A long awaited blog post: My Allergy-Friendly Trader Joe’s Grocery Haul! One of the number one questions I get asked is how I shop at Trader Joe’s with food allergies. As a college student on a budget, I love Trader Joe’s for its affordable and healthy options. However, I often get questions on Trader Joe’s labeling practices and if their products are safe for allergies! Hopefully this guide will help provide some recommendations for safe products to try and give tips for label reading practices! To be included in this blog post, the product had to be free of at least 7 of the top 8 allergens, and all the products listed are safe for me (totally gluten-free and nut-free!) Keep reading for some tips to shopping at Trader Joe’s, as well as my top 12 favorite allergy-friendly products!
General Tips for Shopping at Trader Joe’s with Allergies
- Always check for warning labels. Warning labels can change on any product, not just those at Trader Joe’s. It’s always recommended that those with food allergies check the label before purchasing anything, even if it’s a product that you have had safely in the past. In my experience, Trader Joe’s is pretty consistent with their cross-contamination warnings. They will include may contain or made in facility warnings if an item has the potential to be cross-contaminated. I always double check that the warning label has not changed and personally will never eat a product if it has a warning label for nuts or gluten.
- Look for safe name brands. While Trader Joe’s mainly contracts with food companies to rebrand and produce their Trader Joe’s named products, they also carry several outside brands that are allergy-friendly. Most of these are listed down below, including my favorite cookies from Partake Foods! Trader Joe’s frequently carries new brands, so be on the look out for your favorite products on shelves! Outside brands generally have an allergen FAQ on their website, so if it’s a brand I haven’t heard about before that looks safe, I will pull their website up on my phone to double check!
- Trust your gut, and when in doubt, call to double check. I am usually a bit hesitant to try new foods, and I always air on the safe side when trying brand new Trader Joe’s items. I’m not confident if the product is safe for me, I always call the Trader Joe’s customer service line to inquire about potential cross-contamination. The number is (833)-771-0299. Call during business hours and make sure to have the product’s 8 digit bar code handy, so those assisting you can give you the right information about your product’s manufacturing facility. The customer service representatives will be able to check for the presence of any of your requested allergens on both the equipment and the facility.
My Top 12 Favorite Products
1. Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread
I am a huge fan of all the Trader Joe’s gluten-free bread/bagel variations, but the Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread is my favorite! It’s perfect on its own for breakfast and brunch and makes amazing french toast! The classic line of Trader Joe’s bread and bagels all contain eggs, but they are free of gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts!
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
2. Gluten-Free Egg Fettuccine Pasta
If you are looking for delicious fresh gluten-free pasta, the Gluten-Free Egg Fettuccine from Trader Joe’s is for you! You can find it in the refrigerated section with the pizza dough and dips/hummus. This fettuccine lasts in the fridge unopened for up to two weeks, and it makes a great easy dinner option! I love how soft the texture is and how easy and quick it is to cook for lunch or dinner. It does contain eggs, but it is free from all other top 8 allergens. Note, while not present on shared lines, I was told that there are peanuts and tree nuts (almonds) present elsewhere in the facility.
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Peanuts and Tree Nuts Present
3. Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips
These Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips from Trader Joe’s are one of my all-time favorite snacks! They are made from natural, minimal ingredients, and they are gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens. Pair them with guacamole or salsa for a healthy allergy-friendly snack!
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
4. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
If you are looking for a vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free pizza crust, this Cauliflower Pizza Crust from Trader Joe’s is for you! I am not a fan of the broccoli and kale pizza crust because it has a weird aftertaste, but I love the taste of this cauliflower crust. It is top 8 allergen free, but note that it does have a may contain warning for milk.
- Warning Labels: May contain milk
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
5. Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups
If you shop at Trader Joe’s consistently and haven’t yet tried their Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups, you are definitely missing out! They are vegan, nut-free, and free of the top 8 allergens. Trader Joe’s sells regular-sized cups (which I usually find in the checkout section), but I LOVE getting the mini cups! Find them on the shelf above the frozen food with the other chocolate treats and cookies.
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
6. Enjoy Life Foods Protein Bites
Enjoy Life Foods is one of the most famous allergy-friendly brands, and I’m so glad that they have products sold at Trader Joe’s. The protein bites are made from sunflower seed protein, and they are completely free of the top 14 allergens! Find them in both the sunflower butter flavor and the dark chocolate raspberry flavor in the protein bar section. If you want to order in bulk or try out some of their other flavors, you can find them here on Amazon!
- Facility: Free of the top 14 allergens
7. Partake Foods Cookies
If you’re on the hunt for delicious and healthy top 8 allergen free cookies, look no further than Partake Foods! Their cookies come in both crunchy and chewy varieties and in dozens of different flavors including soft-baked chocolate chip, ginger snap, and cookie butter, which is my personal favorite! Partake’s crunchy chocolate chip and birthday cake varieties were recently added to the ever-growing list of allergy-friendly brands now stocked at Trader Joe’s. Pick up a box on your next grocery trip!
- Facility: Free of the top 8 allergens + sesame, mustard, and sulfites
8. Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
I am a huge pasta fan, and one of my favorite gluten-free varieties is the Organic Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli Pasta from Trader Joe’s. The texture is perfect – it doesn’t get soggy and holds its shape so well when cooking. I used this pasta when I made the famous TikTok feta pasta, and it was incredible! Highly recommend if you’re looking for a go-to gluten-free pasta with minimal ingredients. It is top 8 allergen free and also corn-free.
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
9. Gluten-Free Toaster Waffles
Frozen toaster waffles are so nostalgic to me, but it can sometimes be hard finding ones that are safe for my allergies. I usually make them at home in my mini waffle iron, but when I don’t have time, I love pulling out a Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Toaster Waffle from the freezer. They make a great quick breakfast with sunflower seed butter and sliced bananas. These waffles contain soy, but they are free of the other top 8 allergens.
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
10. Soft & Juicy Mango
Dried fruit that is safe for nut allergies can be difficult to find, but Trader Joe’s Soft & Juicy Mango has no warning labels, and it’s delicious! I love eating it on its own as a snack or mixing it into homemade nut-free trail mix. Note: this is the only dried fruit I have personally tried from Trader Joe’s! Always check for warning labels and if needed, call customer service about potential shared lines with nuts.
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
11. Chomps Turkey & Beef Sticks
I am obsessed with the Chomps meat sticks! Chomps products all their products in a facility free of nuts, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, corn, legumes, and sesame. They are also a Spokin food allergy app verified brand! At Trader Joe’s, they sell the original turkey, original beef, and jalapeño beef flavors in the checkout section, but they have a variety of flavors available on their website! Their 8-flavor variety pack (which is my favorite!) is available on Amazon if you want to try more flavors!
- Facility: Free of peanut, tree nut, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, sesame, mustard, corn, and legumes.
12. Falafel Mix
This Falafel Mix from Trader Joe’s is so easy to use, and it’s super allergy-friendly! All you need to do is add water, mix it up, and then you can choose whether to bake or air fryer the falafel. The mix is gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, and top 8 allergen free plus it is also free of sesame!
- Warning Labels: None
- Customer Service: Called 9/2021
- Shared Lines: Nut-Free
- Facility: Nut-Free
Thanks for reading this post! If you’re looking for more Trader Joe’s recommendations, check out my Instagram page where I share weekly grocery hauls and recipe ideas with Trader Joe’s products! I also have a highlight with all the Trader Joe’s products that I update regularly! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM or message on any social media platform! Let me know in the comments which grocery store I should write about next!
