My partner and I spend about $100 a week at Trader Joe's. Here are 12 things we love to buy and how we use them.
Anna Van Dine  Â
- My boyfriend and I typically spend about $100 a week on groceries, and we love Trader Joe's.
- We always have a bag of frozen berries, a bunch of bananas, and a can of beans on hand.
My boyfriend and I usually spend between $80 and $120 on groceries every week, and Trader Joe's has quickly become one of our favorite places to shop.
The store has locations in 42 US states plus Washington, DC, so whether we're at home in Vermont or road-tripping across the country, it's pretty easy to pick up our favorite products.
Although we buy most of our meat and produce from local businesses, here are the items from Trader Joe's we love right now and how we use them throughout the week.
Little Leaf Farms is my go-to when I don't have time to stop at the farmers market.
We generally buy local produce, but I'll grab a $3 box of Little Leaf Farm baby crispy green lettuce at Trader Joe's.
I don't know what makes it so good, but I could munch on it plain.
It's great for side salads with dinner or on sandwiches, and it's pesticide-free, which we appreciate.
What's a trip to the grocery store without grabbing a bunch of bananas?
We put bananas on peanut-butter toast, eat them as a snack, or use them in smoothies throughout the week.
They cost $0.23 each, so our bunch of seven came to $1.61.
Trader Joe's also has organic bananas for $0.29 each.
Buunni coffee is almost as good as a local roaster.
We're the kind of coffee snobs who buy locally roasted beans. But the bag of Buunni whole, medium-roast Ethiopian beans Trader Joe's sells is surprisingly good.
We often alternate between our more expensive beans and the $10, 12-ounce pack.
We usually have at least one bag of frozen blueberries on hand.
We pretty much always grab a $3 bag of frozen organic blueberries at Trader Joe's.
Since we use blueberries frequently in smoothies, overnight oats, and pancakes, it's more affordable for us to buy them frozen.
Frozen teriyaki chicken gets dinner on the table on busy nights.
Between our two schedules, we don't always have time to cook dinner. Trader Joe's $6 frozen teriyaki chicken has saved us on many a stressful weeknight.
It takes just a few minutes to cook from frozen, and we serve it over rice. If we're feeling virtuous, we'll add broccoli to the mix.
Tikka masala simmer sauce is great for a quick, flavorful meal.
I bought Trader Joe's tikka masala simmer sauce for the first time after I eavesdropped on two women in a Connecticut store talking about how much they liked it.
It turns out they were onto something. At $2.30 a pack, it's great for nights when we want Indian takeout but can't justify the cost.
I cook a pound of chicken breast or veggies with the sauce and serve everything with basmati rice.
Beans are a pantry staple.
Beans are a great (and easy) source of fiber and protein. They're a pretty good deal at Trader Joe's for about $0.89 per can.
I typically buy black beans for burritos or rice and beans and chickpeas for curry or salads.
I like my salsa to have a bit of a kick.
A serving of Trader Joe's corn and chile tomato-less salsa has a bit of sugar and a slight kick, making for a great flavor combo.
A $3.50 jar lasts us a while, and we love to use it on rice and beans or burritos.
Our fancy pantry staple is farm-raised hardwood-smoked trout fillets.
We always have a can or two of smoked trout fillets in the pantry. It's great for picnics, snacks, or lunch salads.
There's something classy about eating a can of smoked trout, which adds to the appeal. But it's only $4.50, so we don't have to splurge that much.
Trader Joe's organic seedy crackers are just as good as name-brand offerings.
We love the seeded crackers from Mary's Gone Crackers, but a box can cost up to $6 at the other grocery stores in our area. Luckily, Trader Joe's has similar seedy crackers for $4 a box.
They are an excellent vessel for smoked trout, hummus, or mild cheese.
I'll never stop buying Ezekiel bread.
Food for Life's Ezekiel bread is delicious toasted and topped with peanut butter and honey, and I like that it freezes super well.
At $5 a loaf, Trader Joe's has the best price I've seen for the brand.
Hold the Cone is our go-to summer treat.
One of our favorite treats at Trader Joe's is the Hold the Cone ice-cream cones.
They're a perfect mini dessert, especially at the end of a long summer day, and a box of eight only costs $4.
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