We’ve all had days when it’s too cold to leave your dorm or it’s late at night and your stomach grumbles but you’re already in your favorite PJs and going to a dining hall seems harder than scaling Mount Everest. As you reach for that cup of ramen or the box of protein bars, you’re thinking about how this is probably the tenth time this month you’ve settled for that ramen. Well, as someone who loves to rot in my room sometimes, I’ve listed my favorite affordable and yummy snacks/microwaveable meals from trusty Trader Joe’s.
- Burrito bowls
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If you are looking for a tasty, filling, and relatively healthy option (let’s be honest, it’s still a frozen meal), look no further than the burrito bowls on the shelves of Trader Joe’s. I’ve personally tried two variations of these bowls. The chicken burrito bowl is packed with beans, peppers, rice, quinoa and plain chicken. While it’s flavorful thanks to the chipotle sauce, I like to spice it up with some hot sauce, and it makes the perfect microwavable dinner. They also have a green chile chicken bowl that offers a different flavor profile with cheese, green chili sauce, and cilantro. The plus side: they come wrapped in bowls so you don’t even have to use your own dishes!!
- pastas
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My roommates and I have all tried our fair share of the different pasta and pasta-adjacent dishes from TJs. Our favorites across the board: Cheese Filled Fiocchetti with Pink Sauce has a flavourful, creamy sauce that you just pour into a bowl and heat up in your microwave. Mushroom Ravioli with Truffle Sauce: I enjoyed this even as someone who thoroughly dislikes mushrooms, and finally the Spinach Filled Ravioli with Tomato Basil Sauce is another fan favorite.
- Gyozas and dumplings
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Now, if you are craving a heavy snack or even a meal, Trader Joe’s has a huge variety of dumplings for you to try. The Pork or Chicken Gyozas paired with soy sauce or hot sauce make for a perfect warm, cozy meal. You can also try the infamous soup dumplings with the same condiment pairing. If you really want a soupy dumpling experience, you can also always heat up any broth of your choice, season with soy sauce or siracha, and microwave the dumpling in the broth.
- sweet treats
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My personal favorite finds from Trader Joe’s are the huge variety of sweet treats. If you are trying to make or preserve space in your fridge, look for the chantily sheet cakes, sea salt brownies, the various chocolate covered pretzels, or a bucket of the ‘Way Too Many Chocolate Chip Cookies’. For a frozen dessert, the ‘Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches’ are a personal favorite, as well as the infamous ‘Hold the Cones’, as both have diary and non-dairy versions! You can also never go wrong with the seasonal rotations of the ice cream and sorbet pints.
Original photo by Sarah Luise Dwyer - fresh fruits!!
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Trader Joe’s also has fresh and affordable produce, with all the berries, oranges, and bananas you could ever want. They also have boxes of cut fruit for those of us who can’t necessarily buy and cut up pineapples, watermelons, and cantaloupe, with no added preservatives. Fun fact: the cashiers also always double check your fruits to make sure none of it is spoiled, and if it is they swap you out for a fresh box!
I hope I made you hungry for some delicious Trader Joe’s foods! Try some new things, and enjoy!
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