A Visit to Trader Joe’s
The quick answer: Supermarkets went astray when they chose profits over the health of their customers. Alternative stores, like TJ’s, offer better choices.
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Another Store Visit
It’s complicated, you know, to try and change one’s diet. Change is hard to do alone, and some may get a little grumpy if they’re lectured too much. Eric Hoffer, San Francisco’s longshoreman philosopher, now deceased, observed that when we’re free to choose, we choose to do what our friends are doing. It’s a form of gridlock: we pick friends that are like us, and then limit our choices to what they’re doing.
Still, in every social group, there are a few who act as catalysts, introducing some “new thing.” Unfortunately new things tend to be vices more than virtues, so there’s this downward spiral in societies. It’s bleak, except Eric Hoffer also noted this saving human trait: “Action is at bottom a swinging and flailing of the arms to regain one’s balance and keep afloat.”
That sounds like the food reformation: a flailing of arms—and tongues—as together we rediscover how to eat and be well.
Our society is at a tipping point. The rates of obesity and chronic disease are ever increasing. The treatment of these diseases grows increasingly complex and now costs more than the average person can afford. To complicate matters, Congress generously decreed that every person is entitled to this unaffordable care. So now the modern diet not only can destroy us, it can also bankrupt and destroy our nation. So when we speak of a food reformation, it’s about more than our family’s survival, it’s also about the survival of the world’s greatest democracy.
The way our family shops for food is changing. We still go to the supermarket, mainly because it’s closer and has a large variety, but we buy less. For the larger food quantities we go to Costco; we get other produce and bulk foods at Sprouts (used to be Henry’s) or a new store, Growers Direct; and the beautiful wife loves Trader Joes (TJ’s). In a new series of visits, we check out the stores that help us eat better, starting with TJ’s. But first, a little history.
The Rise and Fall of the Supermarket
Two generations ago, grocery stores were small and local. My grandfather borrowed $200 and started one in tiny Lincoln, CA, called “Heavy’s Cash & Carry.” Grandpa knew his customers personally; during the Depression he helped those worst off to survive. In the next generation the variety of processed foods grew without restraint and stores got bigger; we grandly called them supermarkets. What was once a small, local business became a large regional business. In all this growth, profits became more important than people, or their health.
The food corporations got big too, and their brands became valuable. Supermarket chains stopped caring what their customers ate and simply rented their shelf space out to the food corporations to better promote their brands. Brands were little more than a means to get more money for over-processed foods. Caveat emptor.
The 10 Best Things at Trader Joe’s
At TJ’s the brand game is kaput—most of the food has the TJ brand. So their food is cheaper but it tastes better than the stuff from the supermarkets. It’s a brilliant strategy: Sell cheaper food that tastes better. My main criticism of TJ’s is they're agnostic about nutrition. They sell lots of candy, cookies, and other processed foods, for example. I visited the local TJ’s to see what's healthy; here is my top ten:
Salad in a box: Right by the door as you walk in you find the prepared salads. I counted 12 different kinds, including shrimp & surimi, and grilled chicken salad with hard-boiled egg. The price seemed good, $3.49 for an 11 oz. serving.
Lunch: TJ’s offers a healthy alternative to fast food. Right by the salads they had sushi, $3.29; wraps, $3.49; and ready-to-heat pizzas, $3.49 for 10 oz. I’m not a big fan of prepared foods, but these were fresh with a short shelf life (meaning no preservatives), and offered good value.
Vegetables: TJ’s makes it easier to eat vegetables. As a rule, it’s best to buy foods as little processed as practical. But as I studied the produce section something stood out: 90% of the produce is packaged and a lot of it is minimally processed. This lets TJ pack a lot of variety into a limited shelf space—part of the TJ value advantage is the small size of the stores. Best products:
Mirepoix—I didn’t know what mirepoix (a traditional blend of three aromatic vegetables: carrots, onions, and celery) was until I started making soups. So I was amazed to learn you can buy pre-made mirepoix. We used it last week to make a chicken noodle soup from half a chicken carcass. $2.99 for 14.5 oz.
