If you are looking for regular sliced bread from Trader Joe’s for sandwiches or what have you, and want to get one that’s whole wheat, this is a yet another nutritious bread option that Trader Joe’s offers. “HARVEST WHOLE WHEAT” is made from whole wheat flour and lightly sweetened with honey. It has a soft crumb and a pleasant, wholesome flavor of whole wheat.
100 calories/slice, 5 gr of Protein, 3 gr of Fiber.
Trader Joe’s HARVEST WHOLE WHEAT BREAD is a light brown color from the whole wheat. It has regular slices, not too thick nor too thin (16 per loaf). It’s soft but not too soft. It has a little bit of texture to it. The ingredient list is short and simple with whole wheat flour as the first ingredient. Its a healthy choice but it doesn’t taste “too healthy” if you know what I mean. Even picky kids may like it. Its quite tasty, both toasted and As Is.
This is perfect to make sandwiches with. It won’t fall apart easily. It was really good toasted which is one way I like it.
Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat coming right up.
It’s one of the most affordable bread options at Trader Joe’s at (now) $2.99 (was 2.49 not long ago) This will beat most supermarket similar breads for price, value and quality.
HARVEST WHOLE WHEAT BREAD$2.99, 24 oz loaf (1 1/2 lbs, 680 gr)
Do you need a few ideas for Healthy Snack options for shopping at Trader Joe’s?
Here are just a few ideas….
Fruits and Veggies: A great snack could be say, fresh apples sliced up.
One favorite snack for me is some sliced APPLE with some PEANUT BUTTER. A classic combination providing fiber, healthy fats, and protein. Besides apples I like bananas and peanut butter. As well as cut up sticks of vegetables (carrot, celery or jicama sticks) All these things are great snacks on their own but get some protein from nut butters. Besides peanut butter, there are other nut butters too, such as almond butter. My favorite peanut butter at Trader Joe’s? Crunchy salted with the blue label. The one with honey one us also good.
Now I would just buy an apples and cut them up. However Trader Joe’s does sell some “pre-cut” fruits and veggies for convenience. Personally I never buy these type of items. It’s not a big deal to cut up an apple for me. The moment you cut any fruit or veggie up it starts to oxidize and deteriorate. And you pay a lot more for someone to do that work.
Nuts or Trail Mix; these are great snacks (in moderation) Trail Mix: Trader Joe’s offers a variety of mixes with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Raw, Unsalted, Untoasted Nuts: A simple and healthy snack. Dark Chocolate-Covered Almonds: A delicious way to get antioxidants and healthy fats. Finally the fantastic TRAIL MIX CRACKERS
Cut up some Vegetable Sticks such as carrots or celery and pair them with some HUMMUS or some other lower fat dip. How about that new Roasted Tomato LABNEH?
For chips, I think the PLANTAIN CHIPS are kind of better than potato or other chips
Protein Snacks: Any Cheese or cheese sticks, string cheese, hard cooked peeled eggs, chomps turkey sticks….
Other Healthy Options:
Organic Popcorn with Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A whole-grain, antioxidant-rich snack.
Grainless Granola: A crunchy blend of nuts, seeds, and dried coconut. Puffins Cereal (Peanut Butter flavor): A fun and healthy way to enjoy cereal. Low-Fat Greek Yogurt: Pair with berries and a touch of honey for a healthy and protein-packed snack. Piquant Popcorn: A top snack for weight loss. Norwegian Crisp Bread: A versatile base for avocado and other toppings. Bamba Peanut Snacks: A high-volume, low-calorie option. Plantain Chips: A healthier alternative to potato chips. Lentil and Chickpea Crisps: A flavorful and healthy snack. Oven-Baked Cheese Bites: A high-protein option. Trek Mix Handfuls: A portable and nonperishable snack. Hummus: A creamy blend of chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil. They have some hummus snacks that come with crackers for easy snacking.
With just a little prep work and some baggies, you can make snack packages. Good luck!
