I would say that I enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s, but I know a lot of people who are borderline obsessed with it.
Despite all the love TJ’s gets, there’s also a lot of controversy. People take issue with the fact that it’s perceived as a health food store, but a lot of the products are processed. There are also questions about how much food the store wastes and where the food is actually coming from. Nevertheless, I don’t think the chain is going anywhere, and I wouldn’t complain if there was one a little closer to me. Between the love of the store and the debates it raises, Trader Joe’s has been getting a lot of play in my reader lately:
There were several taste test posts in the past few weeks:
- Chow did a taste test of TJ’s canned coffee and found, to their surprise, that it doesn’t suck.
- Serious Eats taste tested 2 kinds of fat-free brownies, one of which was Trader Joe’s. I don’t believe in fat-free brownies, but if you’re into that sort of thing, you should check out which one won.
- Also on Serious Eats, more information about cheap Trader Joe’s beer than I ever wanted (and really, its not that much information, but my closest TJ’s doesn’t sell alcohol and I’m pretty picky in the beer department)
This should be good news for many of my Trader Joe’s loving friends who aren’t near a store: A private company unaffiliated with Trader Joe’s is now delivering Trader Joe’s products. They don’t have wine or the the fruit bars I love, but they do carry Ginger Cats cookies and a variety of nut butters. (via The Kitchn)
Many supermarkets throw away a lot of edible food. Jeremy Seifert wants to help cut down on food waste and he’s starting with Trader Joes because “it seems appropriate to start with a company that people assume is already doing the right thing. Trader Joe’s needs to take a leadership role on food waste. If they do, [his] hope is that other stores—like Whole Foods, Von’s, Safeway, and other national chains—will follow suit.” If you want to support Seifert’s cause, you can sign the petition to tell Trader Joe’s to stop wasting food. (also seen on Grist)
Finally, an almost unbelievable article from Huffington Post about a court case surrounding an assault over a package of vegan pad Thai at Trader Joe’s. Ridiculous on a number of levels, including the fact that “it’s not one of Trader Joe’s better offerings”.
Also, I know I’ve post this video before, but I’m posting it again:
image source: Trader Joe’s
We go to Trader Joe’s but not on a regular basis. It’s a decent drive even without traffic and the location is near a mall – ie bonkers on weekends. If it was right near us though the frequency of our trips might change.
I really like their almond butter – decent priced – as well as butternut squash soup (in a box.) While I know I could probably make it myself, it is one of those random things that work well when you are too tired/lazy/busy and don’t want a huge dinner.
Oh, thanks so much for posting this! It is gonna help when I buy viognier at the store! Rad!