One of the things that I love the most about going to school in Charlotte is the plethora of grocery stores that are near my college. Popular Southern grocery chain Harris Teeter has the most locations in Charlotte, and while I do like Harris Teeter, it's nice to know that there are other options as well! One of my favorite places to shop at is Trader Joe's. We just got a Trader Joe's in Maine a few years ago, but it is about 45 minutes from my town, so my family didn't go that often. But of course the perk of city living is that grocery stores have more locations, so Trader Joe's isn't hard to find from my school! Besides for the good location, I love the low prices and the wonderful selection of unique food items, so as you can see there are many reasons that keep me coming back to Trader Joe's! I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite dorm-friendly food items that I can only find there. (All pictures from Google Images) Chocolatey Cats Cookies: Fact: I have a HUGE sweet tooth. Other fact: I am still picky about the types of sweets that I eat. I hate a lot of prepackaged treats because of the high levels of both fats and artificial sugars, not to mention all the preservatives!! That's why I prefer homemade treats. But since I lived in a dorm without a kitchen this year, baking is a hobby that's had to be put on hold. So I am always on the search for treat items at the store that aren't terribly bad for you. These adorable cat cookies are exactly that! They are very low in fat, and not super sweet. Just eating a small handful of them satisfies my sweet tooth, as opposed to eating a very large dessert item. And the container that they come in is pretty big, so it lasts me for quite awhile! And they're fairly cheap. Plus did I mention that the little cookies are in the shape of adorable cats?! :-) Vegetable Fried Rice: Other food related fact about me: I HATE most cereals. A lot of popular cereals are just so over-sweetened, if I'm going to eat that much sugar I'd rather have it be through a dessert, not my breakfast foods! I love things like pancakes and bacon, but again, living in a dorm makes these foods impossible for most school days. (And let me just say that when our cafeteria tries to make these things they're usually not that great!) So I am always on the hunt for easy to make breakfast foods that aren't super high in sugar. And I have become obsessed with this vegetable fried rice!! The seasonings in this are absolutely amazing. And it's so easy to make- I just pour some into my bowl and microwave it until it's nice and hot! I also love knowing that I'm eating some veggies at breakfast. :-) Trader Joe's also makes some delicious fried rices with meat in them, but I've found that those don't taste as good when cooked in the microwave. Reduced Guilt Pita Chips: These are the best pita chips that I've ever eaten! So crunchy, so delicious, and they have much less fat then other popular varieties of pita chips! And they're a good deal, only $1.99 a package! I always have to buy two packages though since I go through them so quickly. And I love to eat them with the next item on this list! Cilantro and Chive Yogurt Dip: If there's on thing you need to know about my food preferences, it's that I LOVE cilantro! It is my all-time favorite herb. I love the smell, the taste, everything about it! I also really like chip dips. But the problem is that most dips are extremely high in bad fats, and also overly salty! But this dip from Trader Joe's is literally perfect. It is filled with the delicious taste of cilantro (and chives!), and also the tangy taste of yogurt, which is the base of the dip. And since it's made from yogurt, it is much lower in fat and sodium then most other chip dips! And it goes perfectly with my favorite Trader Joe's pita chips... this combo is probably my favorite salty snack of late! 100% Natural Fruit Wraps: These are only $0.49 at my Trader Joe's, so a few bucks buys a bunch of these! These have the texture of fruit roll-ups, but the nutrition benefits of real fruit. These make a perfect study break snack and are easy for me to store in my room! So those are my favorite items from Trader Joe's! I'm also a fan of some of their flavored popcorns. And they have some amazing Indian and Asian frozen food specialties, but those things are better enjoyed when I am home and can be cooked on an actual stove or oven instead of just the microwave. ;-) Do you shop at Trader Joe's? What are your favorite things to get? xoxo Miss ALK