Trader Joe’s Best Summer Products

I’m a firm believer that there’s no wrong time of year to shop at Trader Joe’s. (Well, except for when word gets out that the $10 peony bouquets are back for spring. That always creates a bit of a traffic jam—justifiably!) 

Still, if I was forced to choose my favorite season to shop at Trader Joe’s, it would be summer. The grocery chain slays at slaws, salads and other grab-and-go picnic fixings, and also offers plenty of snacks and desserts that allow me to keep my oven off. Although I’ve been a food, health and travel writer for more than 15 years, I’ll readily admit that I reach for ready-made meals and snacks once in a while. Hey, if store-bought is fine for Ina, it’s A-OK with me every now and again, too!

In the past decade, Trader Joe’s has been really stepping up their drink game, too, so I’ve become fond of stocking up on hydration-boosting beverages and happy-hour helpers. 

After tasting, sipping and scanning nutrition labels and ingredient lists of the latest and greatest, as well as the perennial favorites, I’ve created a shortlist of my favorite summer Trader Joe’s products. If you happen to have plans to visit TJ’s before pumpkin spice season commences, I highly recommend adding these refreshingly easy items to your cart.

1. Spindrift Island Punch Sparkling Water 

On steamy summer days, my body does a pretty good job of reminding me to stay hydrated. Still, I tend to lose motivation throughout the course of the day to sip plain ol’ H2O. Enter my favorite hydration hack: naturally flavored sparkling water. Spiked with fruit juice and very low in sugar and calories, Spindrift has become a mainstay in my refrigerator. I’ve tasted my way through all the core flavors, and so far, pineapple is my main squeeze. Whenever new flavors drop, I hustle to give them a try to see if they can dethrone my favorite. With guava purée, passion fruit juice and orange juice in the mix, Spindrift’s Island Punch is a close runner-up—and is awesome served over ice or as the star of a cocktail or spirit-free mixed drink.

2. Aperito Spritz

I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so I tend to stick with low-ABV wines rather than high-octane cocktails. But there is one category of mixed drinks I can hang with hangover-free: spritzes. Featuring sparkling wine, sparkling water and a liqueur (such as Aperol, Campari, St. Germain, Lillet or limoncello), spritzes aren’t difficult to DIY. But you know what’s even easier? Cracking open a bottle of a ready-to-drink spritz, pouring it over ice and adding a citrus wedge garnish. The Aperito Spritz is a bittersweet, bright and citrusy drink that’s designed to be an Aperol Spritz copycat, and one sip was enough to convince me that the product developers came pretty darn close. 

3. Icelandic Style Skyr Lowfat Cherry Yogurt 

Come fall, winter and spring, I’m happy to start my day over the stove, scrambling a couple eggs with a scoop of cottage cheese and some diced vegetables. In summer, though, the al fresco temperatures make that feel much less appealing, so I shift my morning menu to overnight oats or yogurt parfaits with nuts and fruit. This thick and creamy cherry purée–infused Icelandic yogurt is my new favorite way to add extra flavor to those parfaits. Spooned between layers of berries and pistachios or pecans, it’s a cool, sweet and energy-sustaining way to start the day. By the way, if you’re new to the world of Icelandic yogurt (aka skyr), it offers a similar amount of protein and the same gut health benefits as Greek yogurt (hat tip to you, probiotics!) with more thickness and a little less sourness than its Mediterranean counterpart. You’ll find it in the dairy case right next to the other yogurts.

4. Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

When I get behind on meal prep, I shred some leftover or rotisserie chicken and add it to Trader Joe’s citrusy, herb-accented Lemon Basil Pasta Salad. (In my store, this is located in the prepared foods refrigerator section, adjacent to the cheese.) With 7 grams of protein, 3 g of fiber and a reasonable 240 milligrams of sodium per serving, this pasta salad is a delicious way to sneak in extra veggies. In addition to the bowtie noodles, basil-lemon vinaigrette, Asiago cheese and lemon, the Trader Joe’s team member–designed dish showcases blanched peas, zucchini and spinach.

5. Roasted Tomato Labneh Dip 

Step aside, hummus…at least for this season. My dip devotion during summer goes to this new strained yogurt dip. Topped with garlicky roasted tomatoes and seasoned with dill and parsley, this creamy, tangy refrigerator-section star smells and tastes a bit like pizza, minus the crust. Since that’s the case, I’ve been known to use it as “sauce” for homemade pizzas, scoop it up with crudités and swirl spoonfuls into gazpacho. Next up, I look forward to using this 45-calories-per-2-tablespoon-serving dip as a bed for roasted vegetables and as a spread on burger buns and sandwich bread.

6. Jicama Sticks

Carrots, celery, bell pepper wedges, cucumbers and broccoli often get top billing in the cast of crudités. For a crisp, hydrating (they’re almost 90% water) and unexpected addition, save room for these pre-cut jicama sticks. Mild in flavor and ultra-crunchy in consistency, jicama sticks are sturdy enough to hold up when swiped through labneh, spinach-artichoke dip and even seven-layer dip. When I happen to have extra that I need to use up, I dice the jicama to toss into salads and ceviche.

7. Strawberry Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones

Despite the fact that I’ve been on a Ninja Creami kick and adore supporting my local ice cream parlors, I’m not too proud to admit that a box of Hold the Cone! treats fills a permanent slot of real estate in my freezer year-round. Now that it’s summer, I stroll right past the standard chocolate, vanilla and chocolate chip varieties and snag these chocolate-covered-strawberry-like goodies instead. Like the other flavors, the insides of the mini cones—as well as the itty-bitty scoops of ice cream—are coated in chocolate. The strawberry cones deliver a double dose of summer flavor, since the strawberry ice cream is swirled with strawberry purée. Each baby cone has about 90 calories and 6 g of added sugar, making them perfect for an anytime treat.

The Bottom Line

Trader Joe’s refreshes its product offerings often to entice new customers and allow superfans to mix up their menus. This year, Trader Joe’s best summer products range from sparkling water and fizzy spritz cocktails to unique veggie sticks and herb-rich pasta salad. Consider investing in these store-bought staples to make hosting and feeding yourself no-sweat, even when the temperatures are toasty.