Whenever I need a little getaway from campus, I bike over to one of my favorite places: Trader Joe’s. It is hands down the best grocery store. It is aesthetically pleasing, reasonably priced, environmentally friendly and deliciously inspiring (I highly encourage you to visit if you have not done so already). Here, I have compiled a list of ten under-appreciated Trader Joe’s products. I would like to preface this by saying it is by no means a comprehensive list of the under-appreciated products, simply a couple of my favorites that I believe deserve more attention.
- Almond Butter Granola: This granola is going to change the way you do breakfast and snacking forever. And fun fact: granola was actually Trader Joe’s first own product. All of its other products are simply a byproduct of the granola!
- Rainbow’s End Trail Mix: This has the perfect ratio of almonds, peanuts, raisins and chocolate, and it’s the perfect size to carry in your backpack when you are feeling snack-ish.
- Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips: These trump all other tortilla chips. Their blue color makes them fun to eat, and they have a nice, crunchy texture that makes them the perfect chip to dip in some salsa or guacamole.
- Sesame Honey Almonds: These delicious almonds are the perfect blend of sweet and savory. They’re coated with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds, making them hard to resist.
- Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets: Made from the rice paste in mochi, these nuggets are not too salty and perfectly crisp. It’s difficult not to eat an entire bag of these in one sitting.
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning Blend: This can be used to season literally anything and it tastes just like an everything bagel. It can be added to sandwiches, fish, eggs or even bread! Pro tip: use it to enhance your dining hall experience.
- Soft Multigrain Rustico Bread: This is seriously my favorite bread. It has flax, sunflower and sesame seeds, along with rolled oats, creating a wonderful texture. And it’s considered one of the more healthy breads you can eat, perfect for toast in the morning or sandwiches for lunch.
- Organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup: I always have a carton of this soup stocked in my fridge; it is my go-to for when I get bored of dining hall food. It has great flavor and texture, and is perfect to eat with a side of grilled cheese.
- Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers: Not just a replacement for meat burgers, this is a proper veggie burger that stands on its own. The blend of quinoa, black beans and salsa creates quite a hearty and satisfying meal.
- Chocolate Brooklyn Babka: This is going to be your new favorite baked good. It’s a swirly dough pastry interspersed with chocolate and topped with chocolate chips; you really can’t go wrong. And it tastes even better alongside a tall glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
So next time you need a study break, bike over to Trader Joe’s and take the risk of trying one of these products. You will not be disappointed!
Contact Sarrah Hussain at sarrah ‘at’ stanford.edu.