- I tried all the wraps and sandwiches I could find at Trader Joe's in the prepared foods section.
- I thought the tuna salad wrap was slightly lacking in flavor.
- The turkey apple cheddar sandwich would be perfect for an office lunch.
Trader Joe's is known for its varied and affordable prepared foods section.
From soups and salads to sandwiches, the grocery chain offers many choices for a quick lunch on the go.
To see which wraps and sandwiches are worth the money, I tried nine different kinds from my local Trader Joe's in Brooklyn, New York.
Some, like the chain's tarragon chicken wrap and turkey apple cheddar sandwich, would be perfect for a cheap office lunch or beach picnic. Others, like the tuna wrap, were decent, but I wouldn't reach for them again.
Here's every Trader Joe's wrap and sandwich, ranked from worst to best.
My least favorite sandwich was the tuna salad wrap.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
It came in a wheat tortilla with tuna salad and lettuce.
The tuna salad was moist and packed with chopped tomatoes, but it tasted flavorless, underseasoned, and bland overall.
The wrap could have benefited from other vegetables, like celery or red onion, to add more of a crunch.
Next up was the Italian-style wrap.
It cost $4.99, excluding tax.
The wrap had uncured smoked ham, provolone cheese, genoa salami, and sopressata tucked into a wheat tortilla.
The wrap came with a creamy mustard spread, which I wasn't sure how to use. I ended up dipping the sandwich into the spread as I ate, which added a sharp spiciness to the sandwich.
The meat tasted fresh. However, other than the mustard sauce, it didn't pack much flavor.
I thought the creamy hummus and vegetable wrap was a good vegetarian option.
It cost $4.99, excluding tax. I thought this was a little pricey for a meatless wrap that didn't come with a dipping sauce.
The wrap was fresh and flavorful but not very filling.
The wrap was simple, and the hummus was just as creamy as described.
The chopped carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, and red cabbage gave it a Mediterranean flair and added flavor. Overall, however, I didn't feel completely satiated by this meatless option. I'd need a bit more than this wrap to fill me up at lunchtime.
The turkey club wrap was a tomato-flavored twist on a classic sandwich.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
The wrap was stuffed with turkey breast, spinach, turkey bacon, and tomato mayonnaise.
The turkey breast was moist and flavorful, and the turkey bacon added a slight smokiness. The spinach added a touch of freshness, and the tomato-flavored wrap added even more flavor to this take on a club sandwich.
However, I thought the wrap could have used a touch more mayonnaise, and the tomato flavor in the sauce didn't come through as much as I expected it to.
I also tried the turkey breast, spinach, and Swiss cheese wrap.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
The wrap was made with an herb and garlic tortilla.
The fresh flavor of the spinach and pungent Swiss cheese really came through, as did the honey Dijon mustard sauce. I thought the tortilla was also really flavorful.
However, other wraps from Trader Joe's delivered a more dynamic flavor profile. This wrap was undeniably tasty but just a little boring.
The grilled pesto chicken wrap landed in the middle of the pack.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
The wrap was made with pesto-seasoned grilled chicken, ricotta, feta cheese, zucchini, and sundried tomatoes.
This wrap was really moist and flavorful, and the nuttiness of the pesto, which came on the side, added a vibrant flavor that really impressed me.
The two different types of cheese also added a lot of moisture and flavor to the wrap. I liked the addition of the pesto sauce, which I drizzled over the top of the wrap as I was eating.
I'd definitely buy this again for an easy lunch on the go.
My third favorite sandwich was the Buffalo-style chicken wrap.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
This was the only Trader Joe's wrap I had tried before, so I already knew I liked it.
The wrap features chicken meat tossed in spicy Buffalo sauce, complete with diced celery in a tomato-flavored flour tortilla. It also includes a packet of blue cheese dressing.
I thought this wrap was super flavorful and had just the right amount of spice. I dipped the sandwich in the blue cheese dressing provided, which added a more savory flavor.
The wrap was moist without being soggy, and overall, it impressed me.
My second favorite was the only true sandwich in the lineup: Trader Joe's turkey apple cheddar sandwich.
It cost $4.99, excluding tax.
The sandwich is made with thick slices of turkey breast, sliced apples, cheddar cheese, arugula, and Dijon mayonnaise.
Unlike the wraps, this sandwich came served on a multigrain rustico roll.
I loved every part of this sandwich and thought it would make the perfect lunch for the office or a refreshing beachside snack in the summer.
The apple slices added a tart contrast to the savory turkey and Dijon mayonnaise, while the nutty, grainy bread tied all the flavors together.
It was also heartier and more filling than many of the wraps despite being less expensive in most cases. I thought that made this sandwich the best value by far.
The best wrap from Trader Joe's was the tarragon chicken salad wrap.
It cost $5.49, excluding tax.
The wrap was stuffed to the brim with thick chunks of chicken and romaine lettuce.
This wrap reminded me slightly of a chicken Caesar wrap but had even more flavor. The tarragon's fragrant flavor balanced out the fresh notes of the lettuce and mayonnaise, while the almonds added the ideal amount of nuttiness and crunchy texture.
It had a great depth of flavor and kept me full all day. However, it was also one of the highest-calorie wraps I tried, so keep that in mind if you're trying to cut back on your intake.
That said, based on flavor and size, I thought this wrap was great value for the money, and I'd definitely buy it again.
