Sadly, TJ's has gotten rid of some of my favorites like the picholine olives and I wish they would get back the Mario Batali spaghetti sauce now that he is making it again, but I do always buy the organic oatmeal and tons of the dried fruit and nuts.

oh lord, i could go on and on and on! we fell madly in love with trader joe's when we were living in chicago, and now, having moved back to canada, i miss it like i'd miss a limb. their products are inexpensive, interesting and always delicious.

we're off to do some cross border shopping in the next little while, and all i want is trader joe's.

Alcohol
Nuts
Cheese
Chips
Truly Handmade Tortillas
Soap and Shampoo
Frozen veggies
Candy
Canned black and garbanzo beans
Ketchup
Sesame thins

Most other staple things I buy local or from bulk bins in the stores that offer bulk bins. Steel cut oats, for example, are much more economical from bulk. Also, [and I hope Trader Joe himself is reading this] have been disappointed in the past with the discontinuance of certain items that had become favorites.

The marinated three-bean medley.

Whole wheat couscous.

Artichoke antipasto.

Yum!

olive tapenade - so good on/ in everything! we buy our tofu and a lot of faux italian sausage there because its the best taste and texture for the price. we also regularly buy mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, soap, face pads, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pizza dough, cheese (soy and dairy), some delicious chocolately thing or another, and soy yogurt.

I always have several boxes of their microwaveable Indian dishes in my cupboard. I'm a college student, so I usually don't have time to plan a weekday meal out ahead of time, but coming home at 8:30 and knowing that I can still have pav bhaji for dinner? Priceless!

I also keep a few boxes of their Truffle brownie mix around, they are definitely my favorite brownies out of a box!

I was totally hooked on the ginger JoJo's but c'est la vie.

I love their tomato sauce, pasta and frozen potstickers, but only the chicken ones. The pork ones are kind of weird, to me. Assorted frozen foods make it home with me more often than not, too. Sometimes you just need dinner sans prep.

We LOVE Trader Joe's almond butter w/ roasted flaxseeds and bought a case of it to hoard in case it ever gets discontinued. Their peanut butter with roasted flaxseeds is good, too.

Other staples for us include:
sparkling water
canned black beans
canned corn
roasted red pepper & tomato soup
harvest grain mix
hummus
frozen organic 3 cheese pizza
frozen morningstar farms veggie sausage
frozen fruit
dried fruit
nuts
chocolate covered pretzel thins :)

There are obviously dozens of other things that go into the cart on a trip to Joe's, but these are the items that we buy on a weekly basis.

Tofu and tempeh.
Cheese (esp since they identify which ones have animal rennet so I can avoid those)
Frozen pizza, wood-fired three-cheese
Whole wheat pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil
Nonfat greek yogurt
High fiber cereal
Bagged organic baby spinach
Baby bella mushrooms
Frozen edamame (shelled and unshelled)

I live five minutes walking distance from a TJ's, so I could go on and on...

www.vegrun.blogspot.com

Oh dear, this could be a long list.

Kalamata and Spanish Manazilla Olives
Piquillo Peppers
Eggplant Garlic Spread and/or Olive Tapenade
Olive Oil (Spanish)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maple Syrup
Spanish Saffron
Arborio Rice
Whole Wheat Pastas
Cheeses
Coffee (particularly their Fair Trade Bolivian or Peaberry varieties)
Crackers - Multigrain and Flaxseed

Any other number of things that catch my eye. Particularly flowers :)

I'll make a special trip to Trader Joes for cheese, it's so much cheaper than the grocery store, and they have better variety.

I'm also addicted to their sour cream, it is creamy and heavenly.

their whole wheat pasta is easily less than half the price of the regular grocery store.
panko crumbs are a good deal, as is the roasted tomato soup and most of the nuts.
they are the only place that regularly sells cheese curds here in the east.
their roasted red pepper tapenade perks up so many dishes and soups.
and they rightfully sell their cookies in tubs. most people don't want a few cookies; they want a few handfuls of cookies!

TJ's has awesome organic ketchup, it taste's so damn good.

