Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Collection

Everybody needs a little roughage in their life to y'know clean out them pipes. Have you ever been without vegetables for an extended period of time? I'm just trying to spare you that pain and suffering and offer a review that is gluten free, Whole30 approved, New Years resolution diet friendly, etc. 




This here was first introduced to us last year by a friend who was going out of town and gave us her leftover produce before it went bad. And wow, I'm so glad she did because I probably would not have picked this up. Now, we keep it on regular rotation. Who knew A would eat and enjoy kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage in the same sitting. 


In an ideal world, I would buy all my produce and wash, dry, and chop it all myself. And I imagine one day I will, because frankly you pay for convenience with bagged salad greens. $2.29 here isn't terrible, but it's probably not the best deal if you have more than a couple mouths to feed. If I'm going to buy salad greens, I like to buy greens that are versatile and can stand up to cooking. The worst thing is to buy salad greens, neglect them, and have them rot in your fridge because they are only palatable raw.  

As for this mix, I was rather surprised how much A and I both liked it. Raw cabbage and brussels sprouts don't strike me as particularly appealing, but they work together in this mix. This mix provides a nice texture that is normally lacking in bagged greens, which can be wimpy at times. It's crunchy and rough and requires a lot of mastication. Homegirl here likes to conquer her food. :P 


If I do eat this raw, I dress it. Some people can eat naked raw kale and brussels sprouts. If that's you, more power to you. Here I've tossed it in a simple vinaigrette (lemon, dijon mustard, olive oil, sugar/honey, and a splash of soy sauce. Salt and pepper to taste). Takes literally a few minutes, and since these veg are heftier, they can marinate longer in the dressing without getting soggy. You can sauté this too with or without some sort of dressing or sauce and it will still retain the crunch. It also doesn't lose as much volume when cooked compared to other greens like spinach. 

I've kept my eyes peeled in just about every grocery store and have yet to discover a comparable alternative. I wouldn't be surprised if Costco had it, but Costco is a different animal. Ima stay loyal to TJ's in the meantime. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Collection. Serious roughage for serious healthy eating. 7.5 out of 10. 

Related: Organic Spicy Spinach Blend, Organic Mixed Baby Kale, Organic Tuscan Kale

Comments