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What do You Like from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods?


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I hope this is the best forum section for this post. I'm starting my first Whole30 on Thursday, and this will be a very new way of cooking and eating for me. (Sweets and breads are my usual staples.) I'm planning to go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's this Sunday. I'm lucky that they're only about 30 minutes away from me, but that also means I won't be going there all time, so I want to make the most of my trip. What are your favorite things to get there? Are there special items you get there that would be harder to find a regular grocery store?

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I like Trader Joe's free range/hormone free chicken, the whole one or the one that is cut up in parts, I think it's called the family pack.   Great price and delicious.  I like Whole Foods in theory but Holy Pricey....always do better at Costco, Wegmans, or Farmers Markets if any are options for you.    

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Trader Joe's Red Ruby Chai Tea, Coconut Oil, raw cashews, organic free range chicken broth, almond meal, turkey kielbasa, various spices (cumin and garlic powder).

 

Whole Foods 365 brand coconut milk, SeaSnax, canned sweet potato puree.

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I don't have a TJ close to me, so I go to WF. I like their ground pork for breakfast fritters. If they have Japanese Sweet Potatoes (haven't seen those the last 2 times), other organic fruits and veggies. They also have a good brand of frozen veggies.

 

Not on W30 they have pasture eggs and pasture milk and butter.

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Whole Foods 365 wild Alaskan pink salmon with bones in. My WF also carries Applegate chicken and apple sausage, and they also have some interesting root veggies--3 different kinds of beets for example. In my town WF has the best price on Lara Bars (but I can't eat them, not doing nuts for 45 more days). I also like WF orange rooibos tea.

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Trader Joe's has grass-fed ground beef and steaks in the freezer section.  There is also GF in the fresh meat section but it's about $1 more.  There are also Kobe-style Hamburger patties in the frozen section that are soooo good on the grill!  I buy the bags of avocados and some of the veggies like mushrooms, salad mixes, etc. which can be cheaper than the regular stores but not everything is more of a bargain in the produce section.

 

They have Applegate Farms Roast Beef which is W30 compliant and Prosciutto.  I couldn't find compliant bacon though.

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WF in my area is the only place to get tessamae's dressings - several of which are compliant. In the produce fridge.  Kombucha.  sugar free italian sausage at the meat counter.  Wild planet tuna in a pouch.  Canned coconut milk. Ghee. And the thing I couldn't have made it this far without: frozen Mediterranean blend vegetables!

 

Trader Joe's - any sort of nut or seed you may desire, and far less expensive than the regular grocery.  Bags of sweet potatoes that are, in my opinion, a more manageable size than those from the regular grocery.  Frozen shrimp.  Chicken.  Balsamic vinegar.

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I go to whole foods - for some reason I don't have good experiences with TJ's for their fruits and veg - they always barely last a day for me. when at WF I always get whatever is on sale and find that I really don't spend any more than I would at any other grocery store. when meat is on sale I grab what I can fit in my freezer and go from there (the other day they had $8 off king salmon (per pound) so I bought about 5 pounds, portioned it and froze it).

 

I use WF coconut milk. they also have a churizo sausage that I love (can't remember the brand, read all the labels). I like the fact that they have an 18 pack of eggs, I always grab a couple when I'm there. they have some good salsa's (mango, regular, etc).

 

I love the olive bar. and of course I buy Kombucha by the case! (Synergy trilogy is my favorite!)

 

applegate hot dogs - always great for quick meal.

 

I think that's it! like I said, I just go and grab lots of whatever's on sale!

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TJ's has ghee now!  My cashier today said they just started carrying it.

 

I looked at the free range chicken broth...I thought it contained something with soy???  I can't remember, but there was a reason I didn't buy it today.

 

TJ's also has bags of organic sweet potatoes and lots of veggies.  I picked up some of the free range grass fed beef just today.  

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TJ's has ghee now!  My cashier today said they just started carrying it.

 

I looked at the free range chicken broth...I thought it contained something with soy???  I can't remember, but there was a reason I didn't buy it today.