Root vegetable blend—this is a mix of cubed roots: rutabaga, turnips, and parsnips. I wasn’t sure if I had ever eaten these before but I knew they were healthy so got a package to use in a soup. $2.99 for 16 oz.
Julienne Sauté—a mix of onions, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, carrots, and oregano all washed, cut in strips, and ready to sauté or stir-fry. $2.49 for 9 oz.
French Baby Beets, peeled and steam-cooked, ready to eat cold or hot. This has more preparation—they’re cooked, but in France so how cool is that? I know beets are healthy but due to a childhood aversion I have a hard time eating them. I liked these because they aren’t pickled, the beautiful wife thought them a little tart, but they are French. (Good subject for a post: recipes that use beets.) $1.99 for 8 oz.
Nitrite/Nitrate-free lunchmeats: Supermarkets like a long shelf life but TJ’s sells some meats uncured (2-month shelf life). They also have uncured bacon (cooked).
Breakfast cereals: TJ’s doesn’t live by the more-fiber-than-sugar rule, but they did have two affordable breakfast cereals that qualified:
High Fiber Cereal (looks like All Bran), 9 gm. fiber and 5 gm. sugar per serving.
Shredded Bites (looks like Shredded Wheat, bite-size), 5 gm. fiber, no sugar.
Frozen sockeye salmon, at a good price, $10.99 per lb. I grabbed a package.
Bread, with more fiber than sugar, whole wheat ($2.99 for a 24 oz. loaf) and sprouted whole wheat ($3.44/loaf). I tried the sprouted wheat and it was good for store bread, but not as dense or flavorful as homemade.
Soup: TJ’s Creamy Tomato Soup is a winter favorite, lots of tomato taste though there is added sugar (10 gm. per serving). $2.29 for 32 oz.
Flowers. OK, it’s not actually food, but where else can you get a bunch of flowers for just $3.99 or $5.99? I grabbed a bouquet of blue lilies for the beautiful wife.
Summary
TJ’s is okay, I decided. They offer better value and taste than the supermarket and make it easier to eat right (if you have the discipline to walk by the candy, crackers, cookies and alcohol). And it’s a fun place, as much a party as a store. Can the supermarkets get their mojo back? I wonder. Ever hear of a supermarket banning Twinkies? Maybe they’ll change, time will tell, we need them on the side of the food reformation. Everyone, these days, pretends to care about the public health, but only a few walk the talk.
Please comment: What’s your favorite store? How has your shopping changed as you’ve turned to healthier foods? What are your secrets to smarter shopping?
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 1:54PM | by Skip Hellewell | 27 Comments | 2 References | Share Article | in grocery shopping | Email Article 
Reader Comments (27)
I try not to go to TJ's too often--there really are just too many snacks all over the place --chocolate covered this and that. However, I agree that the sauces and soups, tunas and salads, and things like that are very good and lower in price. We have a great store in Seattle called PCC--great in that it is nearly all very healthy food, no big brands, and it is a co-op. The downside is the PRICE--worse than Whole Foods!
I love TJ's for things like salsa, soups, packages grain mixes, etc. Oh, and I admit, their peppermint Joe-Joe's during the Christmas season! (oreos...) Anyway, I rarely go there because it's about 30 minutes away. I do, however, live right next to a Wegmans. It is HEAVEN! Really, it's the most amazing grocery store and I often go there just for fun! Wegmans is great because they offer a HUGE selection of everything, but they also have the ordinary store-brand stuff at a great price. Sure, you can get lost in the olive bar or the enormous cheese section, but for the most part it's a great price and great food.
By the way, I totally cracked up at the image I got in my head when you were talking about flailing arms - and tongues! ahhhhh!