Their pasta is the best, and always cheaper than even the store brand! I also love their house-brand Pirate Booty, and my dad is obsessed with the red licorice.

I keep a couple of bottles of the sparkling juice around in case there's a non-drinker when we open a bottle of wine.

For the fridge, I often buy their tofu (although the price has gone up in the Boston area) and goat cheese, and their refrigerated guacamole was the first one that I found that was actually good.

Everything has been pretty much covered: flour, sugar, canned beans of all varieties, granola, nuts, organic apples for far less than the grocery store, milk, yogurt, eggs, onions, pizza sauce (FAT FREE!!), frozen edamame, chocolate cat cookies, cheese, 3-buck-chuck.

I don't have a TJ nearby me, so I rarely shop there, but it's so nice to read these posts b/c it'll inspire me to try out some stuffs at TJ's when I do go visit :)

TJ's is one of the things I miss most (Orland Park, Chicago southern suburbs) since I moved downstate. My brother will always pick stuff up for me when he comes down, though, and this is the trinity:

Mini whole wheat pitas
Case (or two) of wine
Sushi party platter

Not to mention the cheeses, nuts and nut butters, quinoa...oh, the list goes on.

The nearest ones to here are Indianapolis and St. Louis. Boo! Expand, Joe! We need you, and Champaign is a university town, you'd do great!

Arborio rice
pizza dough
cheeses (parm, mozzarella, etc)
dried fruits, nuts and trail mixes
and I love the pomegranate limeade

I share a lot of the rec's above, but had to include a special shout-out for the Vegetable Gyoza (potstickers). In the freezer aisle, they are SPECTACULAR, relatively healthy and super fast and yummy on busy nights. Side note: I think the chicken and pork ones are weird texturally, but... I don't eat a lot of meat to begin with.

Whole wheat pastas. Cheeses (fresh mozzarella and pecorino romano). Their Greek-style yogurt. Vinegar and oils (esp. the organic olive oil). The nuts and dried fruits are affordable and the variety is fantastic. Especially since I can get the non-sulfured dried fruit! And definitely their frozen fruit. The frozen mango chunks are heavenly!

Every time I go I try a new fruit and nut snack mix or a nut mix. Good stuff.

My other main thing I love is the TJ's Honey Almond & Flax 9 Whole Grain Crunch cereal. It's high protein and high fiber, and it tastes like honey-nut Cheerios!

I miss their 2 buck chuck wine. Due to the weird alcohol laws in Pennsylvania, no TJ's wine for me.

I have edited my shopping so I can get 90% of it done at Trader Joes. The TJ's products that are on my regular shopping list that I would go to TJ's specifically to get (as opposed to things I buy because they're there, like flour) are:

Dairy:
Butter, Milk, Heavy Cream, Eggs (all much cheaper than anywhere else. Their HC is awesome, too), Greek Yogurt, Organic Baby Yogurt

Frozen:
Macaroni and cheese (seriously, their frozen mac is awesome)

Produce and Meats:
Nitrate Free Bacon
Nitrate Free Hot Dogs (I have a 2 year old)
Wild Nova Smoked Salmon
Wild Arugula
Southern Greens

Pantry Foods

Jarred Piquillo Peppers (even better than the roasted red)
Spanish or President's Choice Olive Oil
Orange Champagne Vinegar
Maple Syrup
Organic Ketchup (no HCFS)
TJ's Real Mayonnaise
Canned Beans (they're BPA Free)
Nuts and dried fruit (try the Trail mix with the macadamia nuts and Crystallized Ginger)
Sunflower Seed Butter
Raspberry Jam (it's better than Smucker's by a long shot)
Quick Cook Steel Cut Oatmeal
Organic Chicken Broth (it's a million miles better than the Whole Foods House Brand)
Tomato and Roasted Pepper Soup

Beverages:
Green Juice (the refrigerated kind with the fruit too -- it gets spinach into my toddler)
Sparkling Berry Flavored Water
Hansen's sodas
WINE

add to so many of these in the above posts the frozen fish

unbelievable what throwing one of those into leftover vegetable soup (especially one with potato) will do.

always have cannellini beans and the tuna in olive oil (much better taste than in water)

am starting to keep away from a lot of the prepared foods and sauces... seeing what following Bittman's and Pollan's rule of no more than 5 ingredients listed will do... so far I eat better (well cleaner as well) tasting food is one thing (sorry trader J's)

I am lacotse intolerant, and TJ's has the one and ONLY sliced, melting yogurt cheese, that is lactose-free. I have tried soy cheese, non-dairy cheese, etc from several grocery stores, but the TJ's one is the best, especially the pepper jack variety. I buy 2 packs at a time since we only get there about once a month.

