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Talk to me about Trader Joe's
As I understand, they have organic and non-organic food products and they tend toward more natural, less processed foods. DH and I took a trip to one today and prices were good, the products we picked up to purchase had only recognizable ingredients (of course we didn't check but they things we picked up) and I saw a good variety of products marked as local.
So, is everything as it appears? Can I really have found a place to shop that I don't have to read all the labels to avoid chemicals, or is there more I need to know? How about their produce and meats?

BFP 11.8.12 * EDD 7.17.13 * MC 12.20.12
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
Re: Talk to me about Trader Joe's
I love TJ's and wish there was one closer to us than 2 hours. IMO you should *always* read your ingredients labels, but I find myself more impressed than depressed at TJ's overall!
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ditto PP's- they actually have a ton of processed and convenience foods- but for the most part they aren't total garbage (like no HFCS in their stuff.)
Also all of their dairy products are rBST free, even the non-organic stuff.
I buy our ketchup and chocolate syrup there because they don't have HFCS in them. Also their breads, cereals, etc. are HFCS-free.
I'm honestly not a huge TJ's fan. Yes, its better than a regular chain grocery, but its not all that EF or healthy.
They do supposedly not use any GMO products in their foods. This is something really on their word, no regulation (unless certified organic).
They have a lot of processed foods, lots of packaging. The packaging drives me crazy! You can't even buy squash or tomatoes with a ton of plastic.
No transparency on organic dairy and sourcing of veggies. I don't want to support tomato worker slavery and have contacted corporate for info on sourcing, no response.
I love, love, love TJ's. And I'm also a fan of their wine shop.
As a general rule, I sick to produce, cheeses, some meat and dairy. I avoid the frozen/pre-packaged meals because in the past they have not agreed with me. I get the feeling there are quite a few preservatives in their packaged meals.
I buy their beauty/household items. They are all cruelty free and are very inexpensive. I love their laundry detergent. I've tried both powder and liquid, but prefer the liquid because the powder was clumpy. The tissues are nice. They feel very similar to Kleenex. Their paper towels & toilet paper are great. I love, love, love their Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner.
I go there for their Midnight Moo chocolate syrup. We also buy their snickerdoodle cookie dough. They have super cheap wine, so sometimes we'll buy that. Other than that, I haven't been very impressed with their stuff.
The first time I went I was SO excited. I was expecting to be able to buy one bell pepper, and a couple of tomatoes and things like that, but they come packaged with several to a pack. And like Ali said, they were totally wrapped in plastic. I also wasn't expecting them to have so much boxed, processed stuff.
I love their stores, because they're fun and I think they get some things right. But they're not nearly as good as my local grocery store.