While not a grocery store I am a fan of Bountiful Baskets food co-op. It's offered in several states and is a great value on fruits and veggies as well as bread. It tests my creativity and helps me menu plan.
I like to shop at ALDI grocery store. They have their own brand which is cheaper and generally healthier (i.e. less sodium, sugar, etc..) than name brand labels and often tastes better. You rent your cart (a quarter to unlock it, then you get it back when returned to the cart corral) bring your own bags and bag your groceries. Unfortunately they have not reached the Western US yet.
We have been ordering some of our staples- organic potatoes, free range soy/corn free eggs, butter, and grains from azure standard. They are wonderful! I shop at Trader Joe's for some things- as they are so much cheaper than at the big health food stores. I buy uncured lunch meat, hot dogs, and bacon there, not that we eat these more than once a week. They definitely have a lot of "healthier" junk food there, though. I try to stick to my grocery list when I am there. I go to Whole Foods, but only for the things I need last minute as they are just so expensive.
I am also a fan of Bountiful Baskets, we don't always participate in it, but when we do it is kind of exciting to not know what you will get.
We buy alot of our groceries at Costco. I like Harmon's too, but my budget does not. Plus I am always tempted by the agave sodas :)
When I do shop at a grocery store, most of what I buy is around the perimeter of the store, so, produce, dairy, and a little meat.
I like to shop at Winco because I love their bulk food section and I can find some grains there that I can't at other places.
There is also a store down the road from me called Bountiful Nutrition that I purchase grains, and our xylitol toothpaste, and a few other things, plus I love that they have people I can talk to about health issues with my family that I am taking care of naturally.
Oh, I miss Trader Joe's!! I live in a rural area so no access to fun stores like that. When we travel, I like to go there, as Costco or WinCo for stocking up.
I do participate in Bountiful Baskets, which has great produce and bread. Next year, we'll be ready to start with some square-foot gardening.
Thanks for another great post. I always enjoy catching up on reading the blog.
I love Sunflower Market. It is similar to Trader Joe's but about 1/3 of the store is produce. They have their own brand and they have lots of bulk foods. They also have double ad days every Wed where the sales from the previous week are still valid and the new ads also go into effect so you can get quite a bit of food for a decnt price.
My favorite, Real Foods Market, is a wonderful source for clean, nutrient-rich foods. They go beyond organic and seek foods that are chemical free. Their slow food chef makes delicious meals from scratch, with whole food ingredients, using traditional methods. The animals from their farm are raised on their natural diet and they live in their natural habitat. They insist on clean, hormone & antibiotic free, animal products. They are the only source in the area for clean, Raw Milk, raw cheese, farm fresh eggs and local grass fed beef. All their produce is organic, with much of it being from local sources. While Real Foods Market is a smaller store, it offers everything you really need - no "health food junk food" found in these stores! You should definitely check them out. They have stores in Orem, Heber and St. George.
I agree with Sue. I have never found another health food store with as much integrity as Real Foods Market. I truly believe they care about my health. I have recommended it to many of my friends and all have had similar experiences. I'd love to see a review of it here on your site!
I like to shop at ALDI, which I believe is owned by the same company as Trader Joe's. My family is very unwilling to switch to much healthier food choices but I do try to stay away from processed foods. And the prices allow me to build up my food storage without feeling a big pinch in our tiny food budget.
While I love living in northern Wisconsin, there is not a large variety of places to shop. So I pretty much have to make do with what the local stores sell.
Trader Joe's is a favorite as well. If only they had one in the area. We love Publix because it has a decent organic section and is conveniently located. To get to anything else is a 30 minute drive for us.
I agree that food should be nutritious and delicious, but I'm not sure about this statement:
"In all this growth, profits became more important than people, or their health. The food corporations got big too, and their brands became valuable. Supermarket chains stopped caring what their customers ate and simply rented their shelf space out to the food corporations to better promote their brands. Brands were little more than a means to get more money for over-processed foods. Caveat emptor."