We also love their fudge brownie mix, and their flax seed granola. OH yeah... and 3 Buck Chuck!!!

shrimp fried rice, I buy about 10 bags at a time, 5 for me and 5 for my mom. We use at least two bags at a time when making a meal, and they're only like $3 a bag. $6 for a meal for three (or 2 with leftovers) is awesome!!

Shaved Grana Padano. Mmmmmm ....

Love love love their light coconut milk--use it in tons of recipes!

My husband is gluten-free, so without Trader Joe's, he'd be pretty miserable. He takes their boxed Indian meals with their precooked brown rice for lunch when he works in the office. We love their gluten-free pancake/waffle mix. We've tried tons of homemade recipes for waffles, and none of them hold together like TJ's mix. Also, their gluten-free granola is the cheapest and best around, and their gluten-free french rolls are the closest thing to decent rolls out there--and they aren't frozen!! Almost all of the bread options we can get gluten-free are either frozen or cardboard, but the french rolls at TJ's are amazing! And cheaper than the frozen stuff!

We love their assortments of nuts and sauces. I used to love their reduced sugar marionberry preserves, but they don't make it anymore.

And of course, we stock up on the alcohol! We wish they carried gluten-free beer, but the rest of the options are great.

Oh--and their greek yogurt! Yum! And cheaper than the other brands!

You simply cannot beat their prices on soups. I get a carton of the tomato and one of the butternut squash soups every week. Same goes for "bubbly" water. Can't beat the price. I also lllooooovvee their dill pickles and queen anne green olives. The best!

Have to second that frozen mac and cheese recommendation - it is seriously delicious!

Some of our other favorites:

Flaxseed peanut and almond butter
no sugar added jams
Par-baked Filone bread
Joe's joe coffee
cinnamon graham crackers
their ice cream is awesome - particularly the coffee blast
frozen fruit
Kefir
Greek yogurt
frozen croissants - both the chocolate and plain are delicious
lemon curd
maple syrup
Niman Ranch bacon and ham

The marinara sauce, buffalo burgers (we keep at least two boxes on hand at all times), sliced apples, frozen steel cut oatmeal, green tea mints, chocolate covered peanut butter crackers. Those are the things we buy every time, but there are tons of others that are good anyway.

Arborio rice, any of their dried pastas, dried wild mushrooms, cheap wine to cook with, frozen chicken potstickers, maple syrup, butter, pan spray, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. I used to go there so often and I'd usually pick up a little bit of cheese for myself. Not strictly necessary, but nice.

tj's english style lemon curd. omg it is good. i tell myself i'm buying it for the cute glass bottles that i reuse for my spices. ;-)

TJ's ketchup is the best!

Anyone else go crazy for the chocolate covered Candy Cane Joe-Joe's? My mother actually gives them out as Christmas gifts. And people go nuts for them!

Oh, reddylee-- it is always a temptation to stock up on the Candy Cane Joe-Joe's every Christmas, but I resist because I look forward to them so much. I could eat them by the box. And I usually hate sandwich cookies. Hate them.

oh yeah, and frozen latkes - super tasty for breakfast or dinner!

I go to TJ's for the castille oil soap (I use it for handwashing my laundry), nuts and dried fruits, tofu and tempeh, parmesan cheese, the european-style yogurt, crackers, whole-wheat english muffins (they're called like joe muffins or something instead), whole wheat pasta, dark chocolate pound plus bars, canned beans, tea, the reduced-sugar organic jam, and the organic valencia peanut butter. Every once in a while I buy some produce there, especially the baby bella mushrooms and teeny tiny potatoes, but mostly the fresh products aren't so great. I'm also not a fan of their flour or the conventional canned tomatoes, the organic tomatoes are good though.

