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10 Bargain Foods You Should Be Buying Now at Trader Joe’s
Today, I’m excited to take you with me to shop for 10 bargain foods you should be buying now at Trader Joe’s for your pantry. I found some real foods that were cheaper than my local grocery store and price competitive with Walmart.
*Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My content may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.
Finding Real Foods in These Inflationary Times
In these inflationary times, we’re on an important quest to find real food bargains at our local grocery stores. We don’t want to squander our limited grocery budget on expensive prepackaged foods with empty calories. Instead, we want to find inexpensive foods that will give real nutrition to ourselves and our families.
In the last few months, I’ve taken you with me as I’ve shopped at Walmart to find real foods at cheap prices:
- 10 Cheap Foods to Stock in Your Prepper Pantry
- 5 Cheap Foods to Stock Up on Now for Your Fridge and Freezer
And today, I’m bringing you with me to shop for real foods (and cheap foods!) at my Trader Joe’s in Central Texas.
Finding Real Foods at Trader Joe’s
I had only visited Trader Joe’s a few times before my real foods shopping trip for today’s video. Near the front of the store, I saw a lot of prepared foods in small containers and at high prices.
So I wheeled my shopping cart past those items and made my way to the shelves of real foods. The variety of selections at Trader Joe’s impressed me, and they’ll amaze you too!
- Note: This is not a sponsored video. I bought and use all the products in my video.
If you have a Trader Joe’s in your area, be sure to stop by and get these bargains. I show you the cheap finds that I found in the following products and product categories:
- Coffee
- Condiments
- Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
- Eggs
- Superfood Seeds
- Sandwich Fixings
- Sweeteners
- Hot Beverages
- Special Shaped Pasta
- Produce
- Plus, a bonus category!
However, if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, this video will give you ideas on the types of real foods to be on the lookout for at your neighborhood grocery store. (Or perhaps now is a great time to visit a family member or friend who lives near a Trader Joe’s!)
Make Your Own Condiments
If you like to make traditional foods homemade, I show you how to make your own condiments in the following recipe videos. (Trader Joe’s has some real condiments at cheap prices, and they make excellent backups in your Prepper Pantry to your homemade condiments.)
Making Homemade Dairy Products
In today’s video, I show you some of the dairy products I purchased at bargain prices at Trader Joe’s. However, you can also make these dairy products in your traditional foods kitchen. I show you how in the following recipe videos.
What Are the Benefits of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)?
I was impressed with how Trader Joe’s carried a lot of dairy products made from whole milk from grass-fed cows. Using full-fat milk to make dairy products is important because when cows graze on pasture, their milk is very high in a compound called Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).
CLA is a type of fat that may help reduce body fat deposits and improve immune function in humans, as this research paper describes.
Unfortunately, when cows are raised in a feedlot, the CLA in their milk is greatly diminished. So whenever I can find dairy products from pastured cows, I like to buy them. And it is especially nice when these types of products are reasonably priced, which was the case with what I found at Trader Joe’s.
Looking for More Sources of CLA?
In addition to dairy, you can find CLA in meat from grass-fed cows. If you can’t find grass-fed beef that’s rich in CLA in your neighborhood supermarket or farmer’s market, check out US Wellness Meats for their selection.
- Use discount code MARYNEST and my link to save 15% off regular-priced items on your US Wellness Meats order. You can shop for a variety of products, including:
This post is not sponsored. I’m a long-time customer of US Wellness Meats because I have always been impressed by the quality of their products. Check out my US Wellness Meats unboxing video to see the types of products you can get, including bones for beef bone broth!
How to Make Homemade Jam
I show you some jams (and affordable delicacies!) you can get at low prices at Trader Joe’s. It’s also easy to make your own homemade jam. (And what a wonderful traditional foods skill you’ll be learning in the process!)
Watch the following water bath canning videos to help you get started on the supplies and equipment you need, and then try making a low-sugar strawberry jam as your first recipe.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. Bring this list with you to Trader Joe’s or your local grocery store. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
More Grocery Hauls
Check out the following videos to see what types of real foods you can get from Sam’s Club and Costco for your traditional foods kitchen.
- Update: I recently published a video and accompanying blog post on the top 10 foods you need to buy now at Aldi.
Kitchen Academy Videos
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos, live streams, and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
In the following members-only video, I talk about how to deal with the rising grocery prices of real food. (Thank goodness we’re looking for bargains at our local Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and local grocery store!)
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos, live streams, and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Preorder The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This cookbook will be published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
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Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
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More Kitchen Supplies with Discount Codes
- Mockmill Grain Grinder (for making homemade flour)
Use my Mockmill affiliate link for a special one-time 5% discount on Mockmill Stone Grain Mill products, including the new Flake Lover's Flaker. (The Mockmill discount will appear when you checkout.)
Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Mockmill Grain Mill, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!
Recommended Reading
**Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, a medical professional, a dietician, or a nutritionist. All content found on the MarysNest.com website, including text, images, videos, eBooks or eGuides, social media, or other formats, were created solely for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or proper nutritional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have watched in a video or read on this website. Use caution when following the recipe in this video. The creator and publisher of this video and website will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of this recipe and method or any other recipe and method on this website or corresponding video channel.