Profits have always been the driving factor for running a business. This is not a new phenomenon. Most businesses follow demand, and when processed food sounded like the best idea ever to combat hunger (long shelf life, convenient, and inexpensive), suppliers met that demand, and it worked. Hunger is now almost non-existent in the United States. However, we have a major problem with obesity and general bad health because of the proliferation of convenience food and lack of understanding of the laws of good health, cooking, and eating.
I believe there are absolutely evil, designing, and conspiring men (D&C 89:4) involved in food and in business, and we must be wary of them. And it would be really nice if supermarkets only carried fresh, minimally processed or unprocessed food. But to put the whole blame on businesses for providing customers with what they want to buy seems to miss the mark.
Ashley, ever worked in a food corporation? I have, a very good one, Procter & Gamble. These were good people, the best and the brightest, but the health of the customer just wasn't in the corporate calculus. P&G's products were actually quite unhealthy, but we didn't know it—the study of product nutrition wasn't a priority. Growing sales and profits, partly by reducing costs, was everything. Maybe it's inevitable, when you get really big you don't actually know your customers, so other considerations become more important. Think of the biggest food corporation you know that actually cares for the health of their customers--bet they are not in the top 20 largest corporations.
Wait a minute, I have a niece named Ashley Miller. Is it you Ashley? So nice of you to read the blog. Thanks for writing, Skip
Sue and Amie, I agree, Real Foods Markets has healthy, pasture-fed milk, dairy, meat, and eggs. I've only seen the Heber store but I was impressed with the manager and the store. I'll try and write more in a future post. Best to you.
As much as I'd love an entire store full of unprocessed, healthy foods, I think TJs is a great option. Even the elitest Whole Foods has a good deal of processed stuff. We buy the pesto sauce regularly and love it! My son licks the spoon after I stir it into pasta!
I have to add mine to the voices praising Real Foods Market. It is simply the best place to shop for high-quality, minimally processed, nutrient-dense food. I'm confident that the products they carry, including health and beauty items, are the best available. I especially love their house-brand raw milk, raw cheese, and raw honey. The products at RFM are pricier than those you'd find at a typical grocery store, to be sure, but I feel the quality easily makes up for the price difference.
No, not your niece, unless I have an uncle I don't know about. :)
I didn't mean that all people involved with food were evil and conspiring (though upon reading my post again, I realize that's what it sounded like); I simply meant that these guys exist and we should be careful.
I'm also glad that there are people out there like you who take the time to do the field work at the grocery store. I've made my family's meals a lot healthier since stumbling upon your excellent blog. Keep up the great work!
I just dropped a load of cash at TJ's yesterday, however, I do have some issues with their products. Firstly, if you believe in recycling, then one of the first things you should consider is just NOT buying all the paper/ plastic packaging to begin with. Traders Joes is a packers paradise, with shelves lined with paper boxes, no ability to buy bulk with a reusable bag, and most of the produce is wrapped in plastic and styrofoam. I feel strongly that this is NOT the way to buy your vegetables. You'll also note that most of what they carry is not locally made and thus has been shipped from far away (France! Chile!) - none of this shipping is good for our environment, nor supportive of local farming. I also recognize that you can buy fast microwaveable "gourmet" meals which are better than most fast food, but it will never come close to cooking from sratch - more packaging to be thrown-out, more long ingredient lists with unrecognizable names, more sugar, more salt, more loss of health, etc..
Anyhow - I do think their prices are fair, and buy my cheese, wine, condiments, and "easy" gourmet goodies there. I guess I am an uneasy hypocrite?
Sarah, you make good points. My take, standing in the produce section, was that TJ's made eating vegetables more manageable for the busy housewife, especially for the small family or single person. Maybe not perfect, but certainly it's progress.
After nearly a year of this blog, my takeaway lesson is that eating the recommended vegetable servings is the hardest change. Eating more fruits and nuts is easy, even eating less sugar, lots less, was doable. Vegetables are a challenge. Best to you.