So many of my favorites are already listed above. One thing I didn't see anyone mention in their bruschetta. I'm not big on eating tomatoes, but the bruschetta is amazing. I love using it as a sauce on the whole wheat pizza crust and just adding some cheese. Yum!

Unfortunately I'm stuck shopping in the Union Square NYC store, which is organized chaos practically from open to close every day. Due to the mayhem I only make a once a month trip. The bruschetta is often sold out.

The Candy Cane Joe-Joe's are insane. Like HeatherK, I don't like sandwich cookies but I'd kill for those. Other TJ's staples include: Organic Peanut Butter, Reduced Sugar Strawberry Jam, Olive Oil, Simmering Sauces, Old-Fashioned Graham Crackers, Olympia Greek Style Frozen Pizza, frozen Garlic Naan, Roasted Veggie Enchiladas, and of course, wine!

Their egg pasta is my bf's favorite. I always have that in my pantry.

I also buy their artisan bread, eggs, orange juice and huge blocks of chocolates for baking regularly.

Oh and their Roma tomatoes are ALWAYS fresh! Love love love!

Sometimes when I feel lazy, I'll get their pre-made bruschetta as well. They're the best!

i love the harvest grains mix & flaxseed veggie tortilla chips!
my staples: roasted red pepper & tomato soup, joe's o's, pork gyozas, mandarin orange chicken, sliced almonds, white cheddar mac & cheese

I am lucky to live very close to an independent market that has fantastic produce AND most of the pantry staples I need -- so I rarely go to Trader Joe's, even though there's one in the next town over. However -- I do have to make a stop once in a while, because the Trader Joe's Organic Peanut Butter is the only peanut butter I buy anymore. It doesn't have corn syrup in it or other mysteriosu nasties but it also doesn't seem to separate as much as the other natural peanut butters I've had. I'm a devotee, and usually buy 3 jars at a time so I won't have to go back for a while.

Where to begin: various cheeses, ww pita bread, ww english muffins, canned beans, roasted red peppers, canned salmon, regular (not extra virgin) olive oil, vinegars, hard alcohol, ginger tea, luna bars, dried fruit, frozen fruit, frozen veggies, apple sauce singles, semi-sweet chocolate chips, flour, cereal bars, and ground flaxseed.

And, I'm sure I'm missing something.

many of the things already mentioned... (oh that diner joe's mac'n'cheese!)
whole wheat sourdough bread
vodka sauce
frozen chili verde burritos & tamales
peanut butter pretzels (munching these right now...)
roasted chicken patties
coffee, coffee, coffee
olive oil--so much cheaper there for good quality!
frozen mushroom and black truffle flatbread (this and a bowl of soup or salad makes one speedy & delicious dinner)
nuts of various kinds
salted sesame flatbreads
woven wheats
canned artichoke hearts in water (i have been known to eat these straight out of the can)
frozen mini and chocolate croissants
frozen pesto bowls for work lunches
frozen green beans
the entire wine aisle
i also always keep one of their frozen desserts on hand for spur-of-the-moment dinner parties. and lately we've been hooked on these very strange frozen souffle pellet things. they look insane but you pop them in a buttered ramekin, bake for half and hour and voila--delicious!

i love shopping there because even the frozen prepped food isn't full of strange things and it's all so reasonably priced.

My friend was just joking this afternoon how everytime he comes over my cupboards are like an advert for Traders.

Staples are:

Feta Cheese
Honey
Pumpkin Seed Rolls
Organic fruit/veg
Ginger Snap biscuits
brown sugar
crunchy peanut butter yum!
that big massive chocolate bar with almonds
free range eggs
salad dressing
kettle corn popcorn
salsa
beans - black, white and red kidney, gabazano

I could go on and on..

saer
http://cravenmaven.wordpress.com

Forgot some from my earlier list. Adding...

madeleine cookies
thai red curry sauce
frozen pesto tortellini
jarred dolmas
balance bars & luna bars

Oh! I almost always go to Trader Joes!

