Trader Joe's Fans Are Divided On Its New Grilled Chicken And Rice Meal
Trader Joe's fans, how do you keep up with all of the latest products in-store? If you shop there even occasionally, you're probably well aware that products come and go, sometimes with dizzying speed, so it pays to stay in the loop. If you're old-school, you can subscribe to their Fearless Flyer, which is not only available via email but is still available in charmingly retro print form! If you're more of a visual learner, however, you may prefer to follow one of the many Instagram TJ's fan pages. Although not affiliated with the actual retailer, these accounts nevertheless make it their mission to post pics of all their Trader Joe's finds.
One of the latest shares from fan account @traderjoeslist highlights a product that couldn't be more innocuous: a Grilled Chicken Rice & Veggies meal (via Instagram). The veggies consist of kale, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and red onions. Sounds colorful, if not exactly the most exciting thing that's ever crossed your palate. The Instagram caption for the Grilled Chicken Rice & Veggies highlighted the product's convenience rather than its taste: "These meals are a quick and easy way to fill your stomach and move on to the next order of business!" Okay, stomach-filling, that's at least one of the things you'd want from your dinner. Still, it doesn't sound like this dish is something you'd want to linger over, even with a nice glass of Two-Buck Chuck.
Trader Joe's fans are split on this grilled chicken dish
Trader Joe's content is always popular, and this Instagram post drew a number of comments (via Instagram). One Instagram user who'd tasted the meal said: "It wasn't bad, not amazing. But definitely cool to have a hot meal from TJ's." Most users, who had yet to try the dish, commented, "sounds like a winner to me," "def getting this next time," and "ooo yeah I want this," and of course it wouldn't be an Instagram comment thread without at least one "I need this in my life."
Others responded with lukewarm endorsements like "Might be good" and "could be good for finals" (admittedly a time when taste takes a backseat to expedience). One commenter, however, did raise a concern regarding the product's nutritional profile with a succinct "sodium god." A look at the product label does show that a container's worth of this meal (which does count as a single serving, kudos to Trader Joe's for not pulling sneaky math tricks here) has 780 mg of sodium. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends not exceeding 2,300 mg of sodium per day, 780 mg isn't terrible, but it's probably best not to add salt or other high-sodium condiments no matter how badly this dish may need them.