Buffalo doesn’t have a Trader Joe’s (yet!), but that doesn’t mean I can’t pine over the goods I plan on purchasing once we are back in the city this summer.

The following are some of the things I bought when I was in Ohio last month.  They were all new to me and most of them I’ve now decided I can’t live without!

1.  Roasted Coconut Chips.

Coconut chips are nothing super new – I’ve been picking them out of tropical trail mixes since I was a kid – but it was nice to see them get their own package.  These guys are perfectly sweet and crunchy.  Nutrition stats for 1 oz – 160 kcal, 1 g protein, 4 g fiber, 10 g saturated fat.

2.  Zesty Nacho Kale Chips.

I love the idea of kale chips but the ones I try to make up at home end up being tiny, burnt, kale carcinogens.  And the amazingly delicious ones sold at Wegman’s cost more than $7 a bag.  This 2-serving bag was less than $6 and the chips were the best I’ve ever had.  They seem to have roasted giant leaves without cutting them up first so the chips are big and chunky and delicious.  Nutrition stats for 1 oz – 150 kcal, 6 g protein, 3 g fiber, and 1 g saturated fat.  Plus 130% RDA for Vitamin A!

3.  10 Minute Bulgur.

This was our first time trying bulgur and we both loved it.  The taste and texture were exactly what I’m always hoping for from rice.  <– no, I can’t describe it any better than that; I love food and I love writing but there is a reason I’m not a food writer, people!

It really did cook in 10 minutes – it’s pre-cooked – making it a super easy grain for a quick dinner.  We paired it with black beans, tomatillo, sautéed spinach, and avocado.  A one 1/2 cup serving, which turns into a ton when cooked, has 280 kcal, 11 g protein, and 6 g fiber.

4.  Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk.

SCM, aka nectar of the gods, is nothing new, but the squeeze bottle system sure is nifty.  I love putting SCM in coffee (like a lazy Vietnamese coffee) and this way I can use 1-2 Tbsp in my cup occasionally without having to worry about storing the rest.  This was a nice blurb to see on the back of the bottle – “Trader Joe’s Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk is made from organic milk from cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics, and sweet organic cane sugar.”

Are you lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s in your town?  What are your favorite TJ’s goods?