Trader Joe’s Is Impressive For People With Dietary Restrictions

	I recently visited a Trader Joe’s in Maple Grove, MN, and I’m very impressed. I originally wanted to go because I’ve been told that they’re very friendly towards those of us with alternative eating requirements. When I started to look around though, I discovered a lot more. The product selection is excellent, with several variations of each item. They don’t just carry a
photo by Velo Steve	couple examples of  freeze-dried fruit, they

carry freeze-dried mangoes, and strawberries, and blueberries, and raspberries, and blackberries, and gooseberries. They have many types of cheese. They have many types of soup.

The produce section is phenomenal. It was washed and cleaned and ready to go. It was packaged in both 1-2 people sizes, and also family sizes. We saw packages of 5 apples, for instance. A week’s worth of apples for lunch, I guessed. Blackie thought that the prices were 10-15% less than our local grocery store produce.

The meat section had a really good variety. Lots of versions of sausage, for instance. Lots of versions of fish. Everything looked clean and clearly frozen, instead of the questionable, caked-with-frost meats we can get locally. There was also a sign posted that said if you had any questions regarding allergies, please contact a staff person and they’d be glad to help you shop. That’s going above and beyond.

Most items in the store were under the Trader Joe’s label. One of the cashier’s explained it to us; if Trader Joe’s likes a product, and they want to carry it, Trader Joe’s asks the manufacturers to reformulate their recipes to the Trader Joe’s standard. Their standard for most products is;

• no preservatives
• no MSG
• no partially hydrogenated oil
• no growth hormones in the dairy products
• almost no High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
• many items gluten-free
• many items vegetarian-friendly

Once the manufacturer has met the standard, Trader Joe’s then repackages the items under their own brand, saving a TON of money in the process.

What kinds of savings can you expect? We saw some items that were 200% lower priced than our local stores, with a much wider variety. We easily made up our gas money for the trip down there. It was well worth the trip.

The cashier further explained that there are no sales, no coupons, and no membership cards. Trader Joe’s does very little advertising, and you can’t purchase from them online. This translates into significantly–and surprisingly–lower prices than we’re used to.

All in all, we were very surprised at the low prices, the selection, the very clean nature of the ingredient lists of the food labels, and the friendly staff.

I will continue to shop at Trader Joe’s, even driving the 2 hours to my closest store.

What are your experiences with Trader Joe’s? Do you like other stores better? Please click the {comments} button below and tell me!

Monthly grocery run, anyone?

Regards,

p.s. You simply MUST check out the Trader Joe’s website. Very fun. Lots of lists for people with food restrictions, lots of information about their products, recipes centered around many of their products, and the coolest looking newsletter I’ve seen in a long time. www.TraderJoes.com