As New Year’s resolutions get harder to follow, we turn our hopes to organic grocery stores to keep our motivation up with affordable, delicious and healthy foods.
Trader Joe’s can be a “happy place” for some people—at least for me. The quaint store opened back in 1967 has happy employees and prices which make me happy. Their organic produce is fresh and reasonably priced. However, if you expect prices to be like Walmart, you’re out of luck. Keep in mind, Trader Joe’s has organic inventory.
Trader Joe’s has a good variety of what they have in store, but they have a limited selection of produce. The store lacks fresh deli and seafood sections. Yet, I find myself pleased after leaving the store. Trader Joe’s teaches you to rethink buying junk food (because they really don’t have any) and to be more conscious of what you put in your body.
I went to Trader Joe’s on a Thursday at 6 p.m. The store was fairly crowded, but the lines moved quickly. I bought Trader Joe’s crunchy Cookie Butter (do not question this, try it now) for $3.69, multigrain pita chips for $1.99, 10oz of kale for $1.69 and a 2lb bag of apples for $2.99. All of these items added up to only $10.67, and most of these items can last up to two weeks for me.
Though Trader Joe’s has a limited selection of inventory, it is fresh and reasonably priced for organic foods located in a homey atmosphere. With over 488 locations I’d say they are doing very well, and, for a college kid, if you choose wisely what you want to eat for the week, Trader Joe’s can work on almost any budget.
I went to Sprouts Farmers Market on a Tuesday afternoon at around 4 p.m. Sprouts gave me more of a grocery store feel than Trader Joe’s. Its selection of produce was greater than Trader Joe’s, and it also had a fresh deli and seafood section.
Sprouts opened back in 2002, and it strives for clean produce with over 300 locations. The store has great sales and an assortment of granola and nuts.
Even with the sale items my final price of $36.64, which I thought was on the higher side since I didn’t buy everything on my list. The items I bought were avocado dressing for $3.00, two cucumbers for .59 cents (great deal), half a pint of blueberries for .98 cents (another great deal), red grapes for $4.45, spaghetti squash for $6.00 (a little pricey) and seven other items. The line for checkout was a little longer but not bad.
Sprouts Farmers Market has a bigger selection of items that could cover your entire list from food to toiletries. However,
Trader Joe’s takes the cake. The service and liveliness of the small store is captivating and gives you a great fresh environment to shop in.
Although Sprouts gives a clean and crisp vibe, I believe that, from a college student’s perspective, it is easier to get the food you need from Trader Joe’s while staying within your price range.
However, a final props goes to Sprouts for opening an hour earlier and staying open an hour later than Trader Joe’s.
For more information and locations on Sprouts and Trader Joe’s check out their websites.

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Aurianna Cordero

Trader Joe's is loacted on Perkins Rd. on Monday, Jan 20, 2020.