love all the cheap organic produce and nuts/dried fruit. yum! I can go on and on

  8. Would you believe I've only been to Trader Joes like once? I think I really need to take a trip there again.

  9. I love TJ's Chicken and Cilantro won tons.