I don’t actually shop at Trader Joe's very much. A handful of times a year. I rather think of it as a special occasion place and party food place. Which is what works for me personally. I suppose this might be because they specialize in pre-prepared foods and things covered in chocolate. Not to mention the fun labels, signs, cheerful employees and often amazingly priced plants and flowers. And if you like cheap wine you know Joe’s can’t be beat at all. When they first opened in the Twin Cities it was continuously packed full of people. It does get very busy still and I don’t think they are hurting for business at all. It was however, not especially easy to shop for vegan things there. This has changed quite significantly, even in just the last couple of years. In both good and bad ways. There are, sadly, seemingly fewer chocolate vegan things, but the ones they do have are quite yummy.

More and more of the products are clearly labeled, but not everything. You can still check out some of the usual vegan suspects to see if they are made with no animal products – like the Maize cereal for example. Sometimes there are surprises. Like the easy to bake cinnamon rolls. Probably not a good idea for every day, but they sure do make a nice treat once in a while. I've heard that there are pumpkin rolls right now that are vegan for the Fall season.

If you are on Instagram there is a handy account here: Trader Joe's Vegan

Here are some photos of products you could easily find that are vegan at Trader Joe’s. A lot of these make good, quick lunch options.