I’m a private chef who shops at Trader Joe’s. Here are 9 of my favorite things to get for my family of 3.

This Trader Joe’s product is our go-to whole-bean dark-roast coffee.

My wife and I typically brew a pot and a half each morning, occasionally sharing a small cup with our teenager, topped with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick “straw.”

In the summer, we refrigerate any leftovers for iced coffee.

We crave avocados all year round, but it’s a hassle to pick them up at most grocery stores because they all have different levels of ripeness. Plus, I usually forget to use them all before they go bad.

So, I usually grab Trader Joe’s totally ripe avocados the day before I need them for use on tacos, to make guacamole, or to top toast (my wife’s a millennial, so you know she loves some avocado toast).

Trader Joe’s Medjool dates are the star of my favorite summer salad.

The dates, grown in Palm Desert, California, pair well with chopped romaine, roasted corn, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, avocado, and grilled chicken or salmon.

I top everything with a delicious honey mustard or berry vinaigrette for an entrée salad that the whole family loves.

My family eats lots of berries in the summer. When our strawberry patch stops producing, we buy Driscoll’s raspberries from Trader Joe’s.

The raspberries are tart, sweet, and a pure bite of summer in your mouth. We use them to top oatmeal and yogurt, sprinkle them in mocktails, and add them to a savory raspberry vinaigrette.

These pizza crusts are a lifesaver for us. They make pizza night with a gluten-free family member easy and affordable.

We always keep four in the freezer, so they’re ready for when we need a no-fuss dinner that can be on the table in 10 minutes.

This bottle is our favorite out of all the Trader Joe’s olive oils. It’s mild tasting and buttery without an aggressive olive or green flavor.

We use this for so many dishes, but it’s an essential ingredient in my vinaigrettes, where I like to let the other flavors shine.

Trader Joe’s BBQ-cut fresh Atlantic salmon filets can be grilled (they take about 10 to 20 minutes) or seared on the stovetop and finished in the oven. We just brush the filets with olive oil and sprinkle them with flake salt and pepper.

I’d recommend brushing on your favorite sauce before cooking or pouring a dressing on top afterward — we like a vegan pesto with whatever greens look good at the farmers market.

For me, these are the Cadillac of Trader Joe’s walnuts — each bag comes with consistently sized halves with a delicious umami flavor that toasts up perfectly.

These walnuts are a baking, salad, and snack staple in our kitchen. I also use them to make vegan pâté for crudités or charcuterie platters.

We store them in the freezer and toast as needed to add flavor and texture to various dishes.

These tart cherries are the star ingredient in my spinach salad with toasted walnuts and creamy Danish blue cheese.

They add a sweet-tart element that pairs beautifully with a honey-mustard dressing. They’re also great in baked goods, on oatmeal, or blended into a berry vinaigrette for a sweet salad dressing.

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