Here are some things I absolutely love:

Artisan baguettes
spicy soy and flax seed chips
Mediterranean hummus
2 boxes of red pepper and tomato soup
goat cheese
pesto
garlic and herb pizza dough (best, easiest quickest weeknight meal!)
mini chocolate peanut butter cups (great to much and awesome in brownies!)
jarred sun dried tomatoes
jarred marinated artichoke hearts

Oh how I miss Trader Joes! I did a little dance while visiting Chicago last weekend and had a small amount of room in my suitcase for little things but how I wish I could stock my pantry with their things! Come on Trader Joes PLEASE come to Denver!

Like CentsInTheCity I luuurrrrrve the bruschetta. Seriously, I could eat it by the spoonful.

Also, their jarred pesto is pretty awesome. My kids love it. They beg me for pesto grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a "real dinner".

My husband is addicted to their orange chicken. I never liked orange chicken before I had theirs - pre-battered and you add the sauce AFTER you get it crispy, and its not as sweet as other orange chicken I have had.

Of course we also get cheeses, pasta, cookies, juices and dried fruits there too. But only while picking up the above three things : )

I always buy my nuts there because they are so inexpensive. Also fabulous: TJ's graham crackers, made with whole wheat flour and cane sugar. And speaking of flour, I love the TJs has white whole wheat flour!

Pasta, nonfat Greek yogurt, any kind of cheese (they have the best prices), Organic Soft Wheat Bread, Midnight Moo, tofu, pasta sauce, and the best inexpensive cereals! The Frosted Mini Bites and faux Corn Flakes are my favorites!

we love TJs! just moved to california from vancouver and are new to TJs so its been nice to see what people like. we love:

spicy smoky peach salsa
cranberry oatmeal biscotti type cookies, dont know what they are called but my husband is obsessed with them
red licorice
4 flavors of hummus is soooo good with their naan bread
pumpkin spice pancake and waffle mix
sparkling pink grapefruit

their cheese is sooo much cheaper than the grocery store but i find that their produce isnt as good and is too expensive, we are lucky that we have a famers market next door to our TJs

ive been wanting to try the tomato and red pepper soup so i will do that as well as the artichoke tapenade!

The closest trader joe's is over 90 minutes away but I make a trip every 4 months or so to stock up. Between visits I beg my sisters or my mother to pick stuff up at the stores that are near them.

My tj's list is pretty long but the things I always buy are
lowfat almond granola, ketchup - no hfcs and half the price of the organic in the local stores, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, frozen tricolor peppers, parmesan, salsa, dog biscuits, soy sauce, olive oil, toasted sliced almonds, dried cherries

I think I could type for a really long time!

We only got Trader Joe's in the past couple of years, but would not do without it for the world now. They're a twenty minute drive in either direction, (we have two we're right in between) but we try to make the journey at least once a week.
Our favorites:
Orange Chicken
Banana Nut Crunch cereal
Frozen rice (Jasmine or brown)
Naan bread
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars (they're 99 cents at TJ's and a buck fifty at the local supermarket for the same exact thing).
Pumpkin spread (when it's in season)

Sadly, they discontinued our absolute favorite of all, the Organic Greens with Envy, which was a mixture of, if I remember correctly, spinach, asparagus tips, edamame, and broccolli and which was sooo so good. But it is no more.

I can't believ I'm only the 2nd person to mention the sliced sundried tomatoes!

Puffins (50% cheaper than the grocery store!)
nuts
olive oil
chicken sausage

this topic is so near and dear to my heart that I just registered to comment.

