Student Guide to Trader Joe's Budget Picks

A retired Trader Joe’s employee has compiled a list of specific grocery items for college students on tight budgets. The guide targets shoppers with beginner to average cooking skills who want to move past basic survival meals.

The employee, who wrote the guide for the University of California, Riverside newspaper, emphasized that cost is the primary constraint for many local students. The recommendations focus on products that are cheap, shelf-stable, or frozen, and require minimal preparation time.

The first category of the guide is the frozen aisle. The employee identified teriyaki chicken as the most versatile item. They noted that the chicken tastes good even without the included sauce and pairs well with various sides. Recommended sides include Joe’s dinner mac and cheese, frozen jasmine rice, and frozen vegetables. The employee specifically cited frozen edamame as a favorite healthy option. For pasta, the guide suggests the alfredo or focaccia pink sauce varieties. The final frozen recommendation is chicken or pork soup dumplings, which take two minutes in the microwave and are served with crunchy chili onion oil.

The second section covers late-night sweet treats. The employee listed dark or milk chocolate pretzels as fan favorites. They warned that these items disappear quickly during long television sessions. The sour strawberry belt strips are seasonal, but the guide advises buying one or two if they are available. In the baked goods section, the brookies are described as a mixture of doughy and crispy textures. For a portable option, the mini chocolate chip cookie bags are recommended as a cheaper alternative to name-brand cookies.

Breakfast recommendations include vanilla almond granola for use over smoothies or Greek yogurt. The employee suggested multigrain crackers paired with cheese. They also listed frozen turkey sausage patties and hash brown slabs for making quick sandwiches. The employee named avocados as their personal favorite item, citing their consistency based on their experience unloading produce trucks.

The final item on the list is filler flowers. The employee suggested buying purple and magenta flowers to add color to a student’s week. They stated that if they were a scientist, they would claim the flowers improve mental health. The guide positions this purchase as a treat to take when leaving the store.