6 Trader Joe's Products You Can Skip, According to Trader Joe's Shoppers

Yes, that’s what they could live without. Like a product that is so bad they would never get it again. Even going as far as taking advantage of Trader Joe’s pretty favorable return policy and getting their money back for. That’s some serious disdain.

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Their loss is our gain though. A ton of Redditors gathered in a thread recently to share the TJ’s products they would never get again. Seriously, there are over 3,000 comments here! Sure, a lot of commenters took the opportunity to take shots at the stores’ notoriously terrible parking, but others helpfully sounded off about products that just don’t make the grade. Here are some Trader Joe’s products you can skip, according to Trader Joe’s shoppers.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

It feels like a betrayal to Trader Joe’s to even write this one down. Trader Joe’s Mandarin orange chicken is one of the store’s staples. It’s turned a lot of people sour in recent years, though. A lot of people agreed that the quality’s gone down. The meat’s tougher and there’s less of it, being replaced by more breading. There’s better orange chicken at other grocery stores.

Trader Joe’s Produce

Okay, this is a catch-all, but it’s deserved! If there’s one thing that shoppers of Trader Joe’s will frequently pass over, it’s the produce. A common complaint is that their fruits and veggies spoil too quickly. You’re better off getting the wacky and unique products at Trader Joe’s and then doing your produce shopping at a store like Whole Foods.

Organic Ranch Dressing

This is the shelf-stable ranch, not to be confused with the buttermilk ranch in the dairy aisle, which we absolutely love. The shelf-stable ranch on the other hand is down-right disgusting, according to shoppers. I couldn’t find a single defender on Reddit, so it easily makes this list.

Mac and Cheese Bites

I’m a personal victim of this one. Trader Joe’s mac and cheese bites look so tantalizing, especially to a Midwest boy like myself. Unfortunately, they’re just bland sacks of fried noodles that truly feel like such a waste to even keep eating. We actually included them in our ranking of the best mac and cheese bites, but mostly because a lot of frozen mac and cheese bites are pretty awful.

Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles

People had a lot to say about Trader Joe’s ramen in general. The one type that people seem to like the least is the squiggly knife cut style noodles. Honestly, these get the axe from me based on the wordy name alone! Redditors said they’re gummy and a pain to get down. No thanks!