Organic Coconut Sesame Seed Clusters ($2)

Coconut chips [2] are having a moment, and these Organic Coconut Sesame Seed Clusters [3] are some of the best I've tried. Six organic ingredients (dried coconut, coconut sugar, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, tapioca syrup, and Himalayan pink salt) combine to make little clusters that are equal parts crunchy, savory, and sweet. I'd eat these straight from the bag, but they'd also add fantastic texture to yogurt, vanilla ice cream, oatmeal, or an acai bowl [4].

Cauliflower Gnocchi ($3)

When I first heard about Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi [5], I was skeptical. Can the cauliflower trend [6] really invade one of the most precious Italian cuisines? The verdict: it's better than I'd anticipated.

The gnocchi, a product of Italy, is made with cauliflower, cassava flour (which is gluten-free but not necessarily low-carb), potato starch, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. When cooked properly on the stove — the crispy finish is key — it's actually reminiscent of classic, pillowy gnocchi. I kept it simple with butter and Parmesan cheese, but you could complete the meal with more vegetables and a heartier sauce.

Spud Crunchies ($2)

Did anyone else dip potato chips in ketchup as a kid and call it "fries"? No, just me? If I had Trader Joe's Spud Crunchies [7] at the time, my questionable snack would have been majorly upgraded. These potato snacks taste like french fries with as much crunchiness as a chip, and there are no fillers, either — they're just potatoes, canola oil, and salt. Thanks to the french-fry shape, these will save you a trip to the drive-through whenever the craving strikes.

Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce ($2)

You might remember Trader Joe's carrying a green curry simmer sauce for years, but the company admits it was due for an upgrade. This new and improved Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce [8] contains better ingredients and nixes the gums, soy, and wheat. This jarred sauce has a coconut-milk base, green curry paste with lemongrass and galangal, Thai lime peel, ginger, turmeric, basil, and more spices.

It's a solid option for a hearty dinner when you don't want to make a Thai sauce from scratch or pay for delivery, and all you have to do is sauté a protein and then simmer it with the sauce. One of my favorite ways to use it on weeknights is to cook diced chicken breasts or thighs in a skillet, add the Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce and spinach, and serve it over a bowl of brown rice.

Dark Chocolate Toasted Sesame Caramels ($3)

These are not your average caramel-stuffed chocolates. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Toasted Sesame Caramels have a bittersweet dark chocolate shell filled with caramel, sticky toffee, toasted sesame seeds, and biscuit pieces. Not cloyingly sweet like many chocolate truffles, these bite-size candies have a nutty and slightly savory flavor. If you love the way sesame rounds out sugary desserts, you won't be disappointed.

Whole Grain Norwegian Crispbread ($3)

Norwegian crisp bread, otherwise known as knekkebrod [9], is a Scandinavian staple. Vikings used to bake the flat, cracker-like bread on hot stones, but now that humanity has some more tricks up its sleeve, you can simply pick it up at Trader Joe's. The Whole Grain Norwegian Crispbread [10] won't be nearly as good as a homemade version, but it's definitely worth a try. Seedy and super crunchy, this gluten-free bread is great with cheese [11], hummus [12], and mashed avocado.

Zhoug Sauce ($3)

This is Trader Joe's take on zhoug [13], a popular Middle Eastern condiment that originated in Yemen. Almost like a spicy pesto or chimichurri, this is a fragrant green sauce made with cilantro, jalapeños, chile flakes, garlic, cardamom, sea salt, and cumin seed. The spice level is moderate, and it'd be absolutely delicious spooned over meat, fish, tacos, hummus, and falafel.

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie ($4)

Oh, you have a craving for a hot and gooey chocolate chip cookie? The next time you're surrounded by nine people who have the same craving, grab this Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie [14] that serves 10. You can bake it straight from the box for about 30 minutes, or pop it in the microwave if you don't want to bother with preheating. This monstrous frozen dessert is similar to a "pizookie" and would not be terrible with a big scoop of ice cream in the middle.

Chipotle Toscano Cheese ($10/pound)

Everyone knows that Trader Joe's kills it in the cheese department, so consider this yet another you need to try. You might already be familiar with TJ's Toscano Cheese soaked in Syrah [15], and this is the same cheese with a new coating: chipotle spices [16]. The flavorful rub has chipotle peppers, crushed chili peppers, paprika, garlic, oregano, basil, and "natural smoke flavor." It's not spicy at all, but each smoky bite kind of reminds us of cheese and pepperoni — so good!

Organic Italian Artisan Pasta ($3)

Trader Joe's new Organic Italian Artisan Pasta [17] selection is truly outstanding, which says a lot coming from a pasta critic (me). The pastas are made with "organic durum wheat semolina sourced from farms in the Puglia region of Italy" (um, OK!), and the quality really shows. The pasta cooks to a perfectly al dente texture and tosses well with any Italian sauce [18]. So far, the selection includes capunti (short and tubular), orecchiette ("little hats"), and gigli (or campanelle, which is bell shaped).

Mexican Style Corn & Quinoa Salad ($5)

If you turn to Trader Joe's premade salads [19] for lunch, you've likely exhausted all the options. Enter this new Mexican Style Corn & Quinoa Salad [20], which combines elote-inspired flavors with filling quinoa and brown rice. The colorful salad has tomatoes, kale, cabbage, fire-roasted corn, and a lime wedge, but the real star is the roasted poblano cilantro dressing.

Crunchy Cinnamon Squares Milk Chocolate Bar ($2)

You could pay $12 for a trendy chocolate bar, or you could get this $2 Crunchy Cinnamon Squares Milk Chocolate Bar [21] that tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. With tons of crunchy cinnamon square cereal bits folded into a rich milk-chocolate bar, it's an irresistible treat. This totally counts as breakfast, right?