Top five snacks from TJ’s

We did some taste testing and came up with the top five snacks Trader Joe’s has to offer.

1. Pita chips with cinnamon sugar
Instead of grabbing the usual bag of Lays, I found a better substitute: pita chips. Each chip is filled with a top layer of cinnamon to accompany every bite. Make sure you’re not in the library or lecture while trying to sneak one because you’re sure to be caught snacking: These chips are baked to an ultimate crispness. I love adding vanilla ice cream to them to make them into a dessert.

2. Chicken sausage calzone
Even though numerous pizzerias around town offer calzones, Trader Joe’s still does superbly with this creation. The calzone is large enough to satisfy and only costs about $3. The mozzarella cheese just around the inner layer of the crust gives a nice surprise at the first bite. The light marinara sauce is not overwhelming. Inside there is a generous helping of chicken, sausage and mushrooms.

3. Caribbean fruit ‘floes’
Upon opening the plastic package of a Fruit Floe (a Popsicle-like frozen treat) a subtle scent of fruity flavor hits the nostrils immediately, and I am reminded of the smoothies at Jamba Juice. Real fruit is embedded into the Floe, so each bite reveals a piece of pineapple or mango. Don’t worry about the cold weather: This treat will be sending your mind to the tropical islands.

4. Strawberry and banana yogurt six-pack
There must be a better name for this ingenious yogurt Trader Joe’s is selling. As you have your first taste, the texture of the yogurt is gratifying because the balance isn’t sweet or too sour. The smoothness and delicate quality remind me of silk. After one spoonful you’ll be digging for more, so the six-pack should be enough to alternate between strawberry and banana. It may just be cream and fruit flavors, but it deserves more credit.

5. Five layer fiesta dip
I like Trader Joe’s because it provides relatively cheap and convenient products without skimming on quality, and that’s evidenced in its fiesta dip. Whether it’s just for a snack or for a small party, this dip is perfect and easy, containing layers of black beans, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese and guacamole.

Dorene Ng is a staff writer. E-mail her at features@nyunews.com.

Comments

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Verify you are human:

Enter the characters in the image above: