5 Prepared Foods From Trader Joe's To Buy And 4 To Avoid, According To Customers

Trader Joe's prepared food section is legendary, filled with refrigerated and frozen foods worth stocking up on to help make the cooking process much more time and budget-friendly. Navigating the aisles of Trader Joe's takes a little guidance from the experts, and thankfully, TJ's fans are equally vocal about their favorite products and the ones that should remain on the shelf. Customers online have stepped up with honest reviews, taste tests, and helpful alternatives to help separate the Hall of Fame products from the duds.

Some products earn customer loyalty for their value or for passing as a homemade meal, while others miss the mark for lack of nutrition or poor flavor. Whether a product is too bland, overly sweet, has a questionable texture, or simply isn't worth the price, shoppers across the internet are happy to let you know. To help you shop smarter (and not harder) on your next grocery run, we've collected five prepared foods that are well worth adding to your cart and four that are best left on the shelf.

The Caesar wrap craze has taken over the internet, and customers are pretty particular about what makes a good one. Trader Joe's hopped on the trend with their own Caesar wrap, which joined a large collection of other prepared wraps and sandwiches that the store offers. This prepared meal comes with seasoned chicken breast strips, parmesan cheese, and lettuce wrapped in a spinach tortilla. Customers appreciate that the Caesar dressing comes in a separate cup so that it doesn't wilt the lettuce or make the wrap soggy.

Some shoppers might be understandably cautious about purchasing a store-bought wrap, but rest assured that this is a worthwhile purchase: Customers applaud the flavorful Caesar dressing, soft tortilla, and hefty helping of Parmesan. In fact, some customers wish the store would sell the dressing by the bottle so they could add it to other meals. It's a convenient grab-and-go meal that you can enjoy for lunch for less than $6.

According to customers online, the beef, bean & cheese burrito from TJ's is the king of mediocrity. This simple dish is made of ground beef, pinto beans, sharp white cheddar cheese, and onions wrapped in a flour tortilla, and while that might sound like an enticing blend of ingredients, TJ's shoppers online caution you to keep your expectations low. One food reviewer who tried the burrito wrote, "The filling has the consistency of baby food ... there's a vague essence of cheese" and described the tortilla itself as "flexible shoe leather".

While not entirely inedible, this burrito is only really adequate in the case of a hunger emergency. Plus, paying $4.49 for a microwavable burrito just isn't worth it for many customers, especially when there are so many other, better Trader Joe's foods that cost less than $5. Not to mention, it isn't exactly a nutritious choice, what with it containing more fats than protein and over 500 calories. Another reviewer explains, "There's nothing that would make me ever want to reach for this product again when you consider all the other myriad burritos at your fingertips." With so many tastier and affordable options at the store, this one can stay on the shelf. Pro tip: Shoppers seem to prefer the frozen burritos to the microwavable ones.

Lots of shoppers are looking for ways to pack a little extra protein into their days. And with convenient products like these, you can get the energy you need from your breakfast without sacrificing your favorite foods. TJ's protein pancakes are packed with 20 grams of protein in four ready-to-eat gluten-free pancakes. The pancakes have high-protein ingredients like cottage cheese and egg whites so the macros are excellent for those looking to start their day with some energy.

This product has become so popular that customers sometimes have a hard time getting their hands on it. You may have to visit the store early when they restock in order to find them in the refrigerated section. One customer recommends adding a little syrup and/or peanut butter to enhance the flavor and cover up any of that classic protein powder flavor that can sometimes linger in these kinds of products. A gluten-free pancake fan shares on Reddit, "Just tried these and they are so good!! I'm GF so I'm limited on pancake options. These tasted like a heavier crepe. Running back to buy more!!"

While customers don't usually expect restaurant-grade sushi from the grocery store, one of the more disappointing prepared meals from TJ's is the spring rolls with shrimp. One customer on TikTok stated, "Joe definitely let me down on this one" after tasting the roll for the first time and finding it to be pretty bland. Other reviews agree that the flavor is lacking and the filling is mostly lettuce with just a couple of sparse noodles. The rolls come with a cashew sauce as opposed to the traditional peanut sauce that typically accompanies spring rolls. Customers seem to appreciate the sauce, but it has to do a lot of heavy lifting to add any flavor to the rolls.