According to Trader Joe’s, this pasta, organic lemon Torchiette (meaning “little torches”), was included in those nice gift worthy imported pasta assortment boxes during the Holidays, if you remember, they came in a trio of high end Italian pastas and made a nice gift. I think those were $10. Trader Joe’s got feedback that people especially loved one of the three pastas in the gift set which was this one, “Organic Lemon Torchietti”. So Trader Joe’s decided to come out with it as a stand alone item in a 1 pound box.
I liked this pasta a lot, and think these are well worth trying. This Torchietti is a really good, very high quality Italian pasta from a good manufacturer. I could see some fancy store easily charging three times what Trader Joe’s is selling it for ($3.49)
Trader Joe’s says this: “Shining brightly with Sicilian lemon flavor and a complementary yellow hue (thanks to the addition of organic turmeric), these short, wavy, organic durum wheat noodles are extruded through a bronze die, creating a ridged exterior that makes them an exceptional vehicle for an array of sauces. Try tossing them in an olive oil, pesto, or Organic Vodka Sauce. Or for a double dose of lemon, Limone Alfredo Sauce. In addition to this sauce-supporting superiority, Trader Joe’s Organic Lemon Torchietti are equally excellent in hot and cold preparations – let pasta salad season begin!”
Ingredients are : Organic Semolina Durum Wheat, Water, Organic Lemon Oil, turmeric (for color)
COOKING: 6-7 minutes in boiling salted water.
The pasta is very good, I tasted it plain, it had just the slightest hint of lemon, from the lemon oil used to make it. The shape and being bronze die cut means the pasta holds sauces very well.
TJ’s does suggest pairing this Torchietti with their LEMON ALFREDO SAUCE which is I’m sure is a good combo, and one I will try later. First, I used these Torchietti with that “LEMON PESTO” to come up with a lemon themed pasta dish. Adding to the pesto with extra lemon, olive oil, butter, Pecorino, and a few grilled lemon slices. The dish turned out very good.
(TIP: I took the pasta out early at around 4 minutes as I was going to continue cooking it in my sauce for another 2+ minutes with my sauce for al dente pasta)
By the way, I bought them 2 weeks ago, and they were $2.99, which Trader Joe’s website also says is the price. I go back yesterday and I see the sign now says $3.49?! Is this price increase due to Tariffs coming into effect?
These can work in a hot dish but they suggest these would be good for a pasta salad too. I agree. The unique twisted shape really is good for holding sauces. And I would not just think “lemon” with the pasta, I could easily see pairing this with any of your favorite sauces. The lemon flavor in the pasta is not strong at all.
The website says “Limited” for these, so if you want to try these, I would grab a box while you can.
“The traditional grilling cheese of Cyprus”. A great addition to a barbecue skewer. Browns rather than melts when grilled
IMPORTANT NOTE: They have this cheese as a “seasonal item” in the Spring/Summer, so that’s when when you will find it on the shelves
This “Atalanta brand HALLOUMI cheese” I got at Trader Joe’s at some point last year was one of those items I tried just once and fell absolutely in love with instantly. However trying to find it a month or two later, I could not find it. It was MIA. I was afraid they discontinued it. Say it’s not so, Joe.
Well, I learned they carry this cheese seasonally. It’s one of their “seasonal” items. In this case, they bring it back for warmer months. Starting in the Spring and available most of the Summer (till mid-August maybe?). Trader Joe’s seems to peg this cheese for “grilling” outdoors. Summer grilling. So just note that you will only see this part of the year.
I wish they had it all year round. But here’s a useful Tip: the shelf life is quite long as it’s a cured, brined hard cheese. My package date was good for six months. So I might just stock up on a few packages, for that half+ of the year they don’t have it. You could probably even freeze it. Most cheese, especially harder ones, actually can be frozen (cheese needs to be slow defrosted in the fridge)
If you haven’t tried HALLOUMI before, you have got to check it out. It’s so good grilled. Just delicious.
Halloumi originates from the island of Cyprus. It’s a semi hard cheese brinded made with sheep’s milk with a unique quality: it browns rather than just melts. Therefore you can grill, broil, or pan fry it, until it gets golden brown & delicious. It gets a chewy, meaty texture that is so good!
