The pros: Trader Joe's Seedy Almond Salad Topper is a new product that is geared towards snacking and salads.
The cons: While I thought this would be a natural sequel to the hit Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, this was basically like a sophomore album slum.
The verdict: I don't know how some people I work with do it. They manage to bring a salad almost every single day to work. I can't do it. I've tried.
It doesn't matter how many combinations I try, but day 2 or 3 I want nothing to do with an entire meal of the leafy green stuff.
So I was sort of excited to see a new addition hit shelves. It's individually packaged for both portion control and preventing this from getting soggy.
Upon inspection of the bag it looked much like Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning. The suggested uses seemed similar enough too: eggs, bagels, salad, and veggies. There are lots and lots of sesame seeds in each packet. But that is where the similarities end.
You have the added bonus of pepitas and almonds for added crunch. But you have the kick of red pepper flakes too. As a blend they harmonize decently enough, but when you add this you'll want to proceed with caution.
I think the red pepper flakes here are this products Achilles heel. When I first put this on a salad, I did not read what was in it. It didn't exactly compliment my Thousand Island dressing.
As a snacking mix, I'd never glanced at any container of sesame seeds and grabbed a handful. Here you have a pretty snackable bag, but I was picking mostly at the almonds and pepitas. I was literally left with a lot of sesame and red pepper flakes. Not exactly a handful of snackable goodness there.
I think if you can pair this correctly, it could work. But overall, this was a miss for me. This is simple enough to pair the parts that work and make your own blend. And if you can make your own blend of crunchy things, then you can save money and the environment.
For $3.99 you get 8 individual plastic bags within the one plastic package. If you are concerned about the environment, then this is a lot of plastic packaging that could be avoided.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The bag of Trader Joe's Seedy Almond Salad Topper:
The nutritional information and the ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
Would I buy this again? No, I would not buy Trader Joe's Seedy Almond Salad Topper again. This product was more like a sophomore album slump than a greatest hit or smashing debut.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Alek says
I do think it might work for crossiants or breads. Top breads off with it before baking
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! That's a great suggestions for a good use for this product. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!
Dag says
I bought this product a week ago out of curiosity, call it an impulsive buy . I was disappointed. There are very few slivered almonds in there and I'm surprised there are no sunflower seeds. I liked the concept even to just pour into my mouth as a quick snack at work but I think you are right in your assessments . You can customize your own mix much more cheaply and environmentally conscious.
Catherine of VegCharlotte says
I agree with you! Much better to add your own nuts and seeds. The sesame seeds and red pepper didn't go with all of my salads (even though, I usually love red pepper!) Also, my almonds and pepitas were not very crunchy.
becomebetty says
I agree! I really thought this had such good potential. I was so disappointed with it on a salad. Plus it wasn't exactly low on calories either. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!