Another customer on TikTok who worked in a Vietnamese restaurant for years and comes highly qualified to rate this dish. He explained that the spring roll wrapping was very stiff, as though it had been sitting in the fridge for a long time, and ripped immediately upon touching it. If you're looking for a flavorful spring roll, you might want to just purchase the ingredients from the store to make them fresh yourself.

Trader Joe's lemon basil pasta salad is an immediate "add-to-cart" for many shoppers. For just $4.99, this delicious prepared meal wins over pasta-lovers and makes for a quick lunch on its own or can be combined with other tasty additions to stretch it into two meals. One customer on Reddit recommends adding a bunch of spinach and your choice of protein to make it more filling. Other commenters on the same post chimed in to share their love of the dish.

Fans appreciate that the pasta salad uses bowtie pasta, which perfectly soaks up the dressing and adds to the light and zesty lemon flavor. The meal features produce, including peas, spinach, zucchini, and basil, as well as shredded asiago cheese. It's a perfect summer meal for those busy work days when you don't have time to cook.

The honey walnut shrimp is one product you almost certainly want to avoid in the freezer section, as it's one of the Trader Joe's products customers complain about most. Customers have been tempted by this Panda Express dupe; however, most agree that this one should stay out of your cart and kitchen, mostly because it is far too sweet. A Redditor even described the sickly sweet sauce as "diabolical," claiming it is "grainy and overly sweet." While customers seem to agree that the shrimp is overall just okay, it's the sauce that really ruins the experience, and the funky taste and smell are enough to make the dish inedible.

Another review online explains that the dish is just too inconsistent to be worth the purchase because they skimp on some of the ingredients. If you're really craving a honey walnut shrimp dish, this one might be better prepared on your own. One Redditor recommends making your own simple sauce by combining mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, and honey. This way, you can adjust the level of sweetness yourself.

TJ's has become pretty well known for its impressive selection of nutritious salad kits, which make throwing a healthy meal together extremely quick and easy. One of the more popular offerings is the lemon arugula basil salad kit, which customers rave about for its flavor and value. This meal includes arugula, carrots, almonds, parmesan cheese, and a basil lemon vinaigrette, making it an excellent fresh starter to a meal that keeps customers coming back to it. The blend of acidic dressing with crunchy almonds and fresh peppery arugula is a crowd-pleaser, and the $4 price tag certainly doesn't hurt.

Fans of this salad kit share tons of recommendations for adding to this meal. You can include some cold pasta to make it a fresh summer pasta salad, or some lemon olive oil to enhance the bright flavors. Other reviews recommend throwing in some protein of your choice to beef up the salad and serve it as a meal on its own. If you want to serve this up to a large crowd, you can also throw in some spinach.

Overnight oats are a popular breakfast item for their high protein content, easy customizability, and eat-on-the-go capability. However, according to customers online, the prepared overnight oats from Trader Joe's are not worth the purchase for several reasons. Namely, customers find the flavor and consistency to be extremely off-putting. A customer on Reddit explained that the vanilla flavor is extremely fake and overwhelming, while the oats themselves are far too thick. A review from Foodie described the consistency of the oats as "spongey... almost like a mash" with a "surprisingly dry texture that was less than appealing."

Other shoppers have found the vanilla flavoring to be sour, which could mean that they have sat on the shelf for too long or were stored improperly. One Redditor explains that it's very easy — and significantly tastier — to make your own oats at home: "You can make your own for so much cheaper ... Plus, you can add more things to it. Takes like 3 mins to put together." Additionally, with only 6-12 grams of protein, this instant breakfast doesn't actually have much to offer from a health perspective either, so it's simply not worth the purchase.

Finding a good lobster bisque on a budget is no small feat, but TJ's comes in clutch with this prepared soup. On its own, it boasts a strong flavor and creamy texture. One reviewer writes, "Priced at $4.99, it's a velvety, seafood-forward soup that's intended to deliver restaurant-style flavor without the restaurant-style bill." But this product really earned customer praise as an ingredient in a lobster pasta recipe that went viral online.

The recipe calls for just five main ingredients, which can all be purchased at Trader Joe's: Farfalle (or bow tie) pasta, lobster tails, parmesan cheese, crushed garlic, and of course, TJ's lobster bisque. Other versions of the meal include additions like cherry tomatoes, onions, and lemon zest. The additional chunks of lobster and creamy soup make what customers describe as a gourmet pasta dish, which will have your entire house smelling like an Italian restaurant. And if you love that, Trader Joe's has other soups that double as a creamy pasta sauce as well.

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