10 Best Grab & Go Foods at Trader Joe's Right Now
It's no secret that Trader Joe's regularly garners praise for its frozen food selection. From the Mandarin Orange Chicken to the viral frozen kimbap, the grocery chain's frozen meals have gotten plenty of love from shoppers. However, life gets busy, and sometimes, even a microwaveable meal isn't quick enough. That's when Trader Joe's grab-and-go options become particularly enticing.
Venture over to the refrigerated foods section, and you'll spot a variety of sandwiches, salads, and other ready-to-eat products. That's right. These are ready-to-eat—as opposed to ready-to-heat. So, all you need to do is open the package and enjoy—no preparation required.
Fast, convenient, and cheap, these grab-and-go offerings can be a lifesaver for busy shoppers. While these items might not have the same cult following as the Cauliflower Gnocchi or Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings, they deserve just as much recognition.
As you prepare for your next trip to TJ's, there are several quick options you'll want to consider adding to your shopping list. Here are the best fresh, grab-and-go foods you'll find at Trader Joe's right now.
Classic Greek Salad
For something simple yet classic, Trader Joe's offers a packaged Greek salad. This is complete with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, cucumbers, red bell peppers, red onion, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. For the final touch, there's a packet of red wine vinaigrette. Among the many fans of this salad, some shoppers have highlighted their favorite ingredients within it.
"That vinaigrette in the Greek salad is soooooo good. I wish they sold it separately. I'd buy so much more produce to make my own salads lol," one fan wrote.
"I also think the feta in that salad is better than the feta you can buy separately," another one added.
Green Goddess Salad
Calories: 130
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 8 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 4 g
Swing by Trader Joe's, and you'll encounter Green Goddess Salad Dressing, Green Goddess Seasoning Blend, and the prepared Green Goddess Salad. Priced at $5.99, this ready-to-eat salad features a selection of veggies, including romaine lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, and carrots. It's then topped with blackened chicken thigh meat and crispy puffed red rice. Each salad also includes a packet of Green Goddess Ranch Dressing, which is made with buttermilk, champagne vinegar, lemon, and herbs. Sounds like the perfect grab-and-go lunch if you ask us.
Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon
Calories: 130
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 6 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 5 g
If you're craving salmon, this Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon should pique your interest. It includes a combination of romaine, frisée, and baby spinach, along with red cabbage, carrots, diced cucumbers, sliced onions, and seasoned grilled salmon. To bring the $6.99 meal together, the package also includes a small bag of crispy onions and a packet of sesame miso dressing. Since launching during the fall of 2023, this item has garnered many positive reviews from shoppers.
"This [salad] has a great balance. Probably appeals more to those who enjoy lighter fare. I would totally get it again," one Redditor wrote.
Another fan expressed their desire for the dressing to be sold separately in large bottles, calling it "perfectly umami and balanced" without being too sweet or acidic.
Field Fresh Chopped Salad
Another salad with a noteworthy dressing is the Field Fresh Chopped Salad. It contains a mix of Israeli couscous, currants, parmesan cheese, grilled white chicken, and a sweet basil dressing.
One fan, who called this their "all-time favorite prepared salad," wrote, "I wish they'd bottle that dressing." Echoing a similar sentiment, another customer added, "I have searched high and low to recreate the dressing and haven't found the perfect one. I need them to just bottle it at this point!"
Chicken Wrap with Pesto Vinaigrette
TJ's fan-fave wrap—which boasts grilled chicken, ricotta, and sun-dried tomatoes—pairs perfectly with the indulgent pesto sauce.
Once again, the sauce makes the meal. Some fans love this vinaigrette so much, they've inquired about buying it separately. "Seriously, this stuff might be the best thing I've ever tasted. I want to drink bottles of it and pour it on everything!" one customer wrote on Reddit.
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Calling all lemon fans! This Trader Joe's grab-and-go pasta salad includes a mix of bowtie pasta, spinach, zucchini, peas, parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge.
"That is so fresh-tasting," one TikToker user noted in a product review. "Love that! I get it all the time!" a fan replied in the comments section. Others called it their "favorite."
Spicy Lentil Wrap
Shoppers have applauded this vegan grab-and-go wrap, which is packed with a whopping 14 grams of protein. Each handheld sandwich consists of a lavash wrap filled with lentil and bulgar wheat, shredded cabbage, red pepper paste, and a spicy tahini sauce.
"Spicy Lentil Wrap absolutely slaps," one Reddit user wrote. "Somehow I only tried [the Spicy Lentil Wrap] for the first time 2 weeks ago (and I'm a pretty reg shopper since TJ's hit my city) and hoooolllyyyyy shhheeeeeiiiiittttt it is GOOD and SATISFYING," another fan replied.
Crunchy Slaw Salad
If you have a hankering for a peanut dressing-forward favorite, the Crunchy Slaw Salad could be just what you need. It's packed with grilled white meat chicken, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, crispy noodles, and yep, a peanut dressing. "The Crunchy Slaw Salad [is] my favorite salad from Trader Joe's," one Reddit user wrote. "I add a little Sriracha to give it a kick."
Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad
With this Trader Joe's grab-and-go salad, you'll get Moroccan-inspired couscous, red quinoa, parsley, mint, and sweet currants—with that to die for lemon chicken and arugula. Oh, and the spicy red pepper dressing? You'll want to swim in it (with your mouth open).
"That particular arugula salad is just about my favorite thing from TJ's, period," one shopper wrote. "I don't normally like dressings that are on the sweet side like that one, but everything goes together so well in that salad, it's just delicious."
Turkey Apple Cheddar Sandwich
The Turkey, Apple, Cheddar Sandwich is piled with just that: turkey breast, sliced apples, aged cheddar, and baby arugula, plus dijon mayo on a multigrain rustico roll.
"That turkey apple cheddar sandwich has been my go-to when I'm suddenly ravenous, so good!" one fan shared on Reddit.
How good, exactly? Well, for at least one shopper, the sandwich is good enough to make them forget they are vegetarian. No, seriously. "I'm a vegetarian, but I cheat with that sandwich," one TJ's wrote. If that's not a testament, we don't know what is.
This story has been updated to include additional entries, updated information, copyedits, and fact-checking.
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