*organic ketchup--it's the best-tasting ketchup I've ever had!
*their brown rice medley with their fully cooked black beluga lentils tossed in make for a delicious, high-fiber, high-protein carb. The rice medley has an AMAZING texture. The little sprouts gently burst between your teeth. A different experience altogether.
*quinoa
*cheeses (goat, crumbled gorgonzola, various hard)
*milk alternatives (almond, whole grains, rice)
*wine, beer
*omega-3 eggs
*frozen peas and asparagus
*frozen roasted vegetable lasagna
*whole-wheat pastas
*various chocolate
*organic olive oil
*mushrooms
*soy-vay teriyaki sauce
*walnuts, almonds
*organic apples
*canned beans and tuna

Non-TJ brands I'm glad they offer:
*Valhrona
*Ezekiel breads

Sounds like these are common favorites. TJ's is certainly doing something right--I am amazed that the prices of some of their best products (dairy, eggs, nuts) are so reasonably priced. With that said, I don't care for a lot of the produce or their produce-packaging--it seems very wasteful.
I am so thankful for Trader Joe's!

- Mango Mangosteen juice. The first kind I ever tried was made by Apple & Eve, but it was discontinued. When I found that TJ's had their own I jumped for joy. This would be my "last meal" beverage of choice, if you know what I mean.
- Their new Diner Blend coffee. So delicious! And only $4 for a canister ... cheaper than a single drink or two at most places.
- Grapeseed oil, cheaper than I've ever seen anywhere and has a high smoking point so it's excellent to cook with.
- Olive oil - I find that other brands of non-extra-virgin oils are still too fruity, and theirs is perfectly neutral.
- Veggie Chips - the ridged ones that are light and crispy.
- Their varieties of hummus, the only kind I'll buy.
- Half and half.
- Creamed Honey - mix equal parts cream cheese and use it as a dip, so heavenly.
- Cheese.
- Artisan bread, when I'm too lazy to make it myself.
- Booze. All of it.

Was wondering what all the fuss was about with Trader Joe's until one opened about 15 minutes from where I live. OMG, now I am a BIG FAN! Love alot of their things, their frozen foods like Chinese Mandarin Orange Chicken served with organic Jasmine Rice is a favorite at our table. The place is fun to go to, there is always something new to sample. A couple of days ago I tried some chocolate covered malted milk eggs,yummy!

Um, there are far too many to list, and people above have covered a lot, but there are some things that I honestly can't think of a replacement for:

whole wheat pasta (I don't like any other brand of WW pasta, and it's so much better for you!)

harvest grain blend (one of my staples, and I don't know anything like it)

marinated three bean blend (so delicious and so easy to serve; just dump it on some of the harvest grains above and you have the healthiest ten minute meal ever.)

the shaved pecorino romano in a tub (I can never get that same awesome taste even when I grate my own parm)

frozen gnocchi with tomato sauce (one of my favorite lunches ever)

olive oil! it's worth the trip. and the trail mix is killer.

The two things I absolutely never leave TJs without buying are their frozen samosas (sooo good) and their 3 cheese blue pizza. Yum!

We stock up on:

-Lemon pepper pappardelle (a tasty and quick meal with some peas, olive oil, and maybe some shrimp thrown in too)
-Frozen fruit (smoothies!)
-Herb mix salad greens (dill and cilantro in my salad=awesome)
-Fresh ravioli, portobella and gorgonzola (another quick and easy dinner fix with olive oil and fresh basil)

I wish they still had:
Pad Thai in the box
Blackberry tea

But I still always get:
frozen blueberries, spinach & french cut green beans
tomato soup (the one in the can)

TJ's is great for pantry staples, but I agree with whoever said their produce packaging is wasteful!

trader joe's might be the only place in pittsburgh to carry Israeli couscous. whole foods doesn't even have it.

Love the white bean & basil hummus, the pita chips (just like Stacey's!), and the pita bite crackers. The frozen artichoke dip (I think it's artichoke & parmesan) is great to keep in the freezer for unexpected company. Oh, and their French green beans are really good.

reddylee: I'm sure you've tried it already, but the brown rice pasta should be added to your gluten-free list as well. I've had a lot of terrible gluten-free pastas (usually they're mushy or have a weird taste), but the brown rice pasta at Trader Joe's is nearly indistinguishable from wheat pasta.

I LOVE TJs so much that I have even written several posts about them! Having 2 extremely active boys who seem to be hungry ALL. THE. TIME, I get all of their snacks at TJs so at least if they do eat all the time ;-) they are eating healthy!
http://www.evanhaslanded.com/?p=5418
http://www.evanhaslanded.com/?p=5077