I Drive an Hour to Shop at Trader Joe’s; What I Get for Family of 3

We get four jars of Trader Joe’s tomato basil marinara sauce on each trip.

I think it tastes homemade and elevates our weeknight pasta dinners to something that feels special. We also use it to make homemade pizza.

Half a bag of Trader Joe’s Italian spaghetti feeds all three of us with at least one serving of leftovers for lunch.

Imported from Italy, the spaghetti cooks perfectly al dente and has a slight sweetness. I’ve even eaten it with only olive oil and sea salt.

For a quick, protein-packed dinner, I like to sauté sliced cooked sausage with canned garbanzo beans in herbs and olive oil. It’s become a household favorite.

We’ve found that Trader Joe’s garbanzo beans taste fresher than the rest, so we always stock up on them.

My son loves anything ube-flavored, and I love anything that’s gluten-free, so this pancake and waffle mix is perfect for us.

They’re so easy to mix up that my 11-year-old son has made them for my husband and me.

We’ve eaten them with whipped cream and mixed berries for an out-of-the-ordinary (and colorful) weeknight dinner.

I’ve been adding cinnamon to my coffee every morning for over 10 years. I consume it daily, so I want it to be good, and Trader Joe’s organic cinnamon is the best I’ve ever had.

I also add it to smoothies, baked goods, and hot cocoa.

I make homemade hot cocoa nightly, using two tablespoons of Trader Joe’s cocoa per cup. Just like the cinnamon, the cocoa is the best I’ve had.

I also like to make homemade brownies and chocolate cake with it.

I like to grab a few boxes of Trader Joe’s organic toaster pastries for an out-of-the-ordinary treat. With a hot cup of coffee, they taste like Pop-Tarts for adults.

To me, this peanut butter is a delicacy.

I’ve eaten it by the spoonful for a quick pick-me-up, used it in smoothies for added protein, and drizzled it over chocolate ice cream for a Reese’s-like dessert.

My son loves salsa, but not when it’s too spicy. The addition of pineapples (which he also loves) makes this one sweet enough for him to enjoy.

Plus, it’s full of tomatoes, pineapples, and peppers, so I like to consider it a serving of fruits and vegetables.

I thought it would be fun to use this seasoning to give cooked vegetables a kick, but my son found another tasty use for it.

He sprinkles the ranch seasoning blend on plain cashews for a snack that’s arguably as satisfying as a bag of flavored potato chips.

We love chips in our house, but I like to find lower-fat versions.

I think Trader Joe’s baked cheese crunchies are just as good as Cheetos, and I can actually taste real cheese on them.

I never feel bad putting them in my son’s lunch or eating them as a late-night snack.

I’ve never seen these Sprinkles tomatoes anywhere else besides Trader Joe’s, but I think they’re like vegetable candy.

I’ve eaten them alone, in salads, on snack plates, and in the car on the way home from Trader Joe’s, paired with the cheese crunchies.

Our dogs get so excited when they see us carrying Trader Joe’s bags into the house because they know what’s coming.

These grain-free peanut butter and banana dog treats cost just $3 at my local store, so I buy three to four boxes per visit.

My favorite thing about these treats is that they have real ingredients, like chickpeas, peanut butter, ground coconut, and dried bananas.

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