TJ’s website says: “Atalanta® Halloumi” is made on the island of Cyprus using sheep’s milk. During production, the curds are heated to high temperatures, a process which gives it both its “squeaky” texture and ability to hold its shape when cooked or grilled. Atalanta® ‘s cheesemakers also include a bit of mint, which adds a slight refreshing counterbalance to Halloumi’s natural brininess.”
Some people are making “Halloumi Croutons” with it, which you could make by cutting the cheese into cubes, brown them in a little olive oil and remove for adding to salads or other dishes
The picture below is of a dish I made with the halloumi, tomatoes and a can of white beans. “Crispy halloumi, white beans and tomatoes” I had seen in the NYTimes. The dish is DELICIOUS and its a fairly healthy (vegetarian) dish that we all found to be an excellent; a keeper recipe that is now on monthly rotation for us. I got the recipe from the NY Times (may need registration)
Says “4 servings” (2 of us easily ate the whole thing!)
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, butter beans or navy beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ lemon
Crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.
In a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength.
Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze the lemon half over the pan and add a light drizzle of honey. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with bread if desired.
Her Halloumi Crouton Salad recipe looks great! (TIKTOK)
“It’s made for us with a simple recipe of tart and tangy Organic Turkish Sour Cherries, organic sugar, pectin, and citric acid, so that every jar is a genuine jubilee of pure, sweet and sour cherry flavor….” – Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s new ORGANIC TART CHERRY FRUIT SPREAD reminded me a little bit of jams made with sour cherry that I’ve bought in Russian or Polish neighborhoods years ago.
Its sweet but a little bit tart at the same time. Quite delicious, though I confess I wish it weren’t smooth as here in a “fruit spread”. I kind of prefer a few bits of fruit aka jam or preserves.
I put in on so many things, toast, English Muffins, Crumpets, with good butter, on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, a peanut butter sandwich, on top of cottage cheese (yum!), other cheeses like Brie or Goat Cheese. This morning I spread some on pancakes and it really improved them.
It matches well with so many things. All I can say is my jar is almost empty now! I need another one. Pronto.
$4.29 (15 oz) I would buy it again (I do wish they gave you the standard 16 oz)
Organic tart cherries, organic cane sugar, water, pectin, citric acid.
TJ’s says: “The Canadian bakery that makes these sub-shaped Rolls for us uses a slow and gentle fermentation to achieve an airy crumb. The soft insides are complemented by a hearty exterior that can support all kinds of cold cuts and condiments—not to mention a healthy helping of meatballs, sauce, and melty cheese.”
I saw these and really wanted to try them as I thought these would be great for making a hero, specifically an Italian meatball hero. Right out of the bag, these are soft and seemed to me just the tiniest bit under-baked, to allow for some additional cooking or toasting. So take that into account.
Meatball Hero; I sliced the roll down the middle, and added my ingredients inside. After I finished adding the ingredients of my sandwich, in my case grilled meatballs, grilled yellow peppers, some homemade tomato sauce and two kinds of cheese, Fontina and Pecorino. I put them in the oven for 5 minutes or so until it got nice and golden brown and crusty.
My Italian meatball parm hero came out perfect on these Artisan Sandwich Rolls. Crusty on the outside and nice and soft on the interior to soak up all the goodness of my ingredients. The meatball hero was very tasty and along with a salad that was our dinner.
I can easily see these rolls being good for most any sandwich, especially those like any kind of “hero”, “sub”, “grinder” or whatever they call it in your neck of the woods. The 4 rolls work out to less than 90 cents per roll which will be hard to beat for price. Rolls where I am cost at least $1.50 or more.
“You’ll find these Sandwich Rolls to be equally delicious, whether you’re enjoying a cold Italian grinder, or a hot Philly cheesesteak. And when lightly toasted, they develop a wonderfully thin, crisp crust. They can also be pressed quite successfully in a panini grill if you’re craving a traditional Cubano…”
Trader Joe’s “Pineapple and Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs”
I previously tried, and gave a good review, to the regular Trader Joe’s “Chicken Meatballs”. Those original chicken meatballs seem to me to be quite a popular Trader Joe’s item. So popular that often I even find these were sold out.
