Issue 10 — Grocery Store Musings: Trader Joe's

My take on the grocery giant, from thorny ethics to good nuts. Plus, better ways to shop outside of big-box stores.

Trader Joe’s is polarizing. You’re either smiling just thinking about the tropical shirts and new product releases, or you avoid it altogether. The initial stance I planned to write this from was diluted after pulling back the curtain and connecting with friends that have pitched their own products to the grocery giant. This hasn’t morphed into a call to action for boycotting, but rather a space for information circulation. As much as I focus on halting support for brands with questionable business practices (like ditching policies that deeply matter), I’m not a perfect consumer. I do my best to make informed financial decisions and support businesses with ethics I believe in, but I still shop at places like Whole Foods (aka Amazon). At the end of the day, if you’re doing your best to stay informed and support businesses with good ethics (especially small and local ones) then you’re doing great. Keep scrolling for some tips on better ways to grocery shop outside of these big-box stores, too.

Nearly all products sold at Trader Joe’s — almost 90% of their inventory — are what’s called ‘private label’ meaning produced by another company, put into Trader Joe’s branded packaging, and usually sold for less. This is a double-edged sword for smaller brands: winning their business can help meet volume requirements and improve margins. It can also act as a catalyst for making healthy food more accessible, one of the biggest challenges of America’s food system. However, they pressure private label products to be priced so low that baby brands can’t always meet wholesale requirements, especially without sacrificing product integrity. And multiple small biz founders have come forward to expose Trader Joe’s aggressive copycat culture, stating that their product has been blatantly ripped off by the chain after pitching and being ghosted, which doesn’t only bruise sales but can close the shutters entirely. In a Taste interview, the founder of Fly By Jing said “Trader Joe’s is like the food version of Zara or Shein. The way that these big houses keep up with so much innovation so quickly is by copying independent designers.” Separately, Fast Company recently wrote an exposé on Trader Joe’s claiming that it somehow remains a beloved brand despite record product recalls, safety violations, worker misconduct complaints, and an environmental record that belies its reputation.

I recognize how much of a privilege it is to be able to be choosy with how I grocery shop — compared to other big chains, Trader Joe’s is one of the cheapest options for pantry staples. They’re not making a big commitment to sustainability with their sourcing or packaging, but they’re also not under fire for ditching DEI policies and other concerns that places like Whole Foods have been. Does this only make murky waters murkier?

Products I’d Buy

I shop at Trader Joe’s occasionally. I avoid buying their raw proteins, given they aren’t organic/grass-fed and most are farm-raised and of extremely low quality to meet pricing standards. I know too much about the thorny ethics of meat and seafood supply chains from years spent working a little too closely with them. What I will buy:

— Kiefer: This is private label Lifeway, sold for much less. And I drink loads and loads and loads of this stuff.

— Nuts: Good nuts for a great price. I’m really into the salty Marcona almonds. They’re always in my bag for road snacks.

— Unsweetened, unsulfured mango: Preservatives and sugar are often added to dried fruits to keep the color bright and make them last longer. I tend to avoid extra additives when possible, and prefer the natural leathery texture of puuuuure dried mango anyway.

— Daily Facial Sunscreen: I’ve heard A LOT of buzz that this $9 sunscreen is actually Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen that retails for much more. Can’t confirm for sure, but many friends swear by this.

— Organic frozen fruit: Smoothie town USA! I swap fresh raspberries for frozen when out of season, and they’re less than half the price. A wildly good recipe for a tart raspberry jam of sorts: add 1 bag frozen razz to a small pot and cook on med-low heat for 10 mins, or until jammy. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and maybe a spoonful of chia seeds. Keep it in the fridge. Dollop on top of ricotta toast, yogurt, oats, ice cream etc.

— Norwegian seeds & grains crispbread: High fiber, high protein crackers that I top with labneh and smoked salmon/tinned fish for snacks. Also love the Norwegian Sourdough Rye Chips which are essentially the rye crisps in Gardetto’s, but cleaner label.

— Cheeses: Like the Unexpected Cheddar, which I swear is Kerrygold. And the Greek feta in brine, which is a great brand that sells for double at most other stores.

— Milk chocolate honeycomb: I grew up in perma salivation mode for Kilwin’s chocolate seafoam/sponge candy and was stoked to see this. Unfortunately, additional research has uncovered that Trader Joe’s chocolate is known for ranking toward the bottom of the list when it came to Fair Trade practices. The hunt for seafoam continues!

Better Ways To Grocery Shop

The current grocery supply chain is costly, inefficient, and wasteful. Farm To People says that by the time we get our produce, 1500 miles and 12 days after it’s been picked, it has lost 50% of its nutrition and been sprayed with pesticides and/or injected with chemical additives. 67% of Americans don’t trust the safety of the food they eat. Our health is the trade-off in big ag’s harmful farming practices which focus on fast profit, not sustainability.

There are a lot of better ways to grocery shop more sustainably, affordably and with a health focus, but they require some research based on your location. A few ideas for where to start:

— Local Food Co-ops/CSAs and Farmer’s Markets: the National Sustain Agriculture Coalition created this resource to find local food, state by state. Buying food (not just produce but also meat/dairy) from as close to where you live as possible is not only more nutritious and better for our bodies that were built to be eating with the seasons, but it removes the extra step of distribution where a broker needs their cut of the end price.

— Bulk buying! Olive oil, oats, flours, grains, dried beans etc. Buying in bulk not only brings cost down, but it saves on extra packaging too. Find your closest co-op with a bulk section, or order online directly from suppliers.

— Misfits Market is dedicated to making affordable, high-quality food more accessible while helping break the cycle of food waste. They work directly with farmers and makers to rescue organic produce and other grocery items that might otherwise go to waste, then deliver them to your door.

— Farm To People Farm to People’s mission is to make great food conveniently available to everyone in NYC. Their seasonal produce boxes rock. They also have incredible dairy, meat and dried goods. Use code SHANNAC64 for $25 off your first box.

Side of Fries

— My mom recently gifted me her set of original angel cards that are 45 years old (!!) and traveled with her from Boulder to Bemidji to Bellaire. Each morning I’ve been drawing 1-2 cards, all a single word.

— This video on what happens to iconic NYC signs when stores shut down gave me goosebumps. More of this!

— I’m dancing to this song at minimum 10 times a day. So I pulled together this collection of similar dance sounds heard while moving my body at Tadpole and from friends with sublime taste.

— My 12 week journey with the Artist’s Way is in motion, which seems to be having quite the resurgence. Have you done it? Are you inspired to start? Let’s chat about it!

— Pulling together a future issue about how to thrift/hunt online for cool little pieces, like this brass sun hook someone should swipe for towels or keys. If the spirit moves, fill out this quick questionnaire so I know what you want to read more of:

With lots of love.