All things Trader Joe's

It's no secret, Trader Joe's is like my soul mate of the grocery world. They have delicious stuff you can't find other places for good prices, and they have the basics for a way cheaper price than big grocery chains like QFC and Safeway.

Being in college and following a college budget with groceries (especially groceries for two) sometimes feels impossible. It's not, I promise. It's all about price shopping.

When we first moved to Seattle, I did what was convenient, shopping in walking distance and grabbing what I needed. Then, one day, I looked at the shelf tags for the stuff I was buying and couldn't believe how expensive it was! So, I shopped around from QFC to different locations of Safeway to Target, and then...Trader Joe's. I don't buy everything at Trader Joe's, there are departments I avoid because of how expensive certain things can get. But for certain things, it's the perfect shopping trip, especially if you're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle because it gives so many creative food options and the prices they have for organic foods are really impressive.

Most college students come packed with boxes and boxes of Top Ramen, thinking they can't afford to shop healthy, but let's just ignore that myth. Shopping healthy just takes some time and price shopping, but it's worth it! Look at shelf tags, explore your options, compare prices of things you need at different places. I know it's easy to go to QFC and do a "one-stop-shop", but it could be stripping your wallet bare, that's what it did to me. Even though TJ's is about 13 blocks from my house, and walking is my only option, it is 100% worth the time and effort. A bag of mini potatoes, 1 lb, at QFC is $5.99, and at Trader Joe's, the same kind of potatoes in a 1 lb bag is $1.99! At QFC. a bag of mandarin oranges usually runs from $5.99 to $7.99, and the ones at Trader Joe's of the same size are $2.99. And this is why I mainly go to TJ's, the produce! Their produce prices are awesome, and they sell some great household products like soaps and supplements for good prices too. So, let's go through some of my TJ's faves!

This is one of my favorite salad dressings, it's good on salads, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, pretty much anything! It's around $3.49 a bottle and super delicious.

Another favorite dressing of mine. It has the perfect amount of kick to it, and makes the best dinner if you put it on top of jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, and chicken. 

Matcha Green Tea Latte, $3.99. One serving of Matcha is equivalent to 10+ cups of green tea! This stuff is awesome and a great healthy alternative to coffee in the morning. Here are some of it's amazing benefits! Matcha can be a little bit grainy and grassy tasting for some, so tomorrow I'm going to share a matcha coconut latte recipe!

This was my cleanse go-to. Soy and dairy-free, packed with Vitamin A, D, B12, healthy fatty acids, calcium, and magnesium, it is a great alternative to milk! I get the vanilla flavor to put in smoothies and to drink straight, it tastes amazing! The half gallon is $2.99.

Flax seed is amazing for your health, and usually super expensive, but Trader Joe's sells it at a really reasonable price, and the roasted flax seed adds really good flavor to lots of recipes. This is what I put in my energy bar recipe that you guys might have seen in February.

One of my least favorite breakfast foods is oatmeal. The texture and plain taste of the unflavored stuff freaks me out (yeah, I know it's weird). But, I could eat this stuff every meal of the day. It has berry chunks in it, as well as flax and chia seeds. Chia and flax seeds in bulk are really expensive, so it's nice to see something at a reasonable price that gives you the perfect serving you need for the day! This box has 8 packets and it is $3.99.

Quinoa is delicious and great for your health, but it is really expensive most places. At QFC, small bags of quinoa are never less than $7.99, but Trader Joe's sells it for $3.49! Here is a short article they wrote on the product. Note: you can look up most of these products on their article website, and they give a little history and last updated prices on the products.

Organic coconut oil at TJ's is only $5.99! At QFC the organic stuff in an even smaller container runs $8.99+. I've shopped around for coconut oil for a long time and have never found one I like better, or a better price. I swear by coconut oil, you can substitute it for butter in cookies, mix it in your coffee in the mornings, or melt it on top of your natural popcorn as a healthy alternative to butter. Here are some organic facts about how incredible it is! 

Cranberries aren't usually my favorite, but the coconut in this granola makes it BOMB. Mix in with some vanilla yogurt for a delicious and healthy breakfast! It's only $2.49 and is packed with rolled oats, sesame seeds, coconut oil, sunflower seeds, and a little agave syrup for sweetness.

Trader Giotto's Pomodoro Pasta Sauce makes the best chicken parm and parm pasta, I could honestly eat it with a spoon. $2.99 for the big jar! I love putting it with the Trader Joe's whole wheat fusilli noodles and topping with parmesan cheese (this may be overkill, but I LOVE cheese). 

Finding a delicious fruit/veggie juice that is cheap is really hard! At QFC every juice from orange to grape that is fresh and chilled runs upwards of $3.99, and that's when they're on sale! This one is (don't quote me on this one) $2.99 and worth it. Jason and I are addicts! It is the perfect balance of flavors. It's also strong enough that it is a great flavor cover-up for powders like whey protein powder, creatine, and other fitness supplements.

I am a salsa addict. If I could try every salsa on the shelf of every store and get paid to taste test, I would do it in a heartbeat (I'd probably do it for free too). Green salsa has always been my favorite, and this one flies off the shelves. $1.99! Of course, it doesn't last me long. My only criticism would be that there is really no kick to it, and I'm a girl who loves her spicy food, but the flavor is so good that I'm still an addict!

Finally, a good, cheap, healthy snack! Dried fruits and vegetables are so expensive, but these are only $1.49 (you'll eat the whole package in one sitting I can guarantee it). Everyone I've begged to try these has cringed at the idea, and then completely changed their minds after a bite. Warning: they are addicting, to an extent you won't understand till you take a bite. If you live with other people, HIDE THEM. They are crunchy and snacky, and have the perfect amount of saltiness to cure the cravings for potato chips and other unhealthy snack foods.

Dried fruit is usually priced high, and when you look at the sugar content, you realize that they've completely ruined your healthy snack (this is how I feel about my dried mango addiction at Costco). These are super healthy and $2.99 for the package. They're a really good snack for on-the-go mixed with other dried fruits like strawberries and bananas!

Who isn't obsessed with Odwalla? I can't afford to be obsessed with it. Their 'superfood green juice' big boy size is $7.99! I'd like to see the day I spend that on a bottle of JUICE. Goodness gracious! TJ's sells something really similar for only $3.99, it's great by itself or in vegetable smoothies! I have always been skeptical about green juice (I mean, come on, it looks downright nasty), but this one changed my mind completely!

The pesto at QFC comes in a 6oz. package for $5.99. No way I'm spending that! TJ's has regular pesto too, but this one is my alltime fave. It's a mix of pesto and quinoa, great with baked chicken, or on sandwiches. I will admit to taking a spoonful at least once a day (it disappears so fast at my house). I love to use it on my turkey sandwiches instead of fattening mayo when I'm on a health kick! $2.99!

Even the health guru's have their sweet tooth cravings! Getting a mocha or a foofy coffee drink nowadays (at Starbucks especially) is just a rip-off! TJ's sells this Mocha Cappuccino mix for $3.99, and it has 30 servings in the tub. It cures a sweet tooth (I guarantee it has enough sugar in it, don't look at the label, eek)! It is my current guilty pleasure, very very guilty.

What I do shop at TJ's: Produce, organic, frozen meals, supplements. They're cheap, healthy, and creative!

What I don't shop at TJ's: Meat. Their meats are delicious and organic, but I just can't afford the prices, maybe one day!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my faves! If you give any of them a try I would love to hear your feedback! Do you shop at TJ's too? What are your faves? xoxo