Everyone’s got theirs – those 10-12 items they don’t leave their local Trader Joe’s without. I am a straight up SIMP for Trader Joe’s. I think they have such fun and unique snacks, while also carrying classics and staples at what feels like a much lower price than its competitors. While my favorites switch up quite often because they’re always launching new and exciting products, these are my 10 Trader Joe’s staples that I find myself grabbing pretty consistently every time I walk in there.

My favorite Trader Joe’s staples

1. Fancy Berry Medley

I have found that these are much cheaper than frozen berries at other grocery stores. In the summer months, morning smoothies are my lifeline. I crave them DAILY and nothing beats a berry smoothie. I grab 4-5 bags of these at a time because they go quick in our household. Here is a recipe for my favorite Berry Cheesecake Smoothie, using these berries!

2. Dried Mango

Always stocked on this one. These are a great snack to have in the pantry, but also a must have for roadtrips or travel snacks. Between myself and my boyfriend, these do NOT last long. I usually grab about 4-5 bags of these at a time. I’ve tried these from Costco also but the TJ’s ones just taste sweeter to me so I find myself going back to them always.

3. Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels

Dangerous and delicious. A once-you-pop-the-fun-don’t-stop kind of snack. I’ve tried this exact snack from a lot of different grocery stores (CostCo, Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods) and I always come back to these. A great at home snack, road trip snack, girls weekend, what have you – these never fail.

4. Green Goddess Dressing

This is one of my long-standing favorites. It was one of my first items that made me fall in love with Trader Joe’s. Clean salad dressings are actually pretty challenging to come by and this one is one of the cleanest on the shelves! It tastes fresh and herby, almost like you just made it at home!

5. Raw Gruyère Cheese

LORD HAVE MERCY. This cheese is (pricey) but so good. Raw cheese is definitely on the rise, as it has quite a bit more nutrients and health benefits than its pasteurized counterparts. People who sometimes have dairy intolerances or negative side-effects can often times have raw dairy products without symptoms.

6. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter, like salad dressings, is a product that it is challenging to find without a bunch of extra junk. All you should see in an ingredient list on any nut butter, is the nut and possibly salt. Nuts have so much oil in them already naturally, and extra oils (like a soybean, canola, or palm oil) are simply added as a FILLER. Meaning they add oil to it so they can get away with using less nuts. This peanut butter is 2 ingredients – peanuts and salt, and is cheaper than a clean peanut butter that you’d find at Whole Foods or your local co-op.

7. Spray Olive Oil & Avocado Oil

I love having this in my kitchen. Sometimes I don’t necessarily feel like my food needs heavy drizzles of olive oil. I use this a lot for a lighter spray of oil to roast or saute something and comes in handy when I’m using my air fryer. This product you can get at most grocery stores but this one is a little cheaper so I always snag it here.

8. Bomba Sauce – Calabrian Chili Paste

This is ALWAYS in my fridge. It is spicy and vibrant, and adds so much flavor to any dish. I usually find myself using it in most Italian dishes – it is one of the very important ingredients in my viral lasagna soup recipe! It gives it the perfect amount of heat and a really great flavor. This is one of their newer products but one of my all time favorites.

9. Chicken Soup Dumplings

This was my hyper-fixation food of the first half of 2023. These dumplings definitely had their moment, and while I had a long period of time where I grabbed them DAILY, it’s down to only a couple times a week now. They are super simple to whip up and delicious with a little soy sauce and red pepper flakes

10. Umami Seasoning

This seasoning is so delicious. I’d describe it exactly how it’s labeled – umami and salty. I love to put this on my white rice, cauliflower, and popcorn (all very random). It would be so delicious on a baked potato also. It instantly adds so much flavor and is always something that I have in my pantry.

My favorites and staples from Trader Joe’s is always changing as they are superior in launching new products, which is part of the reason they’re one of my favorite grocery stores. I think they are very unique and innovate in what they bring to shelves and remain one of the most affordable places to stock up for the week.