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Food Items to Avoid at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe’s, as of October 12, 2017, had 474 stores nationwide across 43 states, and even in Washington, D.C. They have built an empire on house-brand products that are affordable and tasty, but some products should be left well alone. Here are 10 such items:
 
1. Shredded Mozzarella
Foods to Avoid at Trader Joe's

While the blocks of cheese are incredible quality for the price, you might want to skip the shredded stuff. You’ll fork out $3.79 for a 16-ounce bag of mozzarella at Trader’s Joe, while the same product costs just $2.18 at Walmart.

2. Lemonade

There’s only a 30% price difference between TJ’s organic and original lemonades, making the organic version a steal. However, costing at least $2.69, both options pale in comparison to the $1.76 you could pay elsewhere for your favorite summer drink.

3. Burritos

At first glance, the nutrition facts on a Trader’s Joe burrito don’t look that bad: 300 calories, nine grams of fat, and 790 milligrams of sodium in one pollo asado wrap. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll notice that’s for only half a burrito. Therefore, unless you have incredible self-control, you’re better off loading up corn tortillas with some homemade fillings.

4. Coconut Oil
Foods to Avoid at Trader Joe's

For its 16-fluid ounce size, the coconut oil at Trader Joe’s has about the lowest price you can find. However, if you’re a coconut addict, you’ll get a better deal buying it in bulk elsewhere. Trader Joe’s small jar of coconut oil costs about 31 cents per fluid ounce, while a bigger container will be around half that.

5. Sliced Fruit

A little grunt work will stretch your money. A small 16-ounce container of pre-sliced pineapple or watermelon will set you back $3.49, when you could get an entire pineapple for $2.99 or a melon for $.3.99.

 

6. Tortilla Chips

While the two-pound value bag of white corn tortilla chips will save you money over brand-name packages, its $3.49 price tag is slightly higher than the $2.98 you’d pay for generic brands at Walmart.

7. Sunscreen

While $5.99 for a bottle of spray-on sunscreen is a great deal, there are even cheaper options available. Other stores offer a two-pack for just a couple of dollars more than Trader Joe’s single bottle, meaning you get more for your buck.

8. Nuts & Fruits & Honey
Foods to Avoid at Trader Joe's

Nuts and fruit sound like nutrition in a jar, but don’t be fooled. As the ingredients are bathed in honey, the calories soon add up – all the way to a whopping 300 calories per quarter-cup serving. With 26 grams of sugar and almost no vitamins to talk of, this should be on your “skip” list.  

9. Lactose-Free Milk

While a gallon of regular milk is a good deal at Trader Joe’s, the lactose-free version costs 80 cents more than at Walmart. You should stick with Trader Joe’s almond milk instead, which costs about $1.10 less than the leading brand.

10. Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Quiche

Unless you have the self-control to resist eating the whole quiche in one sitting, you’ll be consuming nearly half your daily-recommended sodium (910 milligrams) in just one meal. Stack on 15 grams of saturated fat, and you’d be better off whipping up your own omelet, and throwing in a big handful of broccoli.

 

Source: rd
Images: depositphotos

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