 

TJ's also has bags of organic sweet potatoes and lots of veggies.  I picked up some of the free range grass fed beef just today.  

Nope, no soy in the free range chicken broth: just double-checked the label on my box at home.

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I looked at the free range chicken broth...I thought it contained something with soy???  I can't remember, but there was a reason I didn't buy it today.

 

 

If I am remembering correctly, they have two kinds and one has cane sugar in it.  That may have been it.

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Here is what I get at TJ's on a regular basis:

 

Canned Tuna

Almond Butter

Nuts: raw pecans or almonds, cashews, pine nuts, 

dried fruit for recipes

Fruit - apples, bananas, peaches

Veggies - love carrots, bags of kale, garlic, sweet potatoes, persian cucumbers, sweet onions, mini heirloom tomatoes, eggplants

One of their Hot Dogs are compliant (new - I think it is Applegate)

One of their chicken broths are compliant

Eggs

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Olives

Salsas - I think at least 3 are compliant, both in the fresh aisle and in the canned section. 

Avocados

Guacamole

Tahini

Sparkling water - lemon flavored

Their coconut milk is good for coffee.

Spices- smoked paprika, sea salts, peppercorn grinders, garlic, oregano

I like their frozen shrimp - great price for sustainable seafood.

Grass-feed burger patties and grass-fed ground beef

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Here is what I get at TJ's on a regular basis:

 

Canned Tuna

Almond Butter

Nuts: raw pecans or almonds, cashews, pine nuts, 

dried fruit for recipes

Fruit - apples, bananas, peaches

Veggies - love carrots, bags of kale, garlic, sweet potatoes, persian cucumbers, sweet onions, mini heirloom tomatoes, eggplants

One of their Hot Dogs are compliant (new - I think it is Applegate)

One of their chicken broths are compliant

Eggs

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Olives

Salsas - I think at least 3 are compliant, both in the fresh aisle and in the canned section. 

Avocados

Guacamole

Tahini

Sparkling water - lemon flavored

Their coconut milk is good for coffee.

Spices- smoked paprika, sea salts, peppercorn grinders, garlic, oregano

I like their frozen shrimp - great price for sustainable seafood.

Grass-feed burger patties and grass-fed ground beef

 

All of the dried fruit I checked at TJ's has sugar in it. I was seriously bummed because I needed dried cherries for a recipe. Am I missing something?

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TJs has applegate cold cuts for CHEAP!

They also sell lite coconut milk for 99cents. I cant wait to see if mine sells ghee! Good price on Guacamole. They also have in fresh veggie section this amazing 8 veggie crunchy chopped mix in plastic.container which tastes amazing sauteed with some chicken, chopped almonds or cashews and coconut aminos. Green salsa.

WF for coconut aminos, coconut flakes, ghee, expensive but awesome guacamole

Ps. I am loving this thread topic!

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The TJ's in my area definitely has a large selection of dried fruit that does not have sugar.  You have to read carefully though.  One of the dried mango has sugar and another variety of their dried mango does not.  It's possible that they just didn't have dried cherries without sugar.

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The TJ's in my area definitely has a large selection of dried fruit that does not have sugar.  You have to read carefully though.  One of the dried mango has sugar and another variety of their dried mango does not.  It's possible that they just didn't have dried cherries without sugar.

Yup, I was standing there one day literally in front of three different kinds of dried mango!  I think the one without added sugar is called 'Just Mango' or something like that...imagine!  ;)

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  • 3 weeks later...

All of the dried fruit I checked at TJ's has sugar in it. I was seriously bummed because I needed dried cherries for a recipe. Am I missing something?

 

Trader Joe's has dried mango that is nothing but mango, dried apricots with nothing added - no sulphites (they have lots of kinds of dried apricots so you have to be careful), and my favorite although it looks pretty weird and takes some getting used to, flat bananas which are nothing but dried banana. Unfortunately their cherries, cranberries and coconut of all kinds has added sugar! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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