Both the original version and this new Pineapple Teriyaki version of the meatballs, come already cooked and are sold in the refrigerated case. I have bought the regular chicken meatballs pretty often as I find they are a really handy item to have in the fridge. You can use these meatballs to come up with a meal, fast and easy, so are very handy. Plus as they are vacuum sealed, these can last quite some time in the fridge unopened, easily a week or more.
I am guessing the original flavor meatballs were so popular item that Trader Joe’s decided to come out with another flavor. Which are these new ones, the Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs.
If you are a fan of the original ones, you will probably like this new version as much as those. Maybe even more. Both are made from “all natural, minimally processed chicken with no artificial ingredients“. The Ingredients include: chicken, dried pineapple, tamari, mirin, sea salt, sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary….
Here’s what Trader Joe’s says about the new Pineapple Teriyaki version (link)
“… Now available in our refrigerated cases on an everyday basis, Trader Joe’s Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are made with all-natural ground chicken, are certified gluten free, and arrive fully cooked, so that all you have to do is heat them up in the oven, microwave, or air fryer, then serve. On their own, they make a great savory snack or appetizer (especially when paired with something tangy to dip them in). They’re also awesome when tossed with your favorite noodles (we’re particularly partial to our Squiggly Noodles), and make a mean meatball sub with our Sandwich Rolls, too.”
So how do the new meatballs compare to the original version? Well, here’s my honest review.
I liked the original ones and I like these too. I find the new Teriyaki version quite good. Possibly even a little better than the original meatballs? These have little more flavor, just a touch (not much) of sweetness and are softer. I did not find the added flavors too strong, these are the subtle side. The pineapple and teriyaki flavors don’t overpower things. They taste just slightly sweet. Texture wise I think these are a bit softer than the original meatballs, due to the added ingredients, dried pineapple and pineapple juice. I found the original meatballs could get a little rubbery as they have just meat with nothing else. Also there seems to be a few grill marks on these as if they were perhaps grilled?
Meatballs in an Asian Stir Fry with Broccoli and Peppers
Like the original meatballs, I think the best methods to cook these would be either stove top, baked in the oven, or in an air fryer. All which will give them a little browning which helps these. I don’t think these meatballs will be as good simply heated in the microwave as they won’t get browned.
To try these new meatballs, I thought I would use them first in an Asian style STIR FRY with vegetables (see above).
For my stir fry, I sliced the meatballs into about thirds. I got them browned up by stir frying them in a wok with a tablespoon of oil. After about two minutes like that, I tossed in my cut up veggies, red peppers and broccoli then continued to stir fry everything. When it all looked just done in maybe 4 minutes, I added in a basic Asian sauce*.
The dish turned out quite good. We served it with rice.
Another time, I grilled these sliced in half, up in a pan in olive oil along with yellow peppers and a lot of fresh garlic. Very yummy.
You can try pairing the grilled meatballs with a variety of sauces. For example Trader Joe’s new Korean Yangnyeom sauce would match well as its savory, a little sweet and slightly spicy. So many other choices to consider for sauces. SWEET CHILI sauce for one?
If you want to go “full Hawaiian” I could see using these to come up with some kind of dish in that vein, grilling these with some pineapple cubes (fresh or frozen) and for a sauce additional Teriyaki (soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of vinegar.) Add a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Too complicated? OK, a even easier, simple Terikayi sauce recipe: soy sauce, brown/dark sugar, a splash of lemon (or vinegar) for tartness, a pinch of cornstarch (or even flour if you stir it in smoothly) Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
If that’s still too complicated, use TJ’s SOYAKI! I saw someone on TikTok just dump a package of the meatballs plus a jar of that in a pot. Not what I would do but they said, “good”
I think these meatballs would be a great addition as TJ’s suggest for a dish made with their SQUIGGLY NOODLES.
I didnt try the combo yet but think these might match well with Trader Joe’s new Japanese item, OKONOMIYAKI. Slice them and get them nice and grilled to serve with them.
A package of Pineapple Teriyaki chicken meatballs is $4.29 (12 oz). That’s 30 cents more than the regular chicken meatballs which are $3.99.
