I'm a Brit who has fallen in love with Trader Joe's. Here are 11 of my favorite things to buy at the US chain.

I love entertaining, but sometimes I don't have time to make food from scratch, so Trader Joe's is my go-to for quick and easy frozen appetizers.

Its pastry bites with feta and caramelized onions are my favorite. They take 10 minutes to bake in the oven and taste homemade.

I keep a few boxes in the freezer for emergencies.

My daughter is hooked on Trader Joe's maple-pecan clusters cereal. She'll have a bowl with milk for breakfast and usually another as an after-school snack.

The cereal contains clusters made of oats and pecans, cornflakes, and multigrain flakes.

I usually stock up on these when I see them since they don't last long in my house.

Trader Joe's crunchy fig-and-olive crisps are great for elevating a cheese plate, and I bring them out every time we entertain.

They contain dried mission figs from California, brined Kalamata olives, and flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds.

These tasty crackers pair well with Brie and goat cheese, too.

I regularly use garlic, but don't enjoy peeling and crushing it — it's fiddly and hard to get the smell off your hands.

So, I love the Dorot Gardens frozen, hassle-free garlic cubes because you simply pop them into the pan for instant flavor. A cube is equivalent to one clove of garlic.

I keep a couple of boxes in the freezer and use them in everything, from soups to stir-fries.

Trader Joe's organic crunchy seaweed sheets are one of my go-to savory lunchbox snacks, as my kids love them.

I've seen them come in several flavors, including original, sesame, and my kids' favorite, teriyaki.

I love making pancakes or waffles on the weekend, but between my kids' sports and other activities, mornings are often a rush.

So, I keep a box of Trader Joe's bite-sized silver-dollar pancakes in the freezer.

You heat them in the microwave for a minute, then add your favorite toppings, like maple syrup or banana slices and Nutella. They're so easy to prepare that my kids often do it themselves.

When my husband and I don't want to cook after work, the award-winning Mandarin-orange chicken is a quick and easy weeknight entrée. A bag is enough for my family of four.

We simply bake the battered chicken for 20 minutes, heat the orange-ginger sauce in a pan, then combine and serve.

It's easy to see why it's been voted Trader Joe's best product by shoppers for several years.

I'm usually not a fan of chocolaty desserts, but Trader Joe's gooey, chocolate lava cakes are irresistible. My kids love them with whipped cream.

I often stash these in the freezer to whip out for last-minute entertaining since they can be microwaved.

Trader Joe's organic rice is a real time-saver and a freezer staple.

Stick a precooked, frozen pack in the microwave for three minutes, and you'll have fluffy rice that's ready to eat.

It's the perfect accompaniment for the Mandarin-orange chicken — I usually use two pouches for the four of us.

It's way more expensive than a regular bag of rice, but the ease of preparing it makes it worth it.

Joe's Diner mac and cheese is always a hit with my kids. It's the ideal meal when we're in a rush after school and they need a quick, tasty dinner.

Creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, this pasta contains cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, and Havarti. I keep one or two boxes in the freezer to whip out in a hurry.

Having fresh flowers in my home always puts a smile on my face, so I usually add a bouquet to my shopping cart.

The store usually has a mix of everything, from classic roses to mixed bouquets of all sizes.

The lilies are my favorite — they're affordable, smell divine, and last a while.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

This story was originally published in July 2022 and most recently updated on March 31, 2026.