<p>Trader Joe’s is opening in my town on Halloween. We are a low carb household. So many of the items listed in this thread are non-no’s for us, that I’m wondering if the whole shopping experience might be just one painful temptation after another (chocolate this and that, gingerbread, pumpkin bread, cookies)! But I’m going to go back through the thread and make myself a list of the things I can try. I must say that if I had my druthers, I’d rather have back the Borders that the TJ’s replaced. We have lots of places nearby to buy all kinds food, but only one bookstore left, and I don’t think that one is long for this world.</p>
<p>Chipotle hummus is really good - way better than normal hummus. Their low-fat ranch dressing tastes like regular. Their pumpkin bread mix is delicious. They sell roast turkey breast (not with the sandwich meat) that isn’t pumped full of salt, although it doesn’t keep long. The frozen onion and feta cheese in puff pastry hors d’oeuvre is also great.</p>
<p>My daughter asked for Chipotle hummus when she went back to school, her favorite hummus there (second is garlic) I also sent her back with the pumpkin bread mix…just needed butter, eggs and mix and a 8x8 pan…she can’t wait to mix some up for her suitemates. That and pistachio nuts and some chocolate almonds. : )
I love the frozen french toast for a somewhat quick breakfast (20 min in oven) and my son since he was 10, loves their mac and cheese. Not their healthiest entrees but better than most out there.</p>
<p>MommaJ, I think you will have the same temptations as any grocery store - and lots of other non-carb based choices!</p>
<p>I recently bought and enjoyed their black peppered salami (in a vacuum packed plastic). My niece had brought it to a family gathering - took thinly sliced french bread (TJ’s or otherwise), mixed cream cheese with some fresh herbs (parsley and chives and one more…) then topped it with the black peppered salami. I practically made a meal out of it!</p>
<p>Hi all, I still read cc from time to time. The salami got me to post! I think trying that salami with a gourmet mustard would be great too! I will need to check their salami!</p>
<p>I discovered two new items I LOVE! The TJ’s pumpkin butter and the pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling. YUMMMERS!</p>
<p>Hi to Northeastmom! Hope you like the salami if you can find it!!! The size of the salami slices are on the smaller size - sort of like a large pepperoni size wise with a very evident peppered crust on the edges. (making me HUNGRY!!!)</p>
<p>Guilty confession…I put the salami slices in microwave for 30-45 seconds. Yummy, crispy, salami chips. Weird, I know, but delish. ;-)</p>
<p>Lately, I have been putting TJ’s Serrano salsa on anything and everything- yum!</p>
<p>Personal TJ’s must haves:</p>
<p>Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole - 50% less fat 40% fewer calories and still tastes awesome.</p>
<p>Albacore Solid White Tuna In Olive Oil - makes the other tuna brands look like cat food</p>
<p>Spicy Lentil Wrap with Tahini Sauce - addictive.</p>
<p>I’m going to try the Smoked Trout after reading this thread. It sounds delicious!</p>
<p>MommaJ, you will find some great things for a low-carb diet at TJ. Some of my favorites:</p>
<ul>
<li>the yellow curry sauce mentioned above is great</li>
<li>the jarred enchilada sauce is something I use about once/week</li>
<li>ditto for the whole grain brown rice tortillas</li>
<li>bagged organic baby spinach, bagged power to the greens (mixed baby greens), arugula, spring mix</li>
<li>cooked seasoned French lentils (in refrig section near salads, shrinkwrapped and covered with a box. I caramelize 3-4 onions and add these at the last minute, heat everything through, it’s great warm or at room temperature</li>
<li>brown rice pasta. I buy this regularly. My kids, who won’t touch whole wheat pasta, love this, and I do, too</li>
<li>jarred organic mushroom spaghetti sauce</li>
<li>prosciutto</li>
<li>smoked wild salmon</li>
<li>great place for cheese</li>
<li>organic milk</li>
<li>Irish butter</li>
<li>tomato and red pepper soup in box (great with baby spinach and cheese added)</li>
<li>jarred salsas (many varieties)</li>
<li>frozen Maryland crabcakes</li>
<li>cylindrical polenta in clear wrap - slice and place in baking dish with roasted vegetables and goat cheese, bake</li>
<li>dried fruits and nuts</li>
<li>canned vegetarian chili (soy-based; I seldom buy soy-based foods but the boys love this once in a while, with their taco shells, salsa, guacamole, chopped lettuce and tomatoes)</li>
<li>bagged organic Romaine hearts, 3 to a package</li>
</ul>
<p>OK Trader Joes gurus, do they carry anything like a frozen Onion Tart?</p>
<p>jym, haven’t seen an Onion Tart, but here is a Butternut Squash & Creamed Spinach Gratin from this week’s Flyer:</p>
<p>[Trader</a> Joe’s](<a href=“http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1301]Trader”>http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1301)</p>
<p>Edamame Rangoons. Simply unbelievably good!</p>
<p>jym626, They do carry a frozen mushroom and onion thing that I think is called a French tart. It’s next to the pizzas. I’ve bought it and it’s quite good.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone!!</p>
<p>Mommaj, I also follow a low carb way of eating. TJs carries only one bread product that I consider to be low carb: a “California-style” whole grain bread with about 13 gms of net carb per slice. They have a few versions–one is sprouted grains, IIRC–all of which I like.</p>
<p>No polenta is low carb by my standards, nor are pastas made with rice. I have not seen any low carb wraps or tortillas there, I buy Joseph’s at the regular supermarket. (Sometimes I think people forget that gluten-free is not the same thing as low-carb. 
)</p>
<p>TJ has a great selection of cheeses, and their prices are excellent. </p>
<p>They have some salad dressings in the refrigerated vegetable section that I particularly like, one is a Spicy Peanut Asian Vinaigrette, the other is Champagne Pear with gorgonzola.</p>
<p>They also have very well-priced ground turkey, which has become a staple for us.</p>
<p>I may have posted this on another thread, but I recently had a really great well-spiced guacamole with Greek yogurt–purchased at Costco–and when I contacted the company to see where it might be sold around here they said TJs has it.</p>
<p>It’s December, and the Gingerbread mix is back!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?</p>
<p>I am a huge fan of the chocolate covered triple ginger cookies. SO yummy! Also the chocolate covered ice cream bonbons. Also the turkey stew baked in an acorn squash half with puff pastry - found in the freezer case.</p>