Six meatballs are stated to have 160 calories, and 13g of protein
Day 59 is for this EASY 3 ingredient teriyaki pineapple chicken meatball skewer dinner! Ingredients: ✨Costco teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs ✨Costco Mini bell peppers ✨Trader Joe’s frozen fried rice Directions: ✨Heat your skillet to medium heat. ✨Add in peppers – cook a few minutes. ✨Add in meat balls – cook for 6 minutes or until til brown. ✨Microwave one cup of rice for 2 minutes. That’s it! Serve and enjoy! #foodtiktok#3ingredientsrecipes#easyrecipe
“Made with bold, full-flavored garlic and rich, creamy inimitably Irish butter, that was churned in the green rolling hills of County Cork”
I had read all over the internet about these new Trader Joe’s potato chips. That they are really good. Crazy good.
I was lucky to be at TJ’s when they happened to be giving out samples of these chips. The nice lady giving them out, jokingly warned us “Careful with these, they’re kind of addictive”. I ate a chip. Just one bite in and you realize she was not kidding. These chips are crazy good. They should come with a Warning Label on the package.
Once you start eating these, it will be hard to stop.
The chip are a PRODUCT OF IRELAND, and of course made from Irish potatoes. They have the perfect crunch, being cut just a little bit on the thick side, along with having ruffled edges. That garlic butter seasoning on these is so tasty and so good. The ingredient list even lists mushroom extract, which would supply some more Umami. All which leads to the “addictive” warning label I think these should come with.
My wife bought a bag of these. I was lucky to get a few to taste as she held onto the bag with here life. She got very possessive. I had to beg her for a couple of chips which she grudgingly gave me. When I asked for a few more, she told me to buy my own bag. She admitted she could not stop eating them. She was already Addicted. So be warned.
GARLIC BUTTER IRISH POTATO CHIPS, $2.99, 5.5 oz bag. Trust me the bag will go fast.
Better buy two while you are there and save yourself an extra trip.
So as you can see from the Ingredients in this bread, you are getting a lot of variety of whole grains for one thing. You are also getting a good amount of fiber in this 100% Whole Grain High Fiber bread. Each slice has 5 grams of fiber.
That is about 18% of the recommended dietary amount. It’s not hard to eat two slices, perhaps in a sandwich or just as toast. Do that and you are getting 10 grams of fiber, which is about 1/3 or more of the daily recommended fiber amount (daily dietary fiber is recommended at 25-38 grams).
How does this bread taste? I like it. It actually tastes pretty good. Like a 100% whole wheat bread. I find it just the tiniest bit on the dry side, but you have to take all that fiber into account.
This tasted quite good when I toasted it up, and ate with butter and marmalade.
It’s got no preservatives, and no additives. Seems pretty All Natural. I would buy it again.
“…while it is indeed incredibly delicious on some crispy-fried chicken, that’s just the beginning, as far as we’re concerned. We recommend trying it on everything from roasted veggies to grilled short ribs, air-fried salmon, shrimp tacos, and omelettes. Frankly, we’ll even use it as a dip for French fries… or as sauce on a homemade Pizza topped with Pepper Jack Cheese, Spicy Chicken Nuggets, and cilantro or green onions (trust us on this one—it’s delicious.)”
This new sauce is getting a lot of notice all over the internet. I was familiar with this Korean sauce as a family member made a homemade one, so got the new Trader Joe’s one to try out and review.
I like it. It has sugar, soy sauce, red miso, molasses, ginger, rice vinegar, red pepper and sesame oil. Very tasty. While not quite as good as homemade versions of the sauce that I’ve tasted, this commercial version is still quite tasty.
It’s a dark sauce which is a bit thick and it’s just loaded with umami. It had a slight spicy back note but it’s not crazy spicy. This will be great on lots of things. Certainly most any Asian dish, especially noodles. Especially SQUIGGLY NOODLES plus all the things they list: chicken, salmon, and other fish, shrimp, omelettes. I want to try the pizza idea they mention with chicken and pepper jack cheese….!
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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