The much-anticipated Trader Joe's finally opened in Princeton, and I dragged A. there opening weekend to see what all the fuss was about. About an hour later, we staggered out, toting delicious sounding groceries we probably didn't need, grinning like idiots (me particularly), because it looks like I've finally found a way to move Wegman's out of my life completely (it's not that I hate Wegman's, really. Most of them are good, but not the one in Princeton. I've had too many frustrating experiences there.)
I think one of the best things about Trader Joe's is that it proves that healthy, organic food can actually be affordable. I know, I was shocked too. Organic whole wheat pasta for $1.29. Rolls of organic polenta for less than $3. Organic, fair trade coffee for $7.99 (about the same as the non-organic, non-fair-trade coffee elsewhere. And it's all good, too! So why is all this stuff so expensive everywhere else?
I try to eat healthy, like many people. I've been trying to work organic food into our diet as much as possible, but in a lot of cases, the price difference is just too high to justify the purchase. When you're looking at a $1 box of regular pasta and then a $4 box of organic, or whole wheat pasta (to get both in one is usually $5 a box, at least in the places I've checked out) well, it's hard to justify that week after week. It just adds up, and we're on a budget just like everyone else. So, we stick to the organic milk and free-range eggs and hope for the best. But now, hopefully, I can have my organic cake and eat it too. We now have some lovely organic wild blueberries in our freezer I'm hoping to work into some pancakes this morning, as well as the aforementioned pastas, a giant bag of large shrimp, and a package of highly addictive honey-coated plantain chips. Sooooo gooood! If I had to voice one complaint, it would be that the majority of their cereals (at least the ones with a decent amount of protein in them) are very high in sugar. At least it's not high-fructose corn syrup sugar (see, it doesn't have to be in everything!) but sugar nonetheless. I had to search high and low for one with more than 5 grams of protein and less than 12 grams of sugar. But the one I found was still cheaper than what I'd been buying elsewhere.
One more thing I like about this place: it's pleasant. It's not cavernous, the employees seem pretty chipper, and it plays homage to the area where it's located. The checkout aisles are all named after major roads in the Princeton area, and the mural on the walls depicts such Princetonite luminaries as Albert Einstein shopping there. Cutesy, yes, but I like to think that even Einstein would approve of Trader Joe's.
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