I am obsessed with Trader Joe’s. It’s my absolute favorite grocery store to shop in. I love to find new items and walk down every aisle. On Instagram I will post a new find from Trader Joe’s like a new flavor of yogurt or a new snack. I also like to show you ‘3 ingredient Trader Joe’s’ meals in my Instagram stories. Make sure to follow along if that is something you are interested in! I love that Trader Joe’s just makes everything so easy! They have sweet potatoes that are already peeled and chopped, riced cauliflower, stir fry veggies, etc. Work smarter, not harder, and shop at Trader Joe’s!
The comment I hear from most people about Trader Joe’s is “I don’t know what to buy there” or “they don’t have everything I need.” First of all, they do not carry Diet Coke (hah!) so no, they do not carry everything. But I buy absolutely everything else at Trader Joe’s. There are the staple items that I buy most every trip (maybe I will do a post on those sometime as well?) Because it’s Summer, I thought I would share the best items to buy there during the Summer! Here are 15 of my favorites!
1. Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate
I’m a hot coffee drinker most of the time, but in the Summer I do crave iced coffee every now and then. Although Trader Joe’s does carry cold brew coffee throughout the year, Summer is an ideal time to pick some up. When I get home from being out in the hot sun, it’s nice to have cold brew ready and waiting.
2. Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip
This dip is so good! It is made with greek yogurt and is one of their ‘guilt-free’ products so you don’t have to feel bad about about eating the whole container. Right? I like to buy this for Summer get togethers with friends!
3. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
Everyone knows I’m obsessed with bagels (everything bagels are my favorite). This seasoning makes pretty much anything taste like a delicious bagel. I put this sh*t on everything. This site actually has 100 ways to use this seasoning blend! My personal favorites are avocado toast (the best!), eggs, and vegetables.
4. Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches
I bought these for the first time this Summer and Tony is obsessed with them! Coffee plus chocolate? What’s not to love? One sandwich is 180 calories. Compared to a lot of ice cream desserts, this really isn’t horribly bad for you!
5. Balsamic Glaze
We add this balsamic glaze to pretty much everything we grill. It is great on brussel sprouts and asparagus, and we add it to a lot of our meats as well. We grill so much more in the Summer, so this is a great addition to the shopping cart for the Summer months.
6. Hold the Cone Mini Ice Cream Cones
These are a staple in our house because they have them all-year with different seasonal flavors (pumpkin and peppermint). In the Summer I like to get just vanilla or chocolate. It satisfies the ice cream craving but is only 70 calories.
7. Acai Puree Packets
In the Summer I tend to make more smoothies and I like to add the acai puree in for the added nutrients. These would be great for making an acai bowl as well. The packets can be pretty expensive at other stores, but Trader Joe’s sells them for I think 4 for $4?
8. Campfire S’mores Bar
I love s’mores. Tony thinks my s’mores obsession is bizarre but I absolutely love this combination of flavors. I just had the s’mores blizzard at Dairy Queen this week! In the Summer only, Trader Joe’s has these absolutely delicious campfire s’mores bars. When you can’t make a real s’more over a fire, this is the next best thing.
9. Rosé
Nothing says Summer quite like rosé. I found this St. Sagnol rosé at Trader Joe’s last year, and it’s like $6 I think? It’s really good for the price! I love to make frosé and if you haven’t tried making that you should! I also just really love the shape of the bottle.
10. Simpler Wine
Trader Joe’s has wine in a can! Summer picnics anyone? Last time I was in there they had four different ones (chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, rosé, and a red blend). Bring this to a picnic, barbeque, or pool party. If you’re not a beer drinker, this is perfect for you! It’s also really cheap, I think $2 for a can?
11. Cold Pressed Juice
The watermelon cold pressed juice is heavenly. I love to “juice” but it is so expensive! Trader Joe’s juices are a lot more affordable and so tasty. I got home from a long day yesterday and wanted something super refreshing so I grabbed the watermelon one out of the fridge!
12. Peach Salsa
I love the salsas at Trader Joe’s! We get the corn one regularly, but they have lots of good flavors. In the Summer it’s nice to have a fruity sweet salsa in your pantry like this peach one. Pull it out when friends come over and it’s a nice sweet and savory snack for Summer.
13. Mango Jicama Slaw
This is another new Trader Joe’s find. What I really like about it is that it’s so versatile. You can eat this slaw on it’s own as a side, or add it to tacos and it’s delicious!
14. Chile Lime Seasoning
This is another great seasoning to have on hand at all times, but it’s especially tasty in the Summer. I love to add this spicy seasoning to fruit! It gives fruit an extra little kick which makes me want to eat it so much more. Try adding this to mango!
15. Cold Brew Coffee Chocolate Bar
As I mentioned earlier, cold brew is such a Summer thing for me. This chocolate bar has that same cold brew taste (plus chocolate!) Trader Joe’s has the best chocolate section (I love the peanut butter cups, chocolate covered almonds, and so many more!)
*This post is not sponsored in any way (just a fan!) All images are from the Trader Joe’s website.