If you're aiming to detox in January, you might want to stay from all the new foods at Trader Joe's. From candy-coated popcorn to restaurant-style corn tortilla chips, there are some seriously snackable products you'll want to add to your shopping cart. The next time you make a trip to your nearest Trader Joe's, look for the following new items that you should pick up — or pass on — for a tasty start to the new year.
Pick Up: Wild Rice and Mushroom Sausage-Less Sausage ($3)
OK, is this nearly as delicious as real sausage? Of course not. But it's far better than many vegetarian sausages we've tried thanks to its hearty base of mushrooms. As the name suggests, the Wild Rice and Mushroom Sausage-Less Sausage [4] truly tastes like wild rice and mushrooms smooshed together into a sausage link that you can brown in a skillet and add to rice, pasta, or roasted veggies.
Pick Up: Boneless and Skinless Sardines in Water ($2)
You might have to be a sardine aficionado to enjoy Trader Joe's Boneless and Skinless Sardines [5], but if you are, you'll want to add them to your cart. Packed like sardines — literally — these tender pieces of fish would make for a good substitute in things like tuna salad.
Pick Up: Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips ($2)
There's something about tortilla chips from a restaurant that makes them so much better than store-bought chips. The flavor of Trader Joe's Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips [6] lives up to their name, and we can't get enough. The thick and salty tortilla chips taste truly homemade, and they have the perfect amount of lime seasoning that complements the gritty corn tortillas.
Pick Up: Rosencrunch & Guildenpop Popcorn ($3)
Fans of Hamlet will appreciate Trader Joe's Rosencrunch and Guildenpop [7], a gourmet popcorn whose name is a twist on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two characters from Shakespeare's play. It's a caramel-coated popcorn with almonds and pecans, so every bite is as crunchy as it is sweet. If your favorite part of the giant popcorn tins is the caramel section, this is a snack for you.
Pick Up: Soft Strawberry Licorice Twists ($2)
Move over, Twizzlers. Trader Joe's Soft Strawberry Licorice Twists [8] are the new red licorice you need in your life. You can taste the natural strawberry flavor in every bite of this soft, easy-to-chew gummy. "We source our licorice from a family owned company in New Zealand," the package claims, and clearly that source is a good one.
On the Fence: Soft Black Licorice Twists ($2)
While everyone is sure to love the Soft Strawberry Licorice Twists, you'd have to be a hardcore licorice fan to want to pick up the Soft Black Licorice Twists [9]. Really heavy on the anise flavor, these chewy bits of licorice are a love-it-or-hate-it purchase.