For a few years now, actually, ever since I became a vegan 4 years ago and started changing my diet, I’ve been shopping at Trade Joe’s. Sure, I frequent Whole Foods and Wild by Nature as well, but all in all, Trader Joe’s is my baby — for food and all natural remedies. I’d gladly choose it over the rest if it ever came down to it.
Solid USDA Organic Products
Trader Joe’s carries a wide variety of USDA organic products. Some products just say “organic,” without the USDA seal. Personally, I like to see the “USDA” seal when buying organic. It’s your safest bet when consuming organic foods. Some farms will label foods as “organic” when, in fact, the plants have been cross-pollinated with inorganic, GMO-infested crops. That’s no good. Choosing organic foods is also good for the environment and energy conservation:
Earthbound, largest organic farm, farmed on 26,000 acres of certified organic land, which meant that 267,000 pounds of pesticides and 8.4 million pounds of chemical fertilizers were being removed from use annually, the company estimated. And as studies repeatedly show, organic farming also saves energy (since the production of fertilizer and pesticides consumes one-third of the energy used in farming overall).
Everything You Need at Dirt Cheap Prices
As you can see from my lovely photo shoot of products that I’ve purchased from Trader Joe’s (except the raw cacao beans above), you can really get everything that you need / desire to eat. And Trader Joe’s cuts out the middleman. Which means, cheaper prices baby! Here’s a rundown on a few prices:
- My favorite cereal in the whole wide world — Nature’s Path Optimum: $2.49
- Awesome aluminum / paraben free deodorant – $2.99
- Best tasting toothpaste I’ve ever had – Tom’s Fennel Toothpaste: $2.99
- Amazing Antioxidant Green Tea – Trader Joe’s Brand: $2.49
- Juicy bag of organic apples: $3.99
And the list of great products goes on…
It’s Really Funny, Actually
The fact that Trader Joe’s sells foods (and all natural remedies)/products that are healthier AND cheaper, but people totally dismiss Trader Joe’s and opt for the higher priced and inadequately supplied (with health food) Waldbaums, Stop and Shop, and Pathmark. Makes no sense to me. I admit that I do go to those stores once in a while if I can’t make it to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, OR if they have rare deals on cheap organic products.
What About You?
For those who don’t have easy access to Trader Joe’s or similar stores stocking genuine organic products, buying locally grown fresh produce from small local farms is an excellent alternative. If one tries harder, one may eventually find a good source of organic goods almost anywhere.
Please, tell us: where do you shop for your health products, organic foods, and safe — chemical-free — body products? We’d love to hear from you. Also, do you know of any sales or deals on various organic products/foods going on right now.
David Askaripour, a prominent blogger based in New York, writes on the subject of natural healing among other things. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Television Talk Shows, books and local news channels.
Gina Laverde says
Love Trader Joe’s Vit. C powder, FOS inulin powder, proplis toothpaste, organic coconut milk (even whole foods adds xanthan gum to theirs), raw nuts and seeds (almonds and cashews may not actually be raw — but are really affordable for me right now.
bix says
Love TJ’s too, oh so much. I so wish they had bulk foods and more loose produce, it would save me the trips to other stores! Can’t beat the prices though.
Sandy Winz says
Hi! I have orderd from this place twice and am very pleased to share. They have great organic and all natural food products. Here is a link http://www.wholeandnatural.com
Enjoy!!!
p.s. I used a code try if it works for you bldc08
David Askaripour says
Thanks for the input! Glad to know that others love TJ as much as I do — yay!
May says
Hey there, fellow vegan and former Trader Joe’s employee here! 🙂 My family and I do about 70% of our shopping at Trader Joe’s and the rest at Whole Foods or the local market (sparingly).
One thing I wish TJ’s would do is stop packaging their produce in plastic containers! They stopped with the apples, and now they should stop with the majority of the produce. Did you know that if only 1 tomato in a package of 5 had some mold, the whole package was being thrown out? We didn’t have to open it up and pick the bad ones out. Out it goes, just like that! Think about all that extra plastic going to waste!
Anyway, great site! Lotsa good information on here! 🙂
athena says
Just came across this page. Trader Joes does have some good items, no question. But- it is good to keep in mind that their supplements especially and some packaged foods are shipped/packaged in China in order to save money and sell for less hence their good deals. So some of the supplements do have lesser quality ingredients, sometimes fillers or derived from less expensive sources such as corn derived vitamin c from China that isn’t as good for you, etc.
Venessa says
Trader Joe’s is part of my religion.Ha ha… They have thebest prices and their buyers do research so that we will not get sick. GMO foods are very dangerous for us because they cannot be considered food. Take a look at YUTUBE videos.
Venessa
connie says
TJ’s is my absolute favorite, shopped at Whole Foods once and found them to be a lot more expensive. Not much into typical grocery stores. TJ’s makes grocery shopping so enjoyable and easy to purchase healthy foods without a lot of fuss.