8 things my family never buys at Trader Joe's and where we go instead
Steven John
- Trader Joe's offers excellent pricing and often has the best deals — but not always.
- I never buy my salt, deli meat, or sliced bread at the grocer.
Let's be crystal clear right from the start: I love Trader Joe's.
My family gets about 60% of our weekly groceries there, and we love everything from the honey-flavored pretzel sticks and Dijon mustard to the iconic gummy candy.
We also get lots of staples there, like frozen corn, butter, and onions.
But there are a handful of items we never buy at Trader Joe's because we either found a better price or better quality somewhere else.
Whole Foods sells bigger containers of the salt we use.
We do a lot of cooking in our house, so we go through a lot of salt.
Whenever the salt cellar by the stove is running low, we get our refills from Whole Foods because there's a better selection.
For many types of salt, it's a better value when you buy a larger container, which Whole Foods has and Trader Joe's doesn't.
Whole Foods sells bigger containers of the salt we use.
We do a lot of cooking in our house, so we go through a lot of salt.
Whenever the salt cellar by the stove is running low, we get our refills from Whole Foods because there's a better selection.
For many types of salt, it's a better value when you buy a larger container, which Whole Foods has and Trader Joe's doesn't.
Target has the best price I've found for sparkling water.
I drink a lot of sparkling water — as in six-plus cans a day. It's basically my primary hydration source.
When you drink as much seltzer as I do, the cases add up.
TJ's has some great-tasting seltzers for sale, but they're usually around $3.30 for four cans. Target has better prices — under $4 for eight cans — with its Good & Gather brand.
Target has the best price I've found for sparkling water.
I drink a lot of sparkling water — as in six-plus cans a day. It's basically my primary hydration source.
When you drink as much seltzer as I do, the cases add up.
TJ's has some great-tasting seltzers for sale, but they're usually around $3.30 for four cans. Target has better prices — under $4 for eight cans — with its Good & Gather brand.
I prefer to buy fresh kale at the farmers market.
Trader Joe's offers a 10-ounce bag of shredded, triple-washed, and ready-to-use kale for $4.
That's a pretty good deal and one we used to take advantage of — until we noticed that at least a third of the bag wilted in a few days before we could use it up.
Today, we stick with buying fresh bunches of kale from the farmers market or Whole Foods. By buying smaller, fresh bundles instead of prepackaged bags, we can use up our kale before it wilts.
I prefer to buy fresh kale at the farmers market.
Trader Joe's offers a 10-ounce bag of shredded, triple-washed, and ready-to-use kale for $4.
That's a pretty good deal and one we used to take advantage of — until we noticed that at least a third of the bag wilted in a few days before we could use it up.
Today, we stick with buying fresh bunches of kale from the farmers market or Whole Foods. By buying smaller, fresh bundles instead of prepackaged bags, we can use up our kale before it wilts.
I like to get lunch meat from a deli, and TJ's doesn't have one.
Trader Joe's doesn't offer any freshly sliced deli meats (or cheeses) and the store's packaged meats tend to be high in salt.
The fresh deli turkey from Whole Foods only costs about $1 more per pound, but it's often on sale for Amazon Prime members.
Plus, the store offers a turkey without added salt, which is a nice option to have.
I like to get lunch meat from a deli, and TJ's doesn't have one.
Trader Joe's doesn't offer any freshly sliced deli meats (or cheeses) and the store's packaged meats tend to be high in salt.
The fresh deli turkey from Whole Foods only costs about $1 more per pound, but it's often on sale for Amazon Prime members.
Plus, the store offers a turkey without added salt, which is a nice option to have.
I never buy sliced bread at TJ's because my family is devoted to one brand.
This one is hardly a knock on Trader Joe's and more of a nod to Dave's Killer Bread.
My family is partial to the organic, 21 whole grains and seeds bread from Dave's. We usually go through two or more loaves a week.
Unfortunately, it's simply not available at Trader Joe's — and TJ's has yet to release any comparable loaves.
Since Dave's is on the pricier side for bread, we try to buy it in two-packs from Costco when possible.
I never buy sliced bread at TJ's because my family is devoted to one brand.
This one is hardly a knock on Trader Joe's and more of a nod to Dave's Killer Bread.
My family is partial to the organic, 21 whole grains and seeds bread from Dave's. We usually go through two or more loaves a week.
Unfortunately, it's simply not available at Trader Joe's — and TJ's has yet to release any comparable loaves.
Since Dave's is on the pricier side for bread, we try to buy it in two-packs from Costco when possible.
I haven't found a grated Parmesan I like at Trader Joe's.
We eat a fair amount of pasta, lasagna, pizza, and other dishes that call for a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. But dried Parmesan is not welcome in our home.
I've never found a fresh-grated option at Trader Joe's that we like. The store's fresh options typically have other kinds of cheese mixed in.
Instead, we stock up on Parmesan at Whole Foods.
I haven't found a grated Parmesan I like at Trader Joe's.
We eat a fair amount of pasta, lasagna, pizza, and other dishes that call for a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. But dried Parmesan is not welcome in our home.
I've never found a fresh-grated option at Trader Joe's that we like. The store's fresh options typically have other kinds of cheese mixed in.
Instead, we stock up on Parmesan at Whole Foods.
I like the fresher fish options at Whole Foods.
Both my son and I love seafood. When we treat ourselves to it, we get it from the counter at Whole Foods.
The salmon fillet that comes home with us is freshly sliced from a fish stored on ice. I think that makes a big difference in terms of flavor compared to the prepackaged offerings that Trader Joe's sells.
I like the fresher fish options at Whole Foods.
Both my son and I love seafood. When we treat ourselves to it, we get it from the counter at Whole Foods.
The salmon fillet that comes home with us is freshly sliced from a fish stored on ice. I think that makes a big difference in terms of flavor compared to the prepackaged offerings that Trader Joe's sells.
We don't use much milk, so I splurge on a higher-quality carton.
We don't go through much dairy milk because almond milk is our go-to for drinking and bowls of cereal.
When I buy a half gallon of milk for a recipe, I want it to last a while. And for some reason, the organic whole milk from Trader Joe's consistently sours in our fridge quicker than other brands I've tried.
Maple Hill, which I found at Whole Foods, has been a winner lately in terms of how long it stays fresh in our fridge.
We don't use much milk, so I splurge on a higher-quality carton.
We don't go through much dairy milk because almond milk is our go-to for drinking and bowls of cereal.
When I buy a half gallon of milk for a recipe, I want it to last a while. And for some reason, the organic whole milk from Trader Joe's consistently sours in our fridge quicker than other brands I've tried.
Maple Hill, which I found at Whole Foods, has been a winner lately in terms of how long it stays fresh in our fridge.
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