This Is the #1 Favorite Pasta at Trader Joe’s, Says Manager

Walk into any Trader Joe's store and you'll find at least 20 different types of pasta lining the aisle. Out of all of these options, can you guess which pasta Trader Joe's shoppers love the most? Even the biggest TJs fans probably won't believe this frontrunner is gluten-free, vegan, and actually just a vegetable. Yes, you read that right—a vegetable!

Trader Joe's has a podcast, and on a recent episode, a category manager at one location said that one type of pasta has stolen the hearts of shoppers around the country. The number one seller in the pasta category is the Hearts of Palm Pasta over a majority of others made with semolina wheat flour, hosts Tara Miller and Matt Sloan reveal, according to StoreBrands.

According to Trader Joe's, Hearts of Palm Pasta only has one ingredient, and you can probably guess what it is. To make the pasta, the store's supplier in Ecuador only uses palms that are for heart harvesting. Through a sustainable process, the hearts are not cut down, which keeps the trees from becoming endangered. Harvested hearts are then cut into thin strands to become mild-flavored "pasta."

In addition to taking the #1 pasta prize, this was recently named one of the healthiest new Trader Joe's products. When asked about this pasta alternative, Eat This, Not That! Medical Expert Board Member Lisa Young, PhD, RDN said choosing it the next time you shop is a good idea, as "It's very low in calories and carbs, with just 20 calories per serving."

Unlike the TJ's Hearts of Palm pasta, most pasta and bread is made from semolina flour, which is made from durum wheat. Thick and packed with protein and gluten, durum is the hardest wheat—but there may be a shortage of it soon (which could mean it's a good time to stock up on the Hearts of Palm option!).

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