I'm trying to shop at Trader Joe's just because it's so much cheaper than Whole Foods. But I'm finding the more raw I go, the less I want their products. The only thing that I find they are good for is banannas @ .19 each and apples @ .69 each.

I am almost always disappointed in the fruits and vegtetables. In season or not. Grapes.. they were in a plastic container. They were like old, small and shriveled like premature raisins.

Tomatoes.. very blah tasting. No tangy-sourness..whatever that addicting tomatoe taste is. Frozen strawberries.. even those were blah. Bought a bag of carrots.. 1lb for .89 cents and juiced them. It lacked sweetness.

Is it me or anyone else? It seems like I'm getting what I pay for here.. Cheap products that taste cheap! My favorite product.. Dr. Bronners Pepermint castile soap ..32oz for $7.99. It's $15 in Whole Foods. lol



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2010 03:29AM by BackAgain.

they sell them per banana/apple, not by the pound?

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

It could just be your TJ's--mine is pretty good about stocking the freshest stuff and rotating the bad stuff efficiently. Have you talked to someone there about how produce is looking? I find TJ's people are very amiable and want to please.

I am lucky that I have 2 health food stores and a Meijer that stocks a lot of regional produce in season close by. Whole Foods is far away and they do have a high markup on much of their produce. However, I have never seen produce that wasn't really fresh and hydrated at Whole Foods, so their standards are great.

I bought an apple when I was down in santa cruz at a trader joes, I think it was sold by pound though, but im not sure, it was a pink lady, one of my favorites, but it tasted really old...was supposed to be organic... but I could swear it tasted...off...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Curator Wrote:
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> they sell them per banana/apple, not by the pound?

This one sells them per banana/apple.
the other stuff is already pre-packed for a set price.

Like Celery.. it's even in a bag and it's 1.99 for almost a pound. Instead of per pound it's "per bunch" or "package".


There's only one TJ's here.. it opened a couple years ago.. It's a really small store..not sure what they usually look like.

Curator Wrote:
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> I bought an apple when I was down in santa cruz at
> a trader joes, I think it was sold by pound
> though, but im not sure, it was a pink lady, one
> of my favorites, but it tasted really old...was
> supposed to be organic... but I could swear it
> tasted...off...

lol.. organic or not. I just find almost everything tasting "off'.

Maybe fresh isn't the right word. Just.. blah, flat, etc. It's like.. bottled Kombucha.. some of it is fizzy and mouth watering.. and if it doesn't fix.. it's flat.

TJ's just seems to be some generic brand with all kinds of products.The local chain grocery stores all have their own "organic" brand too..and I don't like theirs either.

It's not just you. I have a choice of several Whole Foods and Trader Joe's around here, and I find that WF generally has much better products, even if it is pricier. I usually make two trips. The first to WF and get more reasonably priced/harder to find items. And then a second to a regular store, but not Trader Joe's. I find that I can selectively buy better items for less from my local H Mart (Korean store) and regular grocery stores.

Trader Joes did have a really amazing 3+ year old Parmesan from Italy made out of 100% raw milk for $18 a pound, thats the cheapest ive seen it for... got 1/4 of a pound piece, it goes a long way, had an amazing flavor, But I think thats the ONLY good deal on a quality item I really saw at TJ's when I was there... Made me the most popular guy in the house that night when I Brought south american slaw, and Parmesan encrusted Zucchini with fire roasted garlic, sea salt, and black pepper... Got all the cuddles a guy could wish for ^_^ so for that, im kinda ok with Tj's,lol...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?