The Ultimate Autumnal Trader Joe’s Shopping List

If loving Trader Joes’s makes me “basic,” then I will wear that badge with honor. I adore Trader Joe’s. There are a few markets I frequent for my food, but Trader Joe’s is at the top of my list every autumn for their incredible and affordable line of healthy and delicious seasonal meals and treats. I recently did a poll on my Instagram @LiveLovelyTravel and several of my readers requested grocery shopping hauls and healthy food recommendations, which was a pleasant surprise because I’ve had this blog post in the works.

There are four Trader Joe’s in Connecticut that I know of and I am a good 30-60 minutes away from all of them. I make a monthly trip to the Trader Joe’s in orange Connecticut to stock up on some of my favorites and I thought I would share them with you today. It takes me an hour to get there after work, but only a half hour to return home. Believe me, it is worth it. While I do get most of my produce and weekly items at our local market, Trader Joe’s isn’t just a great place to find affordable and delicious food, it is a whole experience. Trader Joe’s makes grocery shopping enjoyable. And although the store is small, I always make new discoveries each visit.

Trader Joe’s is popular so it can be a bit crowded, even with social distancing and limitations in place, so all these photos were taken with my cell phone. The last thing I want to do is clog up the aisles or disrupt other shoppers with my pro camera and a mini photo shoot. I feel safe shopping at Trader Joe’s because they do limit the umber of people in the store, strictly enforce masks, and wipe down all carts.

These are the items frequently in my cart this autumn:

 

Their lovely affordable flowers. Right when you walk in, the flowers are by the door. The quality is always great and for just a few dollars you can brighten someone’s day or bring beauty into your home. I like to treat myself every once in a while.

Mini pumpkins and gourds for seasonal decorating. Also, not pictured here, I adore their seasonal and apple scented candles.

Produce: Trader Joe’s always carries some unique produce. I enjoy snacking on these mini peppers immensely. Not pictured here, but always on my list: organic avocados,  acorn squash, butternut squash, mini cucumbers, and tiny champagne grapes.

Green Goddess Salad Dressing. It’s fresh and tangy. So good! I also adore their toasted sesame dressing.

Almond butter chia overnight oats.

Their jarred fruits; particularly their jarred peaches and pairs. I am also a big fan of their dried orange slices, mandarin orange wedges, and other dried fruits and nuts that are available for very reasonable prices. Also add chia seeds and their nut butters to your list.

The cheese aisle. Always on my list: their Goat Milk Cheddar Style Cheese, their crumbled goat cheese, Vermont cheese curds, and Old Amsterdam Gouda.

Unique beverages: You will find these Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothies and Banana and Almond Butter smoothies near the produce aisle. I also always pick up bottles of their Strawberry and Basil Drinking Vinegar.

The Trader’s Joe’s Original Almond Beverage is the best almond milk I have ever had, hands down. I’m obsessed. Also add to your list; Trader Joe’s Maple Oat Milk. It is incredible and makes great chia seed pudding too.

The almond beverage flavors don’t stop there. There is also a lovely matcha and lavender blueberry.

My favorite Trader Joe’s ravioli is the Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato. They also have a pumpkin flavor for fall.

I do not buy a lot of my meat here, or meat in general for that matter, but I do love their Pesto Genovese Chicken Breasts. You can cook it any way you want, but I prefer to bake it to keep the meat and seasonings soft and juicy. I keep a couple of these in my freezer for quick and easy meals and serve it with Alfredo pasta.

We’ve reached the baking aisle, or should I say pumpkin aisle?

This pumpkin bread and muffin mix is my absolute favorite baking mix ever.

The pumpkin pancake and waffle mix is also out this time of year.

And for my gluten free friends, don’t worry, there is a pumpkin bread and muffin mix just for you.

I’m a big apple butter girl, but their pumpkin butter is so lovely this time of year. I especially love it around Thanksgiving time when I’m really craving pumpkin.

I wouldn’t be a New Englander if I didn’t adore maple. As a New Englander, I can also be very picky with my maple products. But their maple butter is heavenly. A perfect pairing for those pumpkin pancakes. Also, not pictured here is the Pumpkin Pie Spice. It is found in this aisle with the spices and makes a wonderful topping to a mug of hot apple cider.

There are two soups that I adore from Trader Joe’s and they are both seasonal for fall: Autumnal Harvest Soup and Pumpkin Bisque.

Although pasta is not usually my go-to, I can’t get enough of Trader Joe’s pasta sauces. I was never a sauce girl until I tried Trader Joe’s. I have quite a few favorites including these three; Organic Vodka Sauce, Creamy Tomato Basil, and Creamy Autumnal Harvest. In this aisle, don’t forget to stock up on your pastas and rice.

I’m a big fan of the Trader Joe’s olive oils and vinegars. One of my most coveted items on this list is their balsamic glaze. It is a perfect topping for a homemade flatbread.

You can’t go wrong in the tea aisle. I always pick up the matcha latte mix, but this time of year I find myself constantly reaching for the chai tea mix.

Other seasonal beverages I enjoy are the Pumpkin Pie Ginger Brew and the Spiced Apple Cider. They’re great for seasonal hosting.

And finally, the dessert: Maple Leaf cookies and Matcha Ice Cream always top off my list.

This is not a complete list. There are numerous other foods that make it into my cart, especially in the frozen aisle. I promise to share another list sometime featuring my other Trader Joe’s favorites, but these ones are always in my cart for the autumn season. Is there anything special I missed that you believe belongs to the list? Share it in the comments below. Please share and pin this post.