I’m just coming straight out with it. I love Trader Joe’s. It’s a perfect spot to stop and pick up a pre-made salad, some fresh produce, or some of their MANY varieties of chocolate-covered goodies. For real, they have chocolate-covered everything. Anyway, when I became vegetarian two years ago, I found that Trader Joe’s had a large variety of vegetarian and vegan options to try. I tasted a few of these options and here’s how they stack up.
10. Vegetable Bird Nests
These bird nests have a nice, crispy texture and come with a handy dipping sauce, but I found them to be quite greasy. Tasty and quick for after school, but not the healthiest with all the oil, putting them in 10th place.
9. Fruit Bars
Trader Joe’s fruit bars are convenient to bring with the school or work for a boost of energy, and they only have two ingredients (apple and the other fruit in the bar). No added sugars or unnecessary preservatives, just pure fruit. The texture resembles the inside of a cereal bar (like NutriGrain), which I’m not a fan of. But if you are, these are a great alternative because of the simple ingredient list.
8. Indian Fare Madras Lentils
For this item being a non-refrigerated, boxed item, it really wasn’t horrible. Like many foods from Trader Joe’s, it was no problem to prepare. I tried mine over some basmati rice and a squeeze of lemon and as it was recognizably not homemade, it truly wasn’t too bad.
7. Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger
These veggie burgers are your average, everyday frozen veggie patties. Not the best, not the worst. I would eat them again, but they wouldn’t be my first choice.
6. Channa Masala
I have one word… spicy. I’m not the most tolerant with spicy food, but even my family agreed with me on this one. I personally love Chana masala, but this one took the spice a little too far for me.
5. Greens, Beans, and Grains
Suspicious of this combo? Yup, I was too. But to my surprise, the mix worked delightfully together. I would recommend giving this one a try if you’re looking for another practical frozen meal.
4. Tillamook Cheddar Cheese
You may be wondering why I picked a cheese to taste test. Well, lots of cheeses actually contain a culture called rennet, which isn’t vegetarian. This cheddar is made with vegetable rennet, making it the perfect loophole for vegetarians who still love cheese (which is most of them I’m assuming because, c’mon, it’s cheese).
3. Super Spinach Salad
This salad has literally all of my favorite foods combined in one, so I had to give it a try. I ended up devouring it, of course. The selection of prepared salads at Trader Joe’s is incomparable to any other grocery store.
2. Mango Jicama Slaw
This is the salad to grab if you want some crunch. I was incredibly pleased to find a mountain of cilantro piled on the top. The lime vinaigrette has a bit of a kick, but it’s just the right amount of tang for the slaw.
1. Thai Vegetable Gyoza
When I was younger, dumplings were my favorite food of all time. But since becoming vegetarian, I couldn’t find any purely vegetable dumplings until now. When I found these in the frozen aisle, I was far beyond excited. The texture and favor exceeded my expectations, making these my number one choice.
Bonus Items
Trader Joe’s also offers vegan cream cheese, non-dairy ice cream sandwiches, and vegan marshmallows.
Is there